THROUGHOUT THEIR RUN as Eastern Conference bogeymen, the Lightning have made a habit of mortgaging the future to power the present. Despite the resultant lack of picks, though, at no other point in this era of success has Tampa Bay entered draft day in a position this weak. While they’ll have five picks at their disposal, the first of those is in the fifth round, followed by a sixth-round choice and three seventh-round selections.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Try as GM Julien BriseBois might to build a blueline on a tight budget, Tampa Bay hasn’t found the right mix the past couple seasons. Losing Mikhail Sergachev to injury this year further illuminated how thin the back end has become, too. The Bolts need to find a solid supporting cast for Victor Hedman, Erik…
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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Draft Preview 2024