Lightning acquire Garrison from Canucks

[Polaris922]

From NHL.COM:

The Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday acquired defenseman Jason Garrison from the Vancouver Canucks.

The trade also sees the Lightning receive the rights to forward Jeff Costello and a seventh-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft in exchange for their second-round pick (No. 50) in the 2014 draft.

Garrison, 29, had seven goals and 33 points in 81 games this season, his second in Vancouver after signing a six-year contract. Garrison, who waived his no-move clause, has four years remaining at an average annual value of $4.6 million.

"When it all kind of happened I was shocked and I didn't want to go anywhere else. I only signed here two years ago and wanted to be here the while time for sure," Garrison told Team 1040 AM in Vancouver.

Garrison entered the League as an undrafted free agent and had a career-high 16 goals with the Florida Panthers during the 2011-12 season. He has career totals of 38 goals and 108 points in 318 games with the Panthers and Canucks.

"It was shocking for sure. You don't really think it's going to happen," Garrison said. "The initial call was tough, but that's where the business part of this game comes into play and they have to look out for themselves and then I have to look out for myself.

"It comes down to you want to play in a place that you are wanted."

Costello, 23, was a fifth-round pick (No. 146) of the Ottawa Senators in 2009. He played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 40 games this past season.

[yave1964]

^{GREAT pickup for the Lightning!}

[jammer2]

@Polaris922  I can't wait to read TFG's take on this deal, and how he will potentially fit into the Bolt's roster.  Honestly, he has a big shot from the point, but really one of his only redeeming qualities. The Bolt's just got slower on defense, so not a real positive in the all round kinda game.

[Polaris922]

@Polaris922 I can't wait to read TFG's take on this deal, and how he will potentially fit into the Bolt's roster. Honestly, he has a big shot from the point, but really one of his only redeeming qualities. The Bolt's just got slower on defense, so not a real positive in the all round kinda game.

Garrison used to be a pretty physical guy by his own net. I take it by reading your post he's gotten away from that??

[jammer2]

Garrison used to be a pretty physical guy by his own net. I take it by reading your post he's gotten away from that??

 

 I still think he is a decent physical type, but he is slow in his own end. I realize everyone can't be a finesse puck mover type, but I just thought a bright young mind like Stevie would have valued team speed over the booming shot. If it's not true already, it will be soon, the new brand of physical d-man must be at least an average skater. Guys like Grossmannnn and Garrison will inevitably become one with the Do-Do Bird.....extinct. If North America can't produce enough big mean strong skaters, the Euro pool will be utilized to it's fullest extent...until the last of the dinosaurs become fossils in the record books.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Well guys, I've been sitting on this trade for awhile, trying to figure out where the Bolts are going with this.

What they gave up to get Garrison in the 1st place isn't such a big deal (2nd round pick in this year's draft).

My concern was more how Garrison fit into the grand scheme of things, and make no mistake, he WILL have to fit in, given that he's got 4 yrs left on his contract.

 

Looking at the current crop of Bolts defensemen, the thing that keeps coming up is that Sami Salo's shot and Mattias Ohlund's stay-at-home physical play need to be replaced.

 

Salo's main contribution was his powerful shot from the blue line, and although, according to jammer's statement, Salo would be a better skater, the shot is on par as is his ability to play a tougher style game as Mattias Ohlund should have been doing all this time for the Bolts.

Ohlund of course, is quite done at over age 35 and having had double knee surgeries.

 

I will be honest and say I had not watched much of Jason Garrison the last couple seasons, so his overall speed is something I am not entirely familiar with. I do know a few years ago he was considered a nicely rounded defensemen. He is not old now by any stretch (he will be 30 just after the season starts), but losing a step or two is entirely possible.

That said, if he isn't quite up to snuff in the speed department, then he BETTER play his positional game to a T.

When Ohlund patrolled the blue line for us, he too was not the fastest defenseman around...in fact, some days he looked downright pylon-like. However, he played his position reasonably well, had a good shot, and really knew how to put opposing players on their arses.

 

If Garrison can provide that for the Bolts, then this should go well.

With the kinds of forwards the Lightning have, that big shot from the point and on the PP is a must. Since Salo's departure, the Lightning really don't have a guy that provides that.

The Bolts could also use a guy on defense who is quite physical.

 

Radko Gudas does his job there quite admirably, however, he is still young and learning his position, and getting him some help with other guys who are just as hard on opposing forwards would be nice. Maybe someone who can be that real good shut down type defenseman that every team in the league seems to want to have.

 

I thought guys like Eric Brewer or Keith Aulie can be that, but to date, that hasn't worked out that way.

Brewer does a few things well, but he is getting older, one year left on his deal, and some days, well, he just doesn't seem to play his position particularly well. Unacceptable for a veteran of his tenure.

 

Keith Aulie? There is still hope for him (6'6 around 220) as he is only 24 with his 25th birthday coming next month, and as we all know, many defenseman, particularly large ones like Aulie, don't come into their own until their mid to late 20's.  I am thinking Aulie may be somewhat Jason Cullimore-like?

 

But the Bolts have given him plenty of chances to show, at the very least, that he can be a real pit bull on the blue line (not necessarily scoring points) and not be a liability, but again, to date, that has not worked out yet.

Bolts also seem to be waiting around for Andrej Sustr (23 yrs old, 6'7 and about 225) to develop...another big body who has shown flashes of being able to play real, consistent, physical hockey, but has yet to do it to the point where the Bolts feel comfortable giving him an everyday spot in the lineup.

In fact, Sustr, as we speak, is still an RFA, and I thought the Bolts would have done something with him by now, and they haven't. Same with Aulie.

 

Enter Jason Garrison.

The Lightning dragging their feet a bit on Sustr and Aulie seems a bit telling, and perhaps the Bolts want to make sure they have at least someone who can play NHL games right away if they decide to move in a different direction from those two young defensemen.

Or, perhaps, if they do get a deal done with either, give them more time at the AHL level.

That's my early take on why Garrison is here anyways.

We will see how the rest of the off season shakes out. That should shed more light into how he fits in.

 

Garrison doesn't fit the mold of the perfect solution obviously, but in the same manner that Yzerman has gone about trying to address the various needs of the team (from bigger forwards to goaltending), he is doing SOMETHING to try and improve an area (in this case,  heavy shot and shut down body), and quite frankly, I'd rather him continue doing that than just sit on his rear and 'hope' things work out with what he has.

Edited June 28, 2014 by TropicalFruitGirl26