There was a collective gasp on NHL Twitter Sunday night when we learned what the return on the Tanner-Jeannot trade was.
The Lightning sent defenseman Cal Foote, their first-round pick in 2025 (top-10 protected) and their second-round pick in 2024 to the Predators, as well as third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks in 2023.
So, as noted on Twitter, a draft pick for each of Jeannot’s five goals this season.
Here’s the thing: if there’s one team that has the benefit of the doubt, it’s Lightning. This is a very smart front office and it finds those players that it thinks will fit the team strongly and pays whatever price it takes. This is in line with previous deals for Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel.
And see three back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, including two titles.
Was I initially shocked at the price paid? Naturally. But then I thought, “Well, Julien BriseBois, General Manager of Lightning, thinks this player is a good fit for his team.”
Jeannot, who is a restricted free agent this summer, scored 24 goals and earned $800,000 last season. So there is that too.
I asked a few competing front-office executives Monday morning for their thoughts on trading. Here’s what they said:
Team leader #1: “First of all, a great return for Nashville. I like Jeannot as a player. Good center six that brings size and some heaviness to the lineup with grit and secondary attack. Did Tampa pay a lot? Absolutely. Did you pay too much? Yes… but they ended up doing it before and succeeding. Credit to Julien. They have an identity and they do a really good job of finding pieces that fill needs and play with that identity.
“And they have a record of re-signing these types of acquisitions, and if they do that with Jeannot, it would offset the cost.”
Team leader #2: “Tampa went back to its familiar playbook, adding a forward on deadline day who brings more grit and growl and some scoring chances to his already strong forward group. It has worked with Goodrow, Coleman, Paul, and Hagel in the past. The cost may have been a bit excessive, but over the years their players have played a ton of playoff games and probably need another injection that a player like Jeannot brings. Based on their history and where they might be in their cycle, this was an excellent match for them.”
Team leader #3: “Stunning. Swan song by Davie Poile. Unreal return for Nashville. When I read it…I’m still waiting for someone to say it was a typographical error.”
So, yes, it was an overpay, but the bottom line for Tampa Bay is that all of those draft picks they traded had virtually no chance of actually being on the Lightning roster while the current core was Nikita Kucherov , Andrei Vasilevskiy, Steven Stamkos , Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman are trying to win more championships. That first-round pick in 2025 (top 10 protected), a pick in two years, maybe a player in the NHL in 2028 or 2029?
Faced with Tampa Bay’s lack of draft capital, the Lightning made the decision that they needed to go with quantity over quality in their efforts to land a desirable player.
And they did.
Could it backfire? Naturally. Maybe this elite core isn’t aging as well as the front office is hoping, and not having many picks in the next few years will haunt them, and this team in about four years is a disaster.
But I know how I would feel if I were a player in this Tampa Bay locker room today: Let’s go.
What a grind.
That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the amount of work Sharks GM Mike Grier and his staff have put into this process over the past few weeks.
Did they ultimately pick the right package by choosing New Jersey over recent Vegas and Carolina offers?
I mean, let’s revisit that in five years. But there’s no denying that Grier has thoroughly researched the market.
Don’t forget that other teams like the Blues and Jets also had discussions with San Jose about Meier before they faded out. The Maple Leafs checked in a few weeks ago before taking the Ryan O’Reilly route. There were other teams too.
The Canes have tried valiantly, especially in the last 10 days. One of their most recent offerings contained six parts, including a first-round pick and a second-round pick, plus potential clients. But the one young player they have never given up not wanting to move is Russian blueliner Alexander Nikishin. It might have been a game changer if Carolina had included it in the package, but I don’t blame the Canes for wanting to keep it. You have big plans for him.
What also surprised me: According to my TSN colleague Darren Dreger, the Golden Knights were still in for Meier after Ivan Barbashev took over on Sunday. Wouldn’t that have been something to get both Barbashev and Meier. That also tells me that the Golden Knights are certainly not done yet.
But in the end, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald never relented. He’s been on San Jose constantly for the past few weeks as it was apparent he would be as far behind as an interview I did with him in late January. He was willing to go all-in to get a top-six winger as long as it was a hockey deal and not a loan. Which of course Meier screamed.
Here’s something to remember about Fitzgerald: Last August he tried very hard to enter the Matthew-Tkachuk Trade Sweepstakes, but unfortunately the Devils didn’t make Tkachuk’s shortlist. Fitzgerald also spoke to Johnny Gaudreau’s camp when free agency opened last July.
Neither of those things happened, but I remember putting that away because it gave me the impression that the Devils would make another big swing for a top six winger when the moment arose.
bang. Mission accomplished.
The Devils have yet to re-sign Meier, a limited free agent this offseason, with a $10 million qualifying offer. That will be a big priority. And they also need to sign Jesper Bratt.
If Fitzgerald can do both, you’re looking at a Devils team that could prove to be a sustainable contender for years to come.
(Photo by Tanner Jeannot and Timo Meier: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)