While tonight's game is a good chance for fans to see some of their favorite Lightning players on the ice for the first time since Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Final, it's more important for the youngsters looking to make an impression with the team. The Lightning return pretty much the same squad from a season ago. The chances for a youngster to make the team out of camp are slim.
Not impossible, however.
At the 2016 training camp, Point was targeted for Syracuse but made such an impression he forced his way onto the Opening Night roster and has been a mainstay since. Last season, Anthony Cirelli recorded a goal and an assist in his NHL debut March 1 at Dallas and was in the lineup the remainder of the season, including for all 17 playoff games.
The preseason is the time to find out who's the next Point or Cirelli from this season's crop of prospects.
"Each and every year, it seems like there's guys that when their name is called can come up and step in right away," Stamkos said. "We saw Cirelli do that last year. Obviously, we've got guys like (Cal) Foote and Joseph and Volkov, just to name a few, those guys are guys that had great years last year, and that's been a big part of our success as a team throughout the course of this run the past five, six years is the stability that we have in the players and our prospects. Looking forward to see those guys in a game."
VOLKOV READY FOR OPPORTUNITY:During morning skate at the Ice Sports Forum, Russian forward Alexander Volkov skated on the Lightning's top line at left wing along with Stamkos and Kucherov.
Volkov, the Bolts' Second Round pick in the 2017 Draft, shined in his first pro season, leading AHL Syracuse for goals with 23.
Now with a chance to build off last season's success, Volkov is hoping to make an impression to stick with the team out of camp. A good showing tonight playing alongside Stamkos and Kucherov would certainly help his cause.
"I'm so excited to be on this line," said Volkov, who just started learning English last year while with Syracuse and already has a good handle on the language. "It's a big chance for me to show how I play, how I can play with superstars. I'm going to try to be on the team this year, and it's a chance for me."