Original tampa bay lightning roster12/27/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() 27 in a preseason game against the Nashville Predators. It wasn’t long before Merela got the chance to prove himself, and he got his got his first game in a Lightning uniform on Sept. Waltteri Merela, Tampa Bay Lightning (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images) He wanted to win and felt the Lightning were a good fit, so if that meant playing on the fourth line and helping out on the penalty kill, then he was ready to do it. He reportedly felt the need to push himself and was willing to do whatever was needed to be a part of the team. It also boded well that Merela had the right mindset. Statements from pundits started to trickle out that he could make the roster. At training camp, there were rumblings that he looked the part of an NHLer. Merela was quick to make a good impression. The Lightning have become known for finding hidden gems, and many hoped the Finnish forward would be just that. Additionally, he was 24 years old and had never been drafted by an NHL franchise. He was a player that most Lightning fans had never heard of and sparse information was available about him. On June 5, it was announced that Merela had signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Lightning. Also impressive, Merela arrived in Tampa Bay as a back-to-back champion, with Tappara taking home the Finnish Elite League title in the 2021-23 seasons. Last season, he put up 33 points in 41 games, including 15 goals. He also led the league with a plus-31 rating and was in the top 10 in both goals and points. No team over the last 14 seasons has won the Cup with an average age over 28.3.His breakout season came in 2021-22 with Tappara, where he scored 21 goals and 44 points in 57 games. ![]() The Caps were the oldest team in the league during the 2020-21 season (30). The Capitals are already without Backstrom (hip), Tom Wilson (knee), and Carl Hagelin (hip/eye) long-term. Injuries have already been a concern during Training Camp as the team saw TJ Oshie miss the first day of Training Camp due to core surgery over the offseason and injure his shoulder during the Capitals’ fifth preseason game. The team did give roster spots to prospects Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, and Joe Snively, but its unclear if any will have a significant role on the team. Dylan Strome, 25, will get a chance to center the second line with Nicklas Backstrom out. The Capitals replaced its young tandem in net with veterans Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren, which should give the team much more stability in net – a problem in past regular seasons. Ovechkin is more than a decade past it.Īfter getting first-rounded in the playoffs four consecutive years, the Capitals mostly decided against a youth infusion in 2022-23, opting to sign or acquire more veteran players and losing several young prospects in the process: Ilya Samsonov (non-tendered QO), Vitek Vanecek (trade), Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (waivers), and Brett Leason (waivers). All of those players are at least a few years past the traditional peak-performance age. Dowd, Jensen, Johansson, and Kuemper are 32. The average age of an NHL player this season is 27.4.Ĭap Friendly’s full list of NHL roster ages can be seen on their Depth Charts Twitter account here.Īccording to Peter Hassett’s season preview article, how the Capitals manage its veteran-ness could be the biggest factor in how successful the team is this season.Īs I’ve revisited a few times throughout this preview series, the team’s age decay is their biggest risk going into 2022-23. The Tampa Bay Lightning (29.1), Toronto Maple Leafs (29), and Calgary Flames (28.9) round out the top five. CapFriendly Depth Charts October 11, 2022Ĭap Friendly’s research shows that the Capitals and Penguins are the only teams in the NHL with an average age in the thirties. The only team older is the Pittsburgh Penguins (30.3), who, like the Capitals, are married to their superstar core until retirement. The Washington Capitals could potentially have a big season, but if they’re going to raise the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history, they’ll have to slay Father Time (which I’m told is nearly undefeated).Īfter making their Opening Night roster official on Monday, the Caps will enter the 2022-23 season as the second oldest team (30) in the NHL per Cap Friendly.
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