Adam Erne recalled as TampaCuse shuttle continues to run



by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 1, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. – After Lightning head coach Jon Cooper met the media following the morning skate on New Year’s Eve, he was asked if he had an New Year’s Resolutions.

He smiled and said his resolution starts with H. . . E . . . A . . . L . . . what’s the next letter? It’s T and ends in H. That’s what we need.

The Lightning, it seems, were unable to get through the final day of the year without once again being hit by the injury bug.

{mprestriction ids=”1,2″}

Tampa Bay once again had to pull from its depth and summon another player from the minor leagues as former 2013 second-round pick Adam Erne was recalled from the Syracuse Crunch. Erne is expected to be on the ice when the Lightning hold their first practice of 2017 at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon at 11 a.m. (subject to change)

The next natural question is, who won’t be on the ice for Tampa Bay.

The latest to go down with an injury is Brian Boyle who left the game against Carolina late in the second period and did return with what the team called an undisclosed lower body injury. Cooper did not have an update on Boyle’s condition after the game, saying they would have to see how everybody felt on Sunday.

Considering Erne has been recalled, it’s a safe assumption that at best Boyle is questionable for Tuesday’s game against Winnipeg

It just continues a trend that has defined the Lightning in the first half of the season – injuries.

Following Saturday’s game, Tampa Bay has lost 98 man games to injury, a number that continues to grow. Current long term injuries are: Steven Stamkos, Ben Bishop, Ryan Callahan and Brayden Point. Cedric Paquette is currently day-to-day. At some point this season, players who have missed time due to injury include: Nikita Kucherov, Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat, Valtteri Filppula, J.T. Brown, Vladislav Namestnikov and Jason Garrison.

That has led the Lightning to have to recall, at various points: Cory Conacher, Tanner Richard, Michael Bournival, Joel Vermin, Yanni Gourde, Luke Witkowski, Erik Condra, Kristers Gudlevskis and Matthew Peca.

Erne is next to get the call and could be in line to make his NHL debut as soon as Tuesday against Winnipeg.

Now in his second year, the 33rd overall pick in 2013 has started to find his game with the Crunch this season. He has eight goals and 18 points in 31 games with Syracuse and set a career high with four points (2G, 2A) on Dec. 21.

A power forward type of player, Erne is a solid 6-foot-1, 210-pounds and carries himself well around the net. He has soft hands and top-six type skill with a strong north-south style of game. Plenty have been waiting for Erne to get his chance.

Now Erne will get that chance as the TampaCuse shuttle continues.

{/mprestriction}