The Tampa Bay Lightning have finalized their roster heading into the 2023-24 season, and a few moves have raised some eyebrows. Having very little room on the salary cap, the Lightning were forced to move on from some of their roster regulars and bring in free agents, as well as have competition from their prospects in order to compete for the open spots on their roster. General manager Julien Brisebois has successfully managed a tight salary cap and has assembled a roster that can compete for another Stanley Cup title.
The injury to Andrei Vasilevskiy also added a little wrinkle to their roster decision while staying under the cap. Under NHL rules, they cannot submit an opening day roster and then immediately make transactions if those adjustments would have changed their cap limit. Teams must keep their submitted roster for at least 24 hours. This is meant to prevent paper transactions intended solely to maximize their Long Term Injured Reserve relief. This means that the Lightning will have to carry Vasilevskiy on their roster until at least Wednesday, Oct. 11, until they can put him on LTIR with his $9.5 million cap hit.
Here is a look at some of the moves that have led to the assembling of their opening night roster.
Signing Austin Watson
On Monday, Oct. 9, the team announced they had signed the 31-year-old to a one-year contract worth $776,665. If you are thinking that the salary number is unusual, you would be correct. That contract allows the Lightning a perfect LTI capture of $83.5M, just $2 below the combined cap hits of Brent Seabrook and Logan Brown, two players set to be placed on LTIR. Watson initially joined the team on a professional tryout offer and appeared in four preseason games. Known for giving a team more of a physical presence instead of scoring points, there were a few other reasons the Lightning added him to this year’s roster.
Throughout his time playing for the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators, Watson had a reputation for being a well-liked player in the locker room. His teammates were inspired by both his positive energy and the way he’s been able to rally and overcome his past battles with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. Adding his physical presence on the ice along with his locker room presence was a low-risk-high-reward signing for the Lightning.
Walterri Merela Makes the Team
After an outstanding preseason, Merela was included in the opening night roster. The 24-year-old forward signed a one-year, two-way contract in early June after leading Tappara of the Finnish Pro League in playoff goals to help the organization secure a second-straight Liiga title. From development camp in July to the Rookie Showcase in September and into the preseason, Merela has consistently produced and was able to adapt to the North American style of hockey quickly. In Monday’s practice (Oct. 9), he skated on the fourth line with Tanner Jeannot and Luke Glendening and will likely start on that line when he hits the ice for the first time in a Lightning sweater.
Bogosian and Fortier Placed on Waivers
On Sunday, Oct. 8, the Lightning placed Zach Bogosian and Gabriel Fortier. Having both cleared waivers, they will be assigned to Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse. While Fortier will likely report to the Crunch, Bogosian will likely stay in Tampa as he could get called up when Vasilevskiy is placed on injured reserve as early as Wednesday (Oct. 11). However, the 34-year-old averaged just 47 games over the first two seasons with the Lightning, so his release could also mean the team is moving on.
Fortier may head back to Syracuse, where he appeared in 67 regular season games in the 2022-23 season, posting 11 goals and 29 points before skating in each of the club’s five Calder Cup Playoff games. The Lachine, Quebec native has skated in 11 games with the Lightning between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, tallying one point, a goal that came on Dec. 21, 2021, against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Alex Barre-Boulet
The 25-year-old was one of the main topics of conversation on Monday (Oct. 9) when he was not mentioned in any line pairings for that day’s practice, fueling speculation that he had been waived or sent to Syracuse. The mystery deepened when Lightning insider Erik Erlendsson posted a picture on his X (formerly Twitter) feed featuring a picture of Barre-Boulet’s equipment still in his locker.
Even though the Lightning have not explained his absence, the undrafted forward was included in their opening-day roster. Barre-Boulet has done about all he could do down in Syracuse last season, becoming the all-time points leader in Crunch history while placing second in the AHL in assists and total points.
Related: 3 Under-the-Radar Lightning to Watch in 2023-24
It wasn’t easy, but after a busy weekend of making transactions, the Tampa Bay Lightning have settled on their opening night roster for the 2023-24 season. Brisebois and everyone in the organization who assists the general manager deserve credit for doing their due diligence and finalizing a roster that can still make a deep run in the playoffs this season.
