You are not making the most of first impressions in hockey circles. Just saying.

That last poll? About the #1 draft pick? It’s irrelevant. Brant James article in the St. Petersburg Times this morning shows why. Steve Stamkos will indeed be the top pick for the Lightning.

Why so sure? Because when a sports franchise employs a Hollywood marketing blitz comparable to what has been used the last year for The Dark Knight (in theaters later this summer) hyping a prospect, you know they are big on them.

Seen Stamkos?

(hats off to the guys who thought up the flash mob viral marketing, if it was Koules people or an ad agency somewhere in the Bay area)

I gave no coverage to the Lightning winning the Draft Lottery… But I will ask you for your thoughts on what the Lightning should do with the pick.

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And While we’re at it — and local media lacks any coverage of this stuff — head on over to MyNHLDraft and view some fo the mock drafts and other draft and prospect information.

Before the season, I had given my buddy Keith soem grief about Calgary throwing a wad of cash at Cory Sarich. Not that I don’t like Cory, not that I feel Cory doesn’t bring anythign to the table or doesn’t contribute, I just think he got paid too much in his new deal.

Well, this Sarich hit from the other night has turned into celebration and a rallying point for Flames fans:

Cory’s gone but not forgotten in TB. i revel in his moment.

Wasn’t aware of this but Jay Feaster is writing a series of articles blogging (at least they call it that) over at The Hockey News. He’s only had two articles blogs posted so far but it may be worth a look see for the Lightning fan out there.

My frustration from last night (and recently) is chronicled. We’ll leave it at that. I’m not a sell out though. I’m a Lightning fan. I’ve endured the Lightning through expansion mediocrity, to first-time-playoff mediocrity, to sub-abysmal status during the late 1990’s… I’ve seen the lows, I’ve blogged the highs. Accepting the 2007-08 team as a bitter pill to swallow isn’t something I am proud of, yet it’s something that has to be done.

The being said, this is just pathetic:

…If you’re like me you probably have no desire to see this mess of a team in person anymore. I’m headed back home for New Years and I was planning to go to a Lightning game and catch the Bucs finale. Now? Neither. And if you are a season-ticket holder, my condolences. Sell your tickets if you can, but I would stop going all together if I were you.

…I’ve had it with this team. They are getting what they deserve - and that’s being among the worst teams in the NHL. Who’s to blame? Everyone but the fans, as far as I can tell. The players appear to be quitting on the coach. The coach can’t get even halfway decent productivity with the players he’s got. The GM is responsible for this roster that has his coach so hamstrung, but his hands are tied by lame-duck, apathetic ownership. Wheee!

Everybody but the fans until the fans make declarations like this. The post is titled “Stop going to games, stop showing up”…

You can agree about Torts (and it’s a renown fact the hockey world doesn’t seem to care for John Tortorella’s style), and know the Jay Feaster situation is a truism… Ownership isn’t so much apathetic (this charge always comes out when a team doesn’t spend the cap on players - be they garbage or good) as dealing with a business transaction that has frozen what it can pay for the on-ice product. Yeah, it’s a shit sandwich and we all have to take a bite…

But taking your ball and going home…?

There’s a name for someone who throws his/her hands up in disgust when his or her team lose or go through a rough patch. Bandwagon Fan. Yeah, there are plenty of reasons to be disgusted with the Lightning. Yes, the ownership-in-limbo status doesn’t give much hope for the future or the current. That being said, do you put the team you hold dear to your heart in a bind by trying to syndicate apathy to the rest of the fanbase, inspired by your own despair? Have the Lightning fans, those enveloped in their disgust, forgotten about the poor times this team has gone through in the past that we suffered and triumphed through? Or have we just grown so soft that we’re going to throw a fit and walk away in a knee-jerk reaction because the team isn’t playing like it’s 2004 again?

That was four year ago. Get over it.

October 5th, 2005 was when you were supposed to stop living on the coattails of a championship (I told you as much on opening night that year). The bad times go with the good times — it’s what endears us to our pro sport teams. We may not like them, but that’s what engraves our teams into our souls.

And for the record, anyone who wants to give up on this team and dump off their tickets — I’ll take them, and I’m sure there are plenty of others who would too.

Do the Rays really need a new stadium?

At the same time, do they really need a new stadium on a cramped location on the water that offers no parking? Continues life on the tip of the Pinellas Peninsula at an increased distance from points east?

There’s a lot to be discussed — And it’s getting discussed at Skyscrapercity.com with minor rumblings also going on at SkyscraperPage and FanHome of course. That being said, the most discussion (rambling about development, economics of baseball, the real estate bubble bursting and what not) are on the SkyscraperCity link.

There will be a press conference in little less than an hour with renderings of the Rays proposed ballpark. The St. Petersburg Times already did a mock rendering from passed-on takes of the stadium rendering. It raises more questions than answers though.

This falls squarely under the “WTF” category…

The sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning from Palace Sports and Entertainment to Absolute Hockey LTD. has fallen through

Palace Sports nixed the purchase agreement when Absolute Hockey did not come up with a required $5-million payment. Now the investment group has splintered as Coral Springs real estate developer Jeff Sherrin is suing Hollywood producer Oren Koules for allegedly failing on Nov. 13 to make a capital contribution of $4.16-million.
Sherrin is asking $50-million in damages.

…

While the deal as originally announced with much fanfare on Aug. 7 is no longer valid, don’t be surprised if a deal is resurrected at a later date with Koules or a group led by him.

Well, looking at the above alone, one can be thankful things fell apart (long term) because if they can’t get their act together to make a money payment - how are they supposed to cover player paychecks and other franchise bills?

This also paves the way for a group of owners minus Sherrin to purchase any other NHL franchise for sale. So the team being sold from Palace Sports to another group with Koules as part of it may or may not happen. Though a team sale would be likely if the right group came along (per Tom Wilson’s quotes from that faithful August 7th morning).

RJ had stated this offseason that trading Vaclav Prospal for Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was a possibility. At least that was the rumor.

Forget a trade now, Bryzgalov is on waivers. Would Jay Feaster want to, or be able to, pick up Ilya if he wanted? Or does the in-flux status of ownership prevent him from taking on more payroll? Also, would acquiring a new goalie show too much of a lack-of-confidence in Johan Holmqvist?

It’s worth exploring, but the team is ultimately handcuffed unless PSE/Absolute Hockey reach an understanding.

The one telling sign that there is trouble in the House of ‘Ning (and by God I vowed to never use that nickname to describe the Bolts, shame on me!) was Jay Feaster loading up on defensive depth this off season. Those acquisitions have bogged down the Norfolk Admirals in while they have been short on forwards. The Lightning franchise as a whole lacks offensive depth at this time as well (and please, no one cite Alexander Polushin. That ship has sailed)

Last weekend, at the request of Jay Feaster, Mike Egener was inserted at wing on Blair Jones and Kyle Wavnig’s line. Mike was Jay Feaster’s first draft pick as GM and has been bounced around in the minors while trying to adapt his game to the “New NHL™”. While Matt Smaby, Vladmir Malhik and Andy Rogers have kept the Lightning’s attention as defensive prospects, Mike seemed to fall out of the teams graces (even if certain fans by the name of ME kept hoping he’d get his shot).

So the Egener Experiment commenced. And lo and behold what happened? OntarioFan’s comment surmises Egener’s weekend on the wing:

On a unrelated note. Mike Egener had a good weekend playing forward and surprised the coaches with his ability to battle in front of the net and actually score. Few realize that because his father was in the army and the family moved often that he was forced to play defence to make new teams. He began as a forward and played that position until he was 11-12 and was a goal scorer! If he is given a lengthy chance he might be an asset.

Mike clicked on the wing? BoltProspects.com furthers the tale of the Wing and the Eg:

With the Norfolk Admirals short on forwards to start the year due to four recent signees experiencing work visa issues, and a hoard of defensemen vying for coveted starting spots, it seemed like the perfect time for a career change of sorts for Egener. At Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster’s request, Egener was moved up to the wing. The 6-foot-4, 213-pounder responded with an honest effort each night, physical play, and even chipped in a rare goal against his former team, Springfield.

Egener’s career high for goals in a year - at the WHL, ECHL, or AHL level - is three (2004-05 Springfield).

…

“We are going to continue experimenting with him on the wing,” Feaster told Bolt Prospects. “We need his toughness in the line-up and we think he is a better fit on the wing. He likes it and is having some success.”

So what can be made of this in all honesty? A fast skater, booming slap shot who has played defense most of his amateur and professional career now playing a proactive role on offense instead of reactive role on defense? While Boltprospects article compares Egener’s position switch with Ben Clymer’s switch in 2001-02, I’d like to think the sky is much more the limit for Mike and what he can accomplish for himself and the team. A power wing with two way prowess is a commodity in this league.