Tuesday, 4 a.m.
By and large, going for it is better than playing it safe. Risk it is better than biscuits. Aggressive is better than safe.
And that's why you should appreciate the latest trade of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Oh, the Bolts didn't seem to acquire greatness when they brought in Tanner Jeannot from Nashville. Granted, they gave up a pretty good price in Cal Foote and a fistful of draft picks.
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On the other hand, would you have been happy if they stood pat?
That's the thing about the Bolts. They're a sieize-the-day kind of franchise, a bunch that is always looking to bolster a pretty good lineup. Trading at the deadline isn't going to ensure that, but at this time of the season, all you can do is increase the odds.
The Bolts have been here before. They've brought in Brandon Hagel at the trade deadline, and Nick Paul. Before that, they brought in Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman.
Yeah, the Bolts gave up a lot. They surrendered Foote, a first-round draft pick in 2025, a second-round pick in 2024, a third-round draft pick, fourth-round pick and fifth-round pick in 2023.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot if you're counting toes. But here's the thing thing. For the Lightning, a second-round pick has been darned near a third-round pick (and so forth) for years. The Bolts were never going to be pick one of the draft's can't-miss prospects.
Yeah, I know. The Bolts have done as well as anyone at finding long shots. You can go through the list over the years.
But the Bolts have to be aware that theirs is a closing window, and they owe it to their roster to do as much as possible to win as many post-season games as possible.
Will Jeannot help? Sure, he'll help some. He'll add depth to the third line, and he'll help on the penalty kill.
But as much as that counts, so too does his presence as a symbol from a front office that does all it can to keep the Bolts elite.
That's worth something.