The Tampa Bay Lightning is gearing up for another playoff run it hopes can prove even more fruitful than last season's Finals appearance. With thoughts of the Cup dancing in their collective heads, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman continues to chase deals alongside the rest of his NHL player-personnel brethren in the hopes of giving his group that one final piece that will put them over the top. And while petulant youngster Jonathan Drouin has long been considered the likeliest piece to be dealt by Yzerman, it sounds like a new name has been placed on the Lightning chopping block - forward Erik Condra.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun revealed on Monday that Condra's name has begun to pop up in trade talks. Condra has been a healthy scratch of late for head coach Jon Cooper's group after he followed a blistering start to the season - four points in seven games - with an absolutely atrocious stretch wherein he managed just two points in 31 games.
Condra did find his way in the Lightning lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, but he saw just 8 minutes of ice time and went shotless and pointless.
On the season, Condra has just 3 goals and 6 points in about 11 minutes on ice per game. His skillset may not be significant, but his ability to play multiple positions and willingness to slot in just about everywhere does have value. It's unlikely Yzerman would be able to get much for guy in just the first year of a three-year deal that carries a $1.25 million annual cap hit, but per Garrioch, it sounds like he's willing to try.
As for Drouin, the presumption has been that talks will pick up as the deadline nears and Yzerman finally commits to whatever the best deal available is. Surprisingly, that deal may actually be improving as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is hearing that Drouin "understands he might not get" a top-six role right away, and is simply willing to accept a "fresh start" somewhere else.
Whether they believe it or not, that has to sound good to any GMs considering the prospect of dealing for a player with top talent, but also a willingness to go to the media when he's not getting what he wants.
