In a sign the Lightning could be getting back some of their many hurt forwards, two of their replacements were sent back to the minors Sunday.
From the Lightning PR department:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forwards Joel Vermin and Byron Froese to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.
Vermin, 25, has played in 43 games with the Crunch this season, collecting 12 goals and 28 points to go along with 17 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-11,192-pound forward ranks tied for fourth on Syracuse with four power-play goals. Vermin has appeared in 161 career AHL games, all with the Crunch over the past four seasons, collecting 34 goals and 83 points to go along with 39 penalty minutes.
The Bern, Switzerland native has also skated in 11 games with the Lightning this season, recording three assists and a plus-3 rating. Vermin has played in 17 career NHL games, all with the Bolts over the past two seasons, notching four assists and two penalty minutes.
Vermin was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the seventh round, 186thoverall, at the 2013 NHL Draft.
Froese, 26, has skated in six NHL games this season, including four with the Lightning, recording five penalty minutes. He made his Lightning debut on March 13 at the New York Rangers. Froese has skated in 62 career NHL games, recording two goals and five points.
The Winkler, Manitoba native has also played in two games with Syracuse since being acquired by Tampa Bay from the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 27, 2017. With the Crunch he has recorded two goals and three points on six shots on goal. Froese skated in 48 games with the Marlies this season before the trade, posting 24 goals and 39 points to go along with 18 penalty minutes. At the time, Froese paced the Marlies for both goals and points. He’s appeared in 197 career AHL games, registering 51 goals and 104 points to go along with 83 penalty minutes.
Froese was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fourth round, 119th overall, at the 2009 NHL Draft.