When a player learns he’s been traded and his world flips upside down, it’s useful to have a calming voice to help sift through the immediate chaos.
When Oliver Bjorkstrand was told he had been traded from the Kraken to the Lightning, one of the first Tampa Bay players to reach out to him was defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who knows first-hand what it’s like to be dealt at the deadline.
When the Lightning acquired McDonagh from the Rangers ahead of the 2018 deadline, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Dan Girardi reached out to not just welcome him to the team but also calm his nerves about getting adjusted to his new surroundings. So, even though Bjorkstrand was coming to Tampa with a familiar face in former Seattle teammate Yanni Gourde, it was the first time he had been traded at the deadline. McDonagh knew the value of reaching out.
“You can relate, obviously, to the initial shock of the emotions that go into it and kind of the what-ifs and the unknown, what’s to come your way moving to a new team and a new city,” McDonagh said. “He’s got a young family, and obviously I have kids myself, so it’s a lot. It’s a lot on the wives, it’s a lot on the kids. So, you just try to make sure that you can be a resource right away and in that aspect so that they can come in and be as comfortable as they can and come to the rink and play their game.”
McDonagh’s return in May after two seasons in Nashville has given the Lightning defense corps a calmness it has lacked since he left following the 2021-22 season. But that impact carries over to the ice as well.
“Just wanted to reach out and let him know that we’re here to help him,” McDonagh said. “It’s kind of just where to live, where most of the guys are living in, different areas, different spots, commutes to the rink, commutes with the airport, all those little questions that kind of come up, different resources, help with moving.
“… It’s a little different. I’ve been traded at the deadline, and I’ve been traded in the summer, so it’s definitely a little more chaotic getting traded at the deadline and having to leave your family and stuff behind and wondering when you’re going to get settled and whatnot.”
McDonagh was a major part of the leadership group that fostered a family environment on Lightning teams that won back-to-back Stanley Cups and went to three straight Finals. As much as it’s about X’s and O’s on the ice, helping a trade acquisition get accustomed and feel welcome in a new group is a big part of the winning mentality that fosters championship-level hockey.
“You just kind of start to feel that closeness of a team that cares for one another, the buy-in that we all have and the importance of making sure everybody feels value and has a role on this team,” McDonagh said. “We’re all striving towards that one goal. We obviously all want to call ourselves Stanley Cup champions, and it takes all the little things that add up to a big thing in the end. Getting a new guy accustomed to our team, our city, it all plays a big role.”
Where do Gourde, Bjorkstrand fit best?
No matter the player, you never know how long it will take a trade-deadline acquisition to find his role.
But if their Lightning debuts Thursday were any indication, Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand will fit in just fine.
You could tell that the Lightning didn’t want to throw too much at the duo in their first game since the trade. Gourde and Bjorkstrand arrived at Amalie Arena that morning looking for as much information as they could on the team’s system, assistant coach Jeff Blashill said. They went to work with video and on the whiteboard in the coaches’ room. Head coach Jon Cooper played them on the same line against the Sabres.
“You’re taking in a lot of information, and you’re hoping that they don’t over-complicate it,” Blashill said. “And honestly, both those guys did a real good job of that. They were able to just go out and play without overthinking.”
They skated mostly with rookie Gage Goncalves but showed they can be options anywhere on the top three lines. Playing with Nikita Kucherov on their first shift of the third period, the duo crashed the net and caused chaos in front when Kucherov flung the puck to the net, leading to Bjorkstrand’s game-winning goal.
While Bjorkstrand’s strong right shot seems like a perfect fit for the right-wing spot on the matchup line with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel — Bjorkstrand is a puckhound like Cirelli and Hagel, and pushes on the forecheck — we were quickly reminded of the bulldog mentality Gourde adds, in this case to the Cirelli line, in the third period.
When a scrum started around the Sabres net, Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin started scrapping with Cirelli. Within seconds, the two were throwing punches over top of the goal. While Dahlin, the Sabres’ captain, received little help from his teammates, Gourde and Hagel jumped into the fray without hesitation. They could be a menacing line to play against.
While defined roles are great and certainly help players get accustomed to new surroundings, it appears that both Gourde and Bjorkstrand can do a lot and are capable of handling various duties. That’s something fans can be excited about, because they not only add to the Lightning’s forward depth, but also their versatility.
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