Let's get to Mikhel Serkachev in Tampa. You did mention him earlier, brutal injury for him, had surgery on Thursday to stabilize his fibula and tibia, and that Instagram post. We'll get to Tampa and what might be next for them. But just seeing that Instagram post and seeing it be emotional. That was really tough to read, honestly.

Well, I mean, yeah, it was tough to read. You're right. And he was playing his first game in seven weeks that night. He hadn't played since December 19th. Gets 10 minutes or so of ice time into that game, 10 minutes into his return, and falls awkwardly after taking a reverse hit from Alexis Lafrenier. I don't know the exact timeline here that the Lightning didn't disclose one, but clearly, when he's having surgery the next day and they're immediately putting him in rehab. I think that there's a chance to save his season, maybe if they're into the playoffs or what have you. But that's a lot to digest if you're in Sergachev's shoes, given that he's just worked his way all the way back to playing again. I don't know if you saw his previous post before that one, Julian, but he's like, We're back. It's like a picture of him. And naturally, he's excited after a long injury layoff as any player would be. So it's been crushing. It's just been a tough year for Sergachev, really top to bottom. If you look at his numbers, it's not necessarily what you'd expect. Even when he was healthy, there was a time there he was taken off the top power play unit, and Victor Headman had regained that spot.

It was plus minus, which I know is not always the best stat to gage player season, but he's at minus 16 for 30 odd games. I think it tells the story where I just think this year has been a struggle for him. Obviously, he wants to be a number one type of guy. He's at that age. He's been groomed the right way. He's got the big contract, and he plays the second most minutes on the Lightning in terms of a per game basis, and now he's facing an uphill climb back. It's been a patch it together year on the Lightning Blue Line. Darren Radish, who actually really opened my eyes last year, covering that Lightning Leef series, was a player, quite frankly, I didn't know a lot about, and he was playing Monster Minutes in that series and played very well, I thought, for Tampa. He's essentially been up on the right side there with Headman on the top pair when The Sergachev has been out. They've rotated a whole bunch of players that you'd need the HockeyDB account open to know who they are playing on their bottom pair. And I say that with respect to them, of course, but it's been by committee.

Shifting to what Tampa is going to do, it was my understanding they were already calling around on defensemen before the Sergachev injury just to gage the market, see what upgrades might be out there for them. The real key item here will be by March eighth, I think Julian Briesba is going to know, is there a world Sergachev's back during the regular season? Because if he's not, he's basically got eight and a half million dollars now of LTIR space to play with when it comes to making additions. The Lightning have traded away a lot of in recent years, all the way back to Blake Coleman, Barkley Goodrow, nick Paul, Brandon Hagle. Last year is Tana Janot. Through the course of those transactions at the deadlines in the last four years, they've trade away a boatload of pics so that they're not left with as many as you would have to necessarily say that they're going to go out there big game hunting. But I think Julian Briesba, honestly, for my money, is the best GM in the league. You probably have a debate about maybe Kelly McCriman in Vegas. Vegas made a ton of smart moves on the way to winning their Cup and having the success they've had, too.

But I would just say never sleep on Julian Breesba, especially now that it looks like this scenario is there where he potentially has all that cap space. That was his biggest challenge. He found a way to fit all those other guys in that I mentioned in environments where he didn't really have a ton of cap space to play with. There's a world here. If Sergachev's out for 10 more weeks, essentially through the end of the regular season, that Tampa be in on basically anybody.

In terms of anybody, is it somebody that has to fit that style of play that Sergachev has? Is it a stop gap? Who could they be looking for if it gets to that point where they feel they need somebody?

We'll look at history, right? I mean, Goodro and Coleman both ended up having one more year on the deals at the time the deals were made, and that ended up being a home run trade because they formed two-thirds of a pretty dynamic third line, and they won cups in both of those seasons. Hagle and Paul were both traded for, in Hagle's case, was a restricted free agent. So the Tampa knew they had his rights, but and signed to long term contracts. Tanner Janot, similar. They're acquiring a player there that isn't what we would call a rental. So I think based on past behavior, I'm going to look for Tampa to make not an obvious move because that's the way Julian has always operated in the Lightning front office. And so it's hard to connect them to anyone credibly or for me to say today, it's this guy they're going to go trade for. But I would be looking for the non obvious moves for something that maybe solves a future problem and a current problem. The biggest thing in Tampa, they have to be mindful of, it's two things. This is the last year you got Steven Stamkos under contract.

We've talked about that story a lot. But you don't know for sure what the future holds there. I think this is a year, even though they're in a wild card spot as we're recording this, you want to go in, I think, one more time. I would guess if you're in the front office, you just don't know. Every year, it's going to get harder and harder, I think, for them to keep it together. The core players are getting a little older. You might lose more. Look at what they've already lost. I saw Tyler Johnson actually posted a photo on his Instagram page over the All-Star break. He's on a vacation with Stamkos and Headman, but also Ryan McDonald, Pat Maroon, Andre Palat, all those former Lightning guys, obviously, they all went together once upon a time. Those players are all playing elsewhere, and there's the possibility you're going to have that Stamkos. I think that there's going to be the inclination to want to go in on it this year and really give the team the best chance to have another championship run. But also, he's got to make a trade that sets them up well cap-wise down the road.

And so Look for some undervalued players.

I think that's been what he's done. Hagle, with respect to Brandon Hagle, wasn't a huge name, but he gave up two first rounders for him in that trade with Chicago. It's because he prized how cost the fact that he was, that he filled a specific need for this team. That's where I'm looking. I would expect them to tink around the edges. The lightning, no matter what Julian ever says in front of the microphone, like this year, we're not going to be big deadline players They're always big deadline players. Shrewd, operator, smart, really smart guy. Now, again, I'm sorry that Mikael Surgutchev had to get injured for it to happen, but all of a sudden now, they might have a ton of money to play with. I think It opens up a whole new set of options until that game at Madison Square Garden this week that he wouldn't have had.

Was Nikita Kutrow part of that list of current and former Tampa players vacationing? Just wondering if there was a triplet's line reunion.

No, I didn't. Well, I can't say he wasn't there, but he wasn't in the photo. That would be a good one. I missed the triplet's line.

Yeah. It's funny to think. Nikita Kuturov, at one point, was just a third of a really cool line for Tampa, and now he's a top 10 player in the league. You could argue he should be top five. He could win the heart trophy this year.

For a second time.

John Cooper has said that he's playing, at least when I had asked him the question, he's playing at a level higher than when he won it, like how many years ago. What a guy.

Right. Well, and get this, I covered a playoff series. It was the Canadian's Lightning Series in 2014 where he was a healthy scratch, Kucharov. I mean, not many players go from ever being a healthy scratch to winning a heart trophy. He's already traveled the road less traveled, I would call it. And you're right, got another shot at the heart this year. I probably have McKinnon there right now, probably. We haven't done this game, and I haven't looked at it closely, closely. I'm not committing to it, but my gut right now tells me it's McKinnon's to lose at this stage of the season.

Save your award ballot for when it comes time. We'll trade notes.

When we're in garbage time in March, you mean? When we're trying to figure out... I'm just kidding. That's harsh. But that's what they call them basketball, the non-meaningful period.

You joke about that, but there's truth in every joke..