You never know when opportunity will come knocking. For goaltender Matt Tomkins and forward Austin Watson, it certainly looks like that time is now.
Signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning to a two-year, two-way contract in May, Tomkins was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Draft. After four years at Ohio State University, he turned pro and spent the next four seasons bouncing between the American and East Coast Hockey Leagues, playing 36 games in the AHL and 79 in the ECHL during that span.
After Chicago decided against re-signing the 6-foot-3, 194-pound goalie, Tomkins made the move to Sweden, where he spent the next two seasons playing in the Swedish Hockey League for Frolunda HC and Farjestad BK. He also made three appearances for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, recording an impressive .963 save percentage and 1.01 goals against average with one shutout.
In his first season in Sweden with Frolunda, Tomkins posted a .908 SV% and 2.46 GAA. The following year with Farjestad, he finished the season with a .911 SV% and 2.53 GAA.
The Lightning had been monitoring Tomkins and reached an agreement on his two-year deal a little over a month after his season ended. Motivated more than ever, Tomkins returned to North America on a mission to make the most of his opportunity.
“It helped me a lot,” said Tomkins when asked about his time in Sweden. “Obviously, I just kind of went over there on a whim in the first place. Once I was over there, I realized how much I missed that opportunity of chasing this dream and being in the NHL.
“That fire still burned in me over there and I wanted to come back. Obviously, the opportunity came up here with the Lightning, so it was a no-brainer for me. I think it was great for me to get over there and be separated from it a little bit. Then, to come back to this situation is amazing.
“I’m really just grateful for the opportunity and really embracing it. It’s been an awesome challenge.”
When the news came out in late September that Andrei Vasilevskiy had undergone a successful microdiscectomy that would keep him out for approximately the first two months of the regular season, Tomkins found himself right in the mix to make the NHL roster. He went on to play three preseason games for Tampa Bay and posted a 2-1-0 record, stopping 119 of 130 shots against for a .915 SV%.
In his first start of the preseason against an NHL-heavy Nashville Predators lineup at Bridgestone Arena, Tomkins impressed the Lightning coaching staff and front office, making 30 saves on 31 shots and leading his team to a 2-1 win in overtime. Making it more impressive, Tampa Bay took six minor penalties in the third period of the contest, but Tomkins stood tall in his crease and earned his first win of the preseason.
“I didn’t know a ton about him,” said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper after the game. “I knew he was coming over from Europe, but he stood in there. He was calm. He was poised.
“He didn’t look like anything was rattling him at all, especially when everything was buzzing around him in the third period. It was great to see that performance.”
The news of Vasilevskiy’s surgery came the day after that game in Nashville. With a potential opportunity to claim another goalie off waivers or acquire one via trade, Bolts general manager Julien BriseBois stood pat and appeared to feel comfortable with what the team had following the strong performance from Tomkins.
Now, with the Lightning set to play back-to-back games in Detroit and Ottawa this Saturday and Sunday, it looks like Tomkins will get the chance to make his NHL debut.
“It’s amazing,” Tomkins said. “Obviously, being 29 years old, at times you think it’s not going to happen. But it’s just been an amazing experience to be here and be part of this organization. I’m really just taking it one day at a time and trying to get better every single day.
“It’s been awesome so far. I feel really good about where my game is at and being here and feeling comfortable.
“It’s just been amazing to be here every day. [It’s been] an awesome experience and I’m not taking a single day for granted. I’m just trying to work as hard as I can, be as good as I can and be ready when the chance comes.”
As for the pressure of an NHL debut, Tomkins doesn’t seem too concerned. With all the experience he’s gained throughout his career, it sounds like he’s in the best place he can be, both physically and mentally.
“This is just awesome for me to be here,” Tomkins said. “There’s no pressure. At this point in my career, you kind of learn the ups and downs that come with the game and not trying to fall victim to the roller coaster that can be pro hockey sometimes.
“This is all just an amazing experience for me. I really cherish every day and the opportunity to get better. It’s just been awesome.”
At one end of the spectrum, you have Tomkins, who has never played an NHL game in his six years of pro hockey. On the other end, there’s Watson, who has played the majority of his career in the NHL.
After three full seasons with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, Watson made the jump to the NHL with the Predators in 2015. Since then, he’s played 476 NHL games between Nashville and Ottawa with just five AHL games during that eight-year span.
Watson had conversations with multiple teams this summer, but after talking things over with former Senators teammate Nick Paul, he decided to sign a professional tryout agreement with Tampa Bay in late August.
In four preseason games with the Bolts, Watson showed value in a multitude of areas. He scored one goal and added an assist for two points, dropped the gloves and fought on three separate occasions and showed a willingness to sacrifice his body with some big shot blocks on the penalty kill.
Described as “a gem” by Cooper, Watson played his way into a one-year contract with the Lightning, signed on October 9.
“It’s a different feeling for me,” said Watson. “I’ve been coming off a couple three-year contracts and I’ve been pretty regular and stable with where I’ve been, so this whole experience was new for me.
“I’m proud of the way I’ve competed, so in that way, it feels good. It feels sort of refreshing and exciting. I get butterflies and nerves coming to the rink right now. You’re still picking up on new things. You’re learning the drills. You don’t want to screw up. You don’t want to be that guy, right?
“But it’s starting to feel more comfortable and, whenever I get that chance [to play], I’ll be fired up.”
Training camp wasn’t the easiest time for Watson. Coming to the rink every day and doing everything he could to earn a spot on the roster was a nerve-wracking experience at times, and one that he wasn’t too familiar with, particularly with the contracts he’s had in the past.
But the main point of emphasis was to make sure he was always being himself. From the limited time we’ve been able to watch him with the Lightning, I’m not sure the players and coaching staff would want that any other way.
“Any time you’re trying to be something, you’re not coming off as genuine,” Watson explained. “I just want to be myself all the time and give you the best that I’ve got for that day.
“With my personality, obviously you don’t want to come in kicking and screaming and bullying your way into the locker room, but give this group great credit. It’s a tight group. It’s an easy group to come in and be part of. Guys made it easy on me and, like I said, I’ve just tried to be myself from day one.”
You’ll rarely see Watson without a smile on his face. On the ice, he works his tail off, but that doesn’t come without some light-hearted chirps that seem to keep the vibes high within the group. With leaders like Pat Maroon and Corey Perry now on different teams, Watson made a ton of sense for Tampa Bay, especially with his combination of his veteran experience, physicality and ability to chip in offensively as well.
Over the course of his NHL career, he’s recorded 59 fighting majors with 58 goals and 56 assists for 114 points. Last season with Ottawa, his three shorthanded goals were tied for the team lead. He brings a lot to the table for any team, but for him, the Bolts stood out as a destination.
“You play in the league long enough, you’re excited about the chance to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Watson explained. “It was exciting that way, but I felt like there was an area for me where I could bring that edge, bring that physicality, bring a little bit of veteran presence with some guys going out over the last year.
“Pauly and I talked a couple times. We talked through it, and it ended up being a great fit.”
Throughout the entirety of training camp and preseason, Watson left everything he had on the ice. From there, all he could do was wait and hope that he’d done enough to earn a contract. Then, two days before the first game of the season, it all came together and a deal was finalized.
“Long Sunday,” Watson said. “It’s weird because you’re always on edge. That whole two weeks for me, you wake up, you start a new day and you go earn it. Then, you relax a little bit, get some rest and go do it again. Nothing’s guaranteed. Nothing’s promised.
“I was still pretty well just on the edge of my seat until it did come through, so I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Now, with Tyler Motte out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, don’t be surprised if Watson gets his chance to enter the lineup over the next few games. And while their paths to Tampa were very different, Tomkins and Watson now have a lot in common.
They’re both on the NHL roster. They’re both hungry. And they’re both ready to jump at the opportunity to make their team better. That chance starts now.
