Mr. Clutch. Mr. pull-it-out-in-overtime: those titles describe none other than former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondřej Palát. His 94 Stanley Cup Playoff points in 138 games is going to be hard to replace this postseason.
As the Lightning wind down the regular season, coach Jon Cooper is shifting lines trying to find the right combinations and give players rest before facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. To win the first series and reach their fourth appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, the team will need someone to step into Palat’s skates and make clutch plays to win games. Who will be that player?
Lightning Draft Palat in Seventh Round
One of the best lower-round draft picks for the Lightning was at the 2011 NHL Draft when Palat was chosen in the seventh round (208th overall player taken). A native of Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic, he spent two seasons playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) before being drafted by Tampa and assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for two seasons, where he played for Cooper. He then joined his coach in the NHL.
As one of the most dependable, solid forwards, Palat’s offensive production doesn’t convey his total worth. In 628 career games with the Lightning, he scored 423 points but also held a plus-147 and averaged over 17 minutes of ice time.
After spending his entire career with the Lightning, the New Jersey Devils signed Palat, who was a free agent, to a five-year deal worth $6 million per season. His postseason experience will be invaluable to his new team as they have secured their first playoff berth in five seasons.
Postseason Production
Palat’s 48 career playoff goals land him second all-time in franchise history, trailing only Nikita Kucherov. In addition, the versatile two-way forward has totaled 398 hits and 133 blocks during the postseason. In the 48 games that the Lightning played during their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, he contributed 31 points. However, what’s been his biggest contribution, are his 12 game-winning goals in the NHL playoffs, which rank him third among active NHL players.
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After Palat scored the winning goal in Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche that kept the Lightning from being eliminated, forward Pat Maroon praised him. “He’s a gamer. He plays the right way every night. He gets to those dirty areas, and he gets rewarded. He’s a star in this league. He’s an elite player in this league. He shows up in big-time moments.”
His big goal in Game 5 “marked the 12th time in history a player scored a go-ahead, game-winning goal in the last 10 minutes of regulation with his team facing elimination in a Stanley Cup Final. (from “Ondrej Palat’s Lightning legacy grows in what might be his Tampa swan song,” The Athletic, June, 25, 2022)
Palat’s Possible Successor
Who on the current roster can fill Palat’s skates? The Lightning definitely have offensive talent and guys willing to block shots and take hits. However, in addition to Palat’s timely offensive output, his forechecking ability and unyielding battle along the boards are the little things that win tight games in the postseason. Of his former teammates, a few resemble his style of play, such as Alex Killorn, Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel. But among these three, who can ultimately replace Palat’s postseason production?
With Killorn being an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, it’s unlikely that the 33-year-old would be the heir apparent to Palat going forward. However, the team needs him to continue scoring those beautiful, timely postseason goals that he has contributed in his tenure with the Bolts. Currently, he is one of the hottest players on the Lightning team, scoring six points in the last five games. Killorn’s experience in the postseason is indispensable and he can fill some of the offensive void. However, a permanent replacement for Palat really comes down to Hagel and Paul.
This season, Hagel became the great two-way player that general manager (GM) Julien BriseBois thought he could become when he signed him from the Chicago Blackhawks. So far, he has 28 goals, which is the most in his young career and he is fearless in his pursuit of the puck. He never stops moving while on the ice.
In the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first postseason experience in Hagel’s NHL career, he only scored two goals, but he was a presence on the ice with 34 hits, 17 blocks and 16 takeaways. This regular season, he has found his stride, playing mainly on the top line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.
Like Palat, Hagel was a late-round draft selection, taken in the sixth round (159th overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Nick Paul made an immediate impact with his new team when the Lightning traded for him at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Also experiencing the postseason for the first time in his career, he scored five goals and added two assists. Of his five goals, two were game-winners, including the goal that ended the Toronto Maple Leafs’ series in Game 7 of the first round. He was rewarded for his playoff heroics with a seven-year, $22.05 million contract extension.
This season, Paul has moved up and down the lineup, showing his versatility among his teammates. His 17 regular-season goals rank him sixth on the team. His solid forechecking and gritty play along the boards is reminiscent of Palat. It’s easy to forget that Palat never scored 20 goals in a season during his time in Tampa — he saved his offense for the playoffs. Paul, who started the regular season with 13 goals before the end of December, has cooled off with only four goals since then. He added 15 assists for 32 points in 77 games thus far this season.
A New Mr. Clutch
The playoffs are all about clutch plays and Palat already has a career full of them. He will now try to guide a young Devils team to a championship. The Lightning have several players who may be able to replace some of his postseason production. However, the most likely candidate is Paul.
If Paul can produce in the postseason like he did in the 2022 Playoffs, he could become the team’s new Mr. Clutch. For Lightning fans, the moniker will always bring to mind Palat’s late-minute, series-ending goals. However, in order to bring the Cup back to Tampa, someone will need to score game-winning goals. Maybe Paul could be Mr. Nick of Time.
