If there was one area the Lightning didn’t address this offseason, it was getting a legitimate NHL enforcer to protect their lineup of stars.
That’s not to say Tampa Bay isn’t a tough group; its players will line up to defend each other. But since the days of Pat Maroon, the Lightning haven’t had a guy to make opponents think twice before going after one of their players.
The Lightning were reminded of this fact last week in their final two preseason games against the Panthers. It was no coincidence that, two days after Saturday’s fight-filled exhibition finale, they claimed physical forward Curtis Douglas off waivers from Utah.
Douglas, at 6-feet-9, 242 pounds, is not only an imposing presence on the ice, he’s a well-known enforcer at the AHL level.
Still, this is an experiment. As the Lightning enter Thursday’s regular-season opener against Ottawa at Benchmark International Arena, Douglas’ next NHL game will be his first. He practiced with the team for the first time Wednesday at TGH Ice Plex.
“I’m just over the moon to be here,” Douglas said afterward. “… I’m living the dream, and I’m not looking to let it pass me by, to be honest with you. I’m just so excited for this opportunity.”
Where Douglas fits into the Lightning lineup remains to be seen. Wednesday, he skated on an imposing fourth line with Conor Geekie (6-feet-4) on one wing and Douglas sharing line rushes with Jack Finley (6-6) on the other.
“I’ve seen him on tape, the things he does and the physical attributes he has and ways he can influence games,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “But until he’s right here, we don’t really know quite sure everything he has. But from all reports and what we’ve watched so far, it’s somebody we wanted to bring in here.
“It’s tough when you come in and the first time you meet the group is the day before a game. So, I think his head’s spinning a little bit. But for us, that’s our job, to make him feel comfortable. Like I told him, nobody’s being judged on the first practice, or the first game.
“He’s gonna have time to fit in,” Cooper continued. “… We can judge what’s going on and then help him along. But I don’t read anything into the practice (Wednesday) or whether he plays (Thursday) or whatever it is. This is, hopefully, a long-term thing.”
Douglas was one of Utah’s final cuts, and in the preseason he showed some incredible reach and some heavy right hands during fights with Anaheim’s Noah Warren (6-4, 215) and Colorado’s Keaton Middleton (6-6, 240). Now, he’s suddenly having to make an impression on a new organization.
“I think the biggest part is just not taking shifts off and not letting anyone off the hook in games and things like that, and just making sure that I’m physical every time I’m out there,” Douglas said. “I’ll fight when I need to. And other than just giving 110% every day, I think the rest will take care of itself.
“Obviously, being a good teammate and making sure that the guys know that I’m there for them if anything goes down or if anything happens on the ice, that I’m there. … I think that’s where I’ll start, hopefully, and just imposing my will from the first second I touch the ice.”
Douglas’ past few days were a whirlwind. He was driving from Utah to Tucson, where he planned to report to the Mammoth’s AHL team, when he received a call telling him he was headed to the Lightning. He drove to the Las Vegas airport, where he left his car, and flew to Tampa.
“I was packed for, like, three days,” Douglas said. “So I took that bag, and then I grabbed some shoes and obviously my hockey gear, and then left everything else. Hopefully it’ll be here at some point or another. … I ran into my car, packed all that I could grab and then went to the mall (Tuesday) and grabbed the essentials, some underwear, some some socks, and here we are.”
When he arrived, Douglas saw a familiar face in Geekie. The two played together in the Arizona/Utah system. Douglas also played with Lightning forward Pontus Holmberg, who centered that imposing fourth line in Wednesday’s practice, with Toronto’s AHL team, the Marlies.
“He’s obviously giant,” Geekie said. “He makes me feel small. And I wouldn’t say I’m the smallest of the bunch, but I think people overlook what he does. He’s obviously super big, and it’s a pro and a con sometimes. Maybe you have a harder time doing certain things, but he just manages it so well.
“He’s got the skill, he can shoot, he can stick-handle. It’s not like he’s just a one-way type of player. So I think he’s a great addition. And, like I said, he’s obviously a giant. So, that’s a plus.”
While fighting is certainly a big part of Douglas’ game — he said he fought 8-10 times a year over the past four seasons in the AHL — he is eager to show he can do more than serve as an enforcer. He had 13 goals and 34 points in his first full pro season with the Marlies and last season had 10 goals and 23 points in 63 games with Tucson.
To stick in the NHL, he knows he’ll have to show he can do more than trade punches.
“Fighting isn’t the only aspect of my game, but it’s definitely a part of it,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I’m not guaranteeing anything, but it’ll probably happen at some point, and hopefully the guys will get to see what I’m about there.”
