Victor Hedman Has Something to Prove, and Backup on the Blue Line

Ernie Norquist, Thunderstruck Sports

Breaks are essential in life. They help us recharge so we can come back strong. After one of the hottest summers in Tampa Bay history, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The ice goes down at Benchmark today, and the Lightning are back on the minds of fans and writers, but most of all, the players. There is no better place to start than with Victor Hedman.

Hedman stepped away last season for personal reasons, with some applauding the move, myself included, and others leveling heavy criticism at him. No matter where you stand on what happened last year, it is a new season with new promises.

That time away could be exactly what fuels a big season for Hedman. He wears the C for this club, and he has earned it. Two Stanley Cups sit on his resume, along with a Norris Trophy and a Conn Smythe. At 35, some will question his age. I side with experience.

Hedman lining up with JJ Moser, with the lockdown pillars Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak behind him, is a sight we have all come to know. But the loss of Darren Raddysh is being filled by veteran John Carlson, who brings his own Stanley Cup ring.

Emil Lilleberg, a healthy Max Crozier, and a surprising Charle-Edouard D'Astous from last season will make for an interesting battle to see who lines up with Carlson. Add in the free-agent signing of Michael Callahan, and this preseason is worth watching. In the wings, Sion Lundmark and Steven Santini will arrive at camp with a say of their own. Throw in Thomas Kralovic and Dyllan Gill, and Tampa's defense depth chart is as crowded as it has been in years.

Victor will not be doing this on his own. By the time the puck drops at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers, there could be three new pairings. But with this much talent on the blue line, Jon Cooper has many options for his much-used 11-7, which he has successfully thrown over the boards in his run in Tampa.

Victor will be back, healthy in body and mind, which could cause pain for the Atlantic, the Eastern Conference, and the league.

We only talked about Hedman's return and what it means to have something to prove. Stay tuned as we break down Nikita Kucherov and the forwards, and what they have to say about our window.