Building a competitive team over many seasons is a very complex and difficult thing to do in the National Hockey League.
Indeed, having a team that stays at the top of the NHL for several seasons as one of the league’s top teams really doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers.
It takes an excellent general manager capable of making good trades, good signings and good draft picks.
And if there’s one general manager who has been able to put together an excellent, competitive team over several seasons, it’s Quebec’s Julien BriseBois.
BriseBois turned the Tampa Bay Lightning into one of the best, if not the best, team in the NHL for several years, with two Stanley Cups in a row and one loss in the final.
Tampa had quite a hockey club, thanks in large part to BriseBois.
Many would say that he was lucky to succeed Steve Yzerman’s good work, but when you look at the rebuilding that Yzerman has done and is still doing in Detroit, you realize that in the end, Yzerman isn’t as good as we thought, and therefore, BriseBois has a lot more to do with the Lightning’s success.
In short, BriseBois has accomplished quite a feat by being the conductor of a great championship team.
However, all good things must come to an end, and Julien BriseBois could very well find himself at the end of the season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bolts GM Julien BriseBois has remade much of his roster, putting more pressure on himself than anyone else to succeed, says Adam Proteau: https://t.co/UhWWFQ56eW
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) July 14, 2024
Indeed, for probably the first time in his career as GM in Tampa, the 47-year-old Quebecer could find his position in jeopardy.
Indeed, he’ll be on the hot seat this season, depending on the team’s success, a team he’s greatly changed.
The new face of this Lightning team had better be successful if BriseBois wants to keep his job.
Since taking the helm in 2018, BriseBois has generally managed his team well.
However, in recent months and years, the Lightning GM has made some very questionable “moves”, starting with the trade to acquire Tanner Jeannot.
And during the current off-season, major changes were made to the team, the biggest of which was to let team captain Steven Stamkos go.
In fact, according to reputable tipster Frank Seravalli, he called this decision a monumental mistake on the recent episode of the DFO Rundown podcast.
Instead, BriseBois went in a different direction by acquiring Jake Guentzel.
In short, the Lightning will look completely different from what we’re used to, and that could mean the loss of the Lightning GM.
Time is running out for this core, which has just lost two years in a row in the first round, and Tampa Bay could very well decide to move on by replacing BriseBois if the new face of the team doesn’t perform this season.
In short, all this remains to be followed closely.
