The Syracuse Crunch, the Tampa Bay Lightning's AHL affiliate, finished in third place in the North Division last season and have made several off-season moves that should bolster their already potent lineup.
The Lightning haven't been the most aggressive team this off-season, in large part to a quiet free agent market and the simple fact that their roster was in good shape already. What the Lightning have done is sign several players to two-way contracts, which will benefit the NHL and AHL rosters.
Players brought into the Lightning's organization on two-way deals include Nicholas Abruzzese, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Pelletier, Simon Lundmark and Scott Sabourin. All of whom are proven in the AHL, and some carry NHL experience.
Aburzzese is an undersized forward with excellent playmaking capabilities. He's spent the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, where he's scored 47 goals and 143 points in 211 games. During his time in Toronto, he's also skated in 11 NHL games, scoring a goal and three points.
Katchouk is returning to the Lightning organization, where he was drafted in the second round (44th overall) in the 2016 draft. He played in 38 NHL games with the Lightning before he was a part of the Brandon Hagel trade.
The 27-year-old is a well-rounded forward who brings 240 games of AHL experience to the Crunch roster.
Pelletier is the youngest of all the signings and was the highest draft pick of the bunch, which is likely why he received a three-year contract from the Lightning. The 24-year-old has racked up 139 games of AHL experience and 86 games of NHL experience. He's a creative, fast-skating winger who could make a lasting impact throughout the Lightning franchise.
How Newly Acquired Forward Jakob Pelletier Can Carve Out A Role With The Lightning
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/lightning-take-measured-approach-in-quiet-free-agency">The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a particularly quiet offseason</a>, signing smaller dollar amount contracts with low-risk, but high-reward players. No signing highlights that philosophy more than Jakob Pelletier.
Lundmark is a 6-foot-2, right-handed defenseman who is still just 24 years old. The Winnipeg Jets had high hopes for him when they selected him in the second round (51st overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. After four consecutive seasons in the AHL without earning a call-up, Lundmark decided it was time for a change, leaving the Jets organization.
There were multiple rumors about the possibility of Lundmark heading back to Sweden, but his one-year contract with the Lightning indicates that he still believes he can be an NHL player. He plays a sound defensive game, but hasn't been able to translate his scoring touch from his junior hockey days to the AHL, setting a career-high of just five goals and 17 points.
Sabourin has become quite the journeyman, joining his seventh organization. The 32-year-old is known for his fighting skills, but has put together multiple high-scoring AHL seasons, most recently scoring 10 goals and 25 points in 68 games with the San Jose Barracuda.
Despite a successful regular season, the Crunch had a disappointing postseason, swept in the first round. These five additions, plus the arrivals of Ethan Gauthier, Connor Kurth and Lucas Mercuri, will have the Crunch more prepared for the postseason grind.