Last summer, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman J.J. Moser and forward Conor Geekie in the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. Moser, who was paired all season with veteran defenseman Victor Hedman, has had a solid start so far in Tampa Bay.

Moser recently spoke with The Fourth Period at the NHL European Player Media Tour about what it’s been like to share the ice with star players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel.

“You learn by seeing them in practice and by having the chance to talk with them about it like, ‘Hey, how did you just do that?’ or ‘What were you focusing on?’” Moser said of practicing alongside the Lightning’s core. “When you have that connection to the information, it’s what really helps you grow.”

Kucherov is a good player to learn from. For the second consecutive season, he led the NHL in scoring and earned the Ted Lindsay Award, which is voted on by his fellow players. He also captured his third career Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer.

“You start learning how the best players are thinking and what they’re looking for,” Moser said. “That helps you be less exposed or read them better, because you know exactly what they’re trying to do.”

In his first season with the Lightning Moser appeared in 54 games, recording 2 goals and 12 assists with a +20 plus/minus rating.