Alex Killorn, C/F, Gets 2 Yr. / $5.1 Mil Deal

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

From NHL.com

http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723041

 

And a slightly more detailed article from the Tampa Bay Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/lightning-re-sign-alex-killorn-to-a-two-year-deal/2185065

 

Bolts secured yet another of their young players they view as part of the future.

Coming on the heels of a pair of 3 yr deals to Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, the Bolts give Alex Killorn a 2.55 Mil rough average per for the two years he signed for.

 

Alex Killorn, like Johnson and Palat, came up through the Bolts' system, though he brings a different type of game than the speed/scoring game of his two teammates.

Killorn will bring more of a grinding type style, whether it's along the boards, battling along the lines, or in front of goaltenders, he makes sure the other team works very hard to keep him from getting his chances. And though Killorn is no upper level speedster, he is FAR from slow of foot and CAN score if he can make room for himself.

 

Killorn has yet to crack the 20 goal mark as either an AHL'er or NHL'er, however, the kind of work he puts in and the chances he can create for himself suggest once he plateaus, he may be a regular 20 goal scorer at the NHL level, with about the same number or more on the assists.

Obviously, those would not be eye popping numbers, and I believe long term, Killorn, with his good size, excellent puck control, ability to play center or wing, would make an excellent scoring/grinding 3rd liner / PK type guy, who can also contribute on perhaps the 2nd PP unit as well.

 

A VERY valuable commodity to have, a guy who is as versatile as he is, when the depth of your team is tested throughout the course of a season and during tough playoff runs.

 

His deal is a raise from the 875K he made previously and he would still be an RFA again at 27 years of age, giving the Lightning some good flexibility in not only seeing if he can continue to improve over the course of the next two years, but, if he does, whether they want to keep him longer term after that with a bigger money contract.

 

I am pretty happy with the deal.

Team friendly, Killorn himself seems happy to get it done so quickly, and it allows the Lightning to NOT have to pay higher $ on the FA market just to GET a guy who can grind and score like Killorn can.....and hey, even though I categorize him as such, there is still a small chance he could bloom into a very good solid 2nd line power winger as well, as he did score pretty regularly as a college player for Harvard.

Yea, yea, I know...Harvard, pros, two different things, but point being, he does have the potential to be quite a bit more still than what he has shown so far.

 

Here are his career numbers, courtesy of Elite Prospects:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=12523

 

That is 3 down and possibly 2 more main RFA's to sign for Tampa Bay....IMO, I am thinking Sustr and Panik.

I have been saying defenseman Andrej Sustr should be next on the list, but the Lightning also have Brett Connolly, Anders Lindback, JT Brown, and Keith Aulie, and Mark Barberio to look at.

Edited June 20, 2014 by TropicalFruitGirl26