Ask Burnsie: What should Lightning expect from defensemen this season?

TampaBayLightning.com beat writer Bryan Burns will answer readers' most intriguing questions in a regular mailbag feature. Be sure to tweet questions to @bburnsnhl and include the hashtag #AskBurnsie to have your question answered in a future mailbag. If your question wasn't answered today, resubmit it in the future and we'll attempt to get it in for another edition. Have fun with your questions too; the more off-beat the query the better.

We haven't seen Vash start for a season yet. What chance do you give a possible split between Vash and Budaj? (via @HeavywtChumpOTW)
Before I answer your question…Vash? I thought I had seen every possible spelling attempt for Andrei Vasilevskiy's nickname - it's Vasy by the way - but this one was new even for me.
As far as a split between Vasilevskiy and backup netminder Peter Budaj, obviously there's going to be a distribution of games between the two goalies. Vasilevskiy isn't going to start every game, and Budaj didn't sign a new contract with the Lightning to sit the bench exclusively for two years.
But, unquestionably, Vasilevskiy is Tampa Bay's starting goalie and Budaj the backup heading into this season. If I had to guess on the percentage of games each starts in 2017-18, I'd go 70 percent for Vasilevskiy and 30 percent for Budaj. I think it will be similar to the split we saw in 2014-15 between Ben Bishop and Evgeni Nabokov when Nabokov started roughly every fourth game and also got the call on the second half of back-to-back sets. That is until Vasilevskiy's rapid development that season made Nabokov expendable.

How'd you get where you are today? What gave you the opportunity to work for the Lightning website, etc. (via @Luke_Finlay)
It's a pretty simple story really. Out of college, my first professional job was with the Frederick Keys, a minor league baseball team in Frederick, Maryland. Through that job, I got to know the sports editor of the local paper pretty well and started writing stories for the Frederick News-Post. From that experience, I was able to land regular work with the then-St. Petersburg Times when I moved to Florida, first as a correspondent and then, after a couple of years, as a staff writer. And with that on my resume, I was able to present myself as an attractive candidate when the Lightning writing job came open. I used to cover the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team for the Times, and I think my experience as a beat writer was enough to distinguish myself from other candidates for the Lightning job.
But, not immediately.
When the Lightning beat writer position first came open, I didn't get it. I was the dreaded runner-up. You know that call: "We thought you and Candidate A were both perfect for the job, but we had to choose somebody and we chose Candidate A." Fortunately, the job opened up again a year later, they remembered me from the previous interview process and I was offered.
I wish I had a cool story about how I was discovered after penning some brilliant piece at a national writer's symposium, but, really, my current position with the Lightning is a testament to timing and patience more than anything.

What should we expect from the D-men this year? Do you think Vasy will flourish or falter behind them? Is Sergachev in the top 4? (via @whosurdaddy)
Nailed Vasy's nickname. Nice job!
Is Sergachev top four? Let the kid make the team first before we anoint him a top four. I'm not even sure a roster spot is available for the dynamic 19-year-old Russian prospect. There are already five veteran defensemen in the fold: Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn, Dan Girardi and I guess you can label Andrej Sustr a NHL veteran now as he enters his fifth full season with the team. Plus, Jake Dotchin (two years) and Slater Koekkoek (one year) re-signed with the team on one-way contracts this offseason. That means, if Sergachev makes the team out of training camp, the Lightning would have eight defensemen on the roster provided none of the aforementioned blueliners are shipped elsewhere before the season starts.
With that being said, from what I saw of Sergachev during Tampa Bay's development camp, I think Sergachev can absolutely help the Lightning this season. He showed tremendous skating ability and gave glimpses of his shot that's had scouts drooling since he came over from Russia. Plus, the kid seems to have that 'it' factor. He's extremely comfortable in front of a microphone or camera, despite teaching himself English just a couple of years ago, and has a confident presence about him I think will translate well to the NHL level.
Also, the alternative to Sergachev remaining in Tampa Bay all season is that he would have to spend another year in juniors. There's nothing really left for him to accomplish at that level. If he had the option to play in the AHL next season, I could certainly see him spending the year in Syracuse. But without that not available, I think Sergachev makes the Lightning out of training camp. Bolts general manager Steve Yzerman has already stated he has no problem with eight defensemen on the roster. And Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has shown a penchant for starting seven defensemen at times during his career. So, I think Sergachev makes the team and spends the whole season with the Bolts.
Now, whether Sergachev's a full-time or part-time starter is another question that I don't think gets answered until we see what exactly the Lightning have on D in training camp. Injuries will certainly factor in to how much playing time he gets too. But there are plenty of options now for the Bolts. And the depth the Lightning have on the blueline throughout the organization - Erik Cernak, Libor Hajek, Matt Spencer and 2017 first round draft pick Cal Foote are all waiting in the wings - is as good as it's ever been.

The prospect that surprised you the most in the development camp? (via @fatems_19)
Okay, this answer might be a bit of a cop out considering the previous question, but I'd have to say Sergachev. I expected the kid to be pretty good, but I didn't expect him to be that good. The thing that impressed me most about Sergachev was how fluid of a skater he is and how effortless he makes it look. Watching him skate from one end of the blue line to the other during one particular drill, weaving his way back and forth over the line, his head up the whole time and his eyes constantly scanning in front for his best option, I was mesmerized.
I really think this kid is going to be special.
Who is the next Bolts prospect to make the final roster this season? (via @LauscherJay)
See answer to previous two questions.
Also could see Matt Peca or Adam Erne earning a roster spot out of camp. Keep an eye on Anthony Cirelli too. I don't think he'll be anywhere other than Syracuse next season, but he could be the next player to make that Brayden Point-like jump to the NHL level.