Welcome to the latest installment of the future Lightning prospect series. In this column, we take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning prospects who are standing out and enjoying success, whether they’re playing in Canadian juniors, the American Hockey League (AHL), Europe, Russia, or anywhere around the world.
While the Lightning are off for the 4 Nations Face-Off, their affiliates in Syracuse and Orlando are in action and are fighting for spots in their respective playoffs. The Solar Bears are in fourth place in the South Division of the ECHL after falling to Jacksonville in overtime on Saturday.
Related: Lightning Player Check-in After Opening Games of 4 Nations Face-Off
The Crunch split their two games over the weekend, defeating the Rochester Americans in overtime before falling to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Crunch are in fifth place in the North Division of the AHL, occupying the final playoff spot in that division, and have a four-point lead over the Belleville Senators.
Let’s look at some of the players on the Crunch and other prospects in the Lightning organization.
Geekie Sent to Syracuse
The Lightning raised a few eyebrows when they sent forward Conor Geekie to the Crunch. While the 20-year-old did struggle a bit in his first full season in the NHL, he did play in 49 games for the Lightning this season, recording six goals and 12 points with two game-winning tallies and 86 hits.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound forward was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft. He was acquired by Tampa Bay via trade, along with defenseman J.J. Moser, a 2024 seventh-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick on June 29, 2024.
“He’s a 20-year-old kid that’s exceeded expectations,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Geekie after he was sent down. “He’s done a great job and you know…it’s a great league to learn and gain more confidence in than he has already. So he’ll go down & work on a few things and probably be back at some point.”
CONOR GEEKIE TIES IT IN TORONTO 🫣🫣@TheAHL | @SyracuseCrunch#AHL #TampaCuse pic.twitter.com/Z4YC8N5Zj9
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) February 12, 2025
It was likely that Geekie was sent down at this time so he could continue to play meaningful games while the Lightning and the rest of the NHL were off for two weeks. He has settled in…
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