Jakob Pelletier heads into September with one clear target in mind: earning a spot on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster.
With training camp less than a month away, AHL.com Features writer Patrick Williams caught up with Pelletier to talk through his offseason, his ambitions and what it will take to break through at the NHL level. Pelletier didn’t sugarcoat the challenge.
“I thought I had a good camp (last year),” Pelletier said. “It’s a hard team to go there and take a spot. You’ve got to work your way (through), and then if you get an opportunity, you have to take it.”
Pelletier’s case is built on what he just did in Syracuse. He put together a standout year with the Crunch, finishing atop the American Hockey League scoring race with 77 points in 63 games.
That total came on 28 goals and 49 assists. He also led all AHL forwards with 31 power-play points and tied for the league lead with five shorthanded goals.
His time with Syracuse, Pelletier said, has mirrored the standard he’ll face in Tampa Bay.
“The way they prepare you in the AHL, the way they treat you, the expectations in the AHL are the same as with the Lightning,” Pelletier said of his time in Syracuse.
The path to a roster spot won’t be easy. The Lightning already have several future Hall of Famers in place, and prospects Sam O’Reilly, Conor Geekie and Benjamin Rautiainen are also pushing for opportunities. Still, with Tampa Bay coming off four straight first-round exits, there’s a window for Pelletier and the team’s younger players to step forward and help the Lightning take the next step.