Roster Cuts (G'bye, Holmqvist)

The Lightning reduced their roster to 36 players Friday, including sending highly regarded defenseman Andreas Holmqvist to Hamilton of the AHL.

Also released from camp were D Marc Busenburg (released from tryout), LW Adam Henrich (Brampton of OHL), D Paul Ranger (Oshawa of OHL), RW Darren Reid (Medicine Hat of WHL) and D Jeremy Van Hoof, who will join Holmqvist as one of four Lightning players in Hamilton, which opens training camp Sunday.


Click here (http://bolts.tbo.com/lightning/MGAGXIU2TKD.html)

-Sharon

I can't believe they gave Busenburg an ex-game but not Holmqvist or Van Hoof.

Van Hoof=Rodney Dangerfield of Lightning prospects

-Pete Choquette

with Holmqvist gone how does our top 8 D in order look now?

with Holmqvist gone how does our top 8 D in order look now?

Holmqvist was always #10 on the depth chart.

7 - Pratt
8 - Rumble
9 - Trepanier
10 - Holmqvist
11 - Dicaire
12 - Van Hoof

The big question is whether or not Dicaire has jumped ahead of Holmqvist on the chart...

Holmqvist was always #10 on the depth chart.

7 - Pratt
8 - Rumble
9 - Trepanier
10 - Holmqvist
11 - Dicaire
12 - Van Hoof

The big question is whether or not Dicaire has jumped ahead of Holmqvist on the chart...


I don't have the qoute right on hand but some big wigs higher up in the organization thought he could step right in and play and many here had him at #7 and possibly 6.

I don't have the qoute right on hand but some big wigs higher up in the organization thought he could step right in and play and many here had him at #7 and possibly 6.

Maybe so. Maybe wishful thinking. Don't really know what Feaster's/Barber's depth chart looks like.

I'm mainly quoting and paraphrasing a number of depth charts I saw from Chad and Pete over the last few months (probably at SSN forum) in which I never saw Holmqvist slotted higher than Pratt, Rumble or Trepanier.

I believe both those guys have always been of the opinion of not rushing Holmqvist to the big club. Give a year to season in the AHL -- 1/2 year at the earliest. As such, I've always seen Chad's depth chart with Pratt slotted at #7 and Rumble/Trepanier slotted as the injury call-up depth guys.

Here's a link to a discussion after Laukkanen was signed that supports this general feel of the d-corp depth by a number posters.

http://www2.sunshinenetwork.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=006613#000003

Note, that this discussion took place before the signing of Nolan Pratt, which is being prophesied to happen by the end of the thread.

Based on what I've seen during camp and pre-season, I'd say there's no question Dicaire has moved ahead of Holmqvist on the depth chart, at least for the time being. If the Bolts were forced to call up one or the other out of necessity, it would be Dicaire at this point in time. That could change by mid-season, but I'd guess it's more likely that Holmqvist won't be ready to make even a minor impact until closer to the end of the season, if not next year.

Yeah, there was an article in the trib today about how the coaches were impressed with him, and how he moved up the depth charts, getting exp in exb games.

I did think Holmqvist should have waited for yet a season before moving over the pond. Hopefully he gets used to the NA-play rather quickly and has a good season in the AHL.

From what I have read it seems he was pretty bad at camp, which is kind of surprising.. but I think things will turn around eventually.

BTW, does it look like Jimmie Ölvestad will start the season with Tampa? He hasn't been cut yet, correct?

BTW, does it look like Jimmie Ölvestad will start the season with Tampa? He hasn't been cut yet, correct?

Too early to tell. It doesn't look good IMO. Probably a waiver draft casualty or he will be farmed.

-Pete Choquette

I'm definitely on the Dicaire wagon.

Very smooth, very poised.

I'm very impressed with him.

After spending a week's vacation in TB watching the Bolts, I've come away envious of at least 3 of "Pete's Boys." I really like Dicare and Soucy. Yes, I have gone from being convinced Soucy will never get a contract to hoping he's not cut this afternoon. Anyone who knocks Sean Hill into the wall - while on the PP - with that force is ok in my book. I was very pleased with him. Throw Eero on the pile, too.

Now, I will say that I really liked Ryan Craig. As Pete mentioned, his skating is better than advertised. He plays a smart, heady game with a little grit. Looked nervous vs. the Thrashers, but the two WHLers were out there (Reid, whom I liked also) getting their noses dirty.

Also on the positive:

Afanasenkov
Willis in E-game
Not a prospect, but watching little Marty STL manhandle Thomas Malec 3x in the Canes game was hilarious.
Henrich
Soucy
Reid
Craig
Eero
Dicaire
Trepanier (looked good vs. the Canes. Steady)
Coleman (aside from rebound control and giving too much 5-hole to the shooter, I liked what I saw. He reminds me of a developing Lightning-John Grahame, not BOS-John Grahame. In what I saw you could see Reese's teaching at work. I think he's got potential - not as much as Boutin, though)

Indifferent:

O'Brien (more poised than I thought, but really didn't stand out much)
Ranger (same, liked O'Brien a little better)
Egener (didn't watch enough of him to make a fair assessment)
Holmqvist (see Egener)
Busenburg
Perrin (Didn't really do anything to jump out. Smart player. Knocked off the puck easily. Looked tentative)
Boutin (just because I didn't see enough of him.)

Negative:

Willis in Scrimmages
Keefe (bounced off people, wasn't getting into open spaces away from the puck... kudos for jumping into that post Soucy-Hill scrum, though)
Soucy in the scrimmage I saw (invisible)
Olvestad (still looking for him)
Svitov (looks disinterested)
Alexeev (expected more)
Artukhin (too big, underdeveloped offensively and fast to be a pure perimiter player, get your nose dirty)

Just announced on 620, no discussion of where these guys are going:

4 cuts
Soucy
Artukhin
Craig
Dicaire

Edit: OK, sounds like all are being assigned to Hershey, no official press release yet on the TBL site.

Is there a place that we can get the players remaining in camp ?

Feaster is working on it, or so he says so. Funny that it takes him 2 years before he finally understands the dilemma of not having an affiliated farm team in the AHL