Coburn's addition should help solidfy Lightning's defense
TAMPA, Fla. -- Braydon Coburn, living a daze, stood near his new dressing-room stall in his new colors with his left arm resting on a shelf, the defenseman's presence representing hope for a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This was Tuesday night, after his Tampa Bay Lightning routed the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 at Amalie Arena. The veteran relived the first of what his team envisions are many victories together.
Coburn had seven penalty minutes, and his ice time reached 16:29 in his first game with Tampa Bay, after he was involved in an early morning trade between the Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers on Monday about 12 hours before the NHL trade deadline. The 30-year-old resembled a teenage fan while dressed in a blue-and-white Tampa Bay T-shirt with the white bill of a blue-and-white Tampa Bay cap covering his eyes. He tried to grasp as much as possible in a breakneck introduction to his new home.
"Really, today was about kind of trying to pick up as much as I could from morning skate to the game time," he said. "They do things very fast here, very unique. So I'm just going to try to be a sponge and soak up as much as I can here and figure this out as quick as I can."
Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay's vice president and general manager, views the trade for Coburn as a necessary move to enhance the Lightning's chances in a tight Atlantic Division race and for the postseason marathon ahead. Though their transactions Monday forced them to part ways with defenseman Radko Gudas and winger Brett Connolly -- two rising players who were popular among teammates -- some experts agree that the Lightning are better because of Coburn's arrival.
"As a manager, what you're trying to do is you're trying to eliminate all the fissures in the foundation of your team, or as many of them as possible," said Craig Button, a former NHL general manager and a current NHL Network analyst. "And I think that becomes a big part of putting your team together. I think Tampa Bay has done that. I think you watch, and you understand what can help, and you move on from there. But I think those are good, positive steps for the Tampa Bay Lightning."
The step to add a veteran defenseman like Coburn, who has skated in 616 NHL games with 166 points, was a surprise almost to no one. With Gudas sidelined because of a right knee injury sustained against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 29, an ailment that required arthroscopic surgery on Jan. 6, most anticipated that Yzerman would address the Lightning's blue-line depth that now includes five players younger than age 30.
In Coburn, some experts see a solidifying presence added within Yzerman's vision. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound native of Calgary, who spent the past nine seasons with the Flyers, has been praised for his nimble skating ability and a defensive-minded approach. His 72 postseason games played, all with Philadelphia, also are considered a plus as a possible calming influence for a young roster that received a quick taste of playoff life in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last April.
"It's deeper now than it has been for a while," Kevin Weekes, a former Lightning goaltender and a current NHL Network analyst, said of Tampa Bay's blue-line depth. "And certainly when you look at the depth that they have there from (Jason) Garrison to the rest of the guys on that back end, it's a deeper defensive corps, and certainly, the acquisition of Braydon Coburn speaks to that.
"He can be physical. He's rangy, certainly a guy who can shut down passing lanes with his range and his reach. He has a pretty good shot in the offensive zone as well."
Certainly, Coburn wasn't gained for his offensive ability, as shown by his one goal and eight assists in 41 games this season. He had a career-high nine goals in the 2007-08 campaign with the Flyers. But he has topped five goals in a single season just once since then, with seven for Philadelphia in 2008-09.
Still, there could be a residual benefit with Coburn's arrival. His presence may take pressure off other top Lightning defensemen, like Victor Hedman, in the regular season's final weeks.
The more Coburn complements Tampa Bay's top blue-line talent, the more sound the Lightning's security near their net can be. All facets of their threat could be enhanced.
"A guy like Coburn who can skate, who can play important minutes, he takes the burden off of a guy like Victor Hedman," Button said. "And you're able to match up. Braydon doesn't always have to be put in the most demanding situations. You can ease it a little bit on Hedman. You can put Braydon in a different spot. And now, everybody talks about team match ups. But it's the match ups within those match ups where you can manage them better."
Added depth doesn't hurt either. With Coburn's arrival, a weakness can become a strength.
"They're just a deeper team at every position," Weekes said.
"You've got more depth on the blue line. You go up front, they're stacked. They can run two different power-play units on you to give you two different looks, just simply because you've got to pick your poison as the opposing team that kills the penalties."
Coburn is eager to join it all. As he spoke Tuesday night about a game of firsts, all the change buzzing in his mind, he appeared content and ready for more.
"I think the welcome at the beginning of the game," he said, "was pretty special."
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
