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TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning made nine picks on the second day of the 2020 NHL Draft, including six forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender. The Lightning’s 2020 NHL Draft is presented by Florida Blue.
The Lightning started the day by trading the 124th overall pick this year and their 2021 second-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for their 2020 second-round pick, 57th overall. The Bolts selected forward Jack Finley from the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League with the 57th overall pick. The Kelowna, British Columbia native skated in 61 games with the Chiefs during the 2019-20 season, posting 19 goals and 57 points to go along with a plus-32 rating and 32 penalty minutes. Finley ranked fourth on Spokane for assists with 38 and was sixth for points. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward has appeared in 131 career WHL games over three seasons with Spokane, registering 28 goals and 77 points. Finley, 18, set career highs for goals, assists and points in 2019-20.
With the 62nd pick in the Draft, the Bolts selected forward Gage Goncalves from the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. Goncalves, 19, skated in 60 games with Everett last season, recording 33 goals and 71 points to go along with 44 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound forward set career highs for goals, assists and points last season. He ranked tied for first on the Silvertips with 14 power-play goals, which also ranked tied for fifth in the WHL. The Mission, British Columbia native has skated in 128 career WHL games, registering 34 goals and 86 points.
Tampa Bay chose forward Maxim Groshev from the Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik of the KHL with their third round, 85th overall pick. Groshev, 18, has skated in 10 games for Nizhnekamsk this season, posting one assist. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward played in 36 games for the Neftekhimik last season, collecting a goal and six points.
The Lightning selected defenseman Jack Thompson from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL with the 93rd overall pick in the third round. Thompson, 18, skated in 63 games for the Wolves in 2019-20, recording 13 goals and 32 points to go along with 20 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 180-pound defenseman led all Wolves defensemen for points and ranked tied for 10th among OHL defensemen for goals. The Courtice, Ontario native has played two seasons for Sudbury, recording 19 goals and 48 points in 115 games.
The Lightning traded the 94th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the 116th and 147th picks.
Tampa Bay selected defenseman Eamon Powell in the fourth round, 116th overall, from the U.S. National Development Team. Powell, 18, skated in 19 games last season, posting five goals and 11 points to go along with four penalty minutes. The Marcellus, New York native also skated with the U.S. National Under-17 team in 2018-19, recording three goals and 13 points in 34 games.
With the 147th overall pick in the fifth round, the Bolts selected forward Jaydon Dureau from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 5-foot-11, 174-pound forward skated in 61 games for Portland in 2019-20, recording 19 goals and 70 points to go along with a plus-41 rating and 35 penalty minutes. Dureau ranked second on the Winterhawks for assists (51) and points. The White City, Saskatchewan native posted career highs last season for goals, assists and points. Dureau, 19, has skated in 134 career WHL games, all with Portland over three seasons, posting 31 goals and 99 points.
The Lightning drafted forward Nick Capone from the Tri-City Storm of the USHL in the sixth round, 157th overall. Capone, 18, skated in 34 games last season for the Storm, recording seven goals and 19 points to go along with 96 penalty minutes. The East Haven, Connecticut native ranked sixth on his team for points. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound forward has appeared in 43 career USHL games, recording eight goals and 21 points.
Tampa Bay selected goaltender Amir Miftakhov from Bars-Kazan of the VHL in the sixth round, 186th overall. Miftakhov has appeared in one game for Bars-Kazan this season, posting a 2.98 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. The Kazan, Russia native represented his home country at the 2020 World Jr. Championships, registering a 2.12 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, while earning the Silver Medal.
With the Lightning’s final pick, the team selected forward Declan McDonnell from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL in the seventh round, 217th overall. McDonnell, 18, skated in 63 games for the Rangers during his rookie season, collecting 21 goals and 42 points to go along with 28 penalty minutes. The Lake View, New York native ranked tied for second in the OHL among rookies for points. The 5-foot-10, 171-pound forward also tallied six power-play goals, ranking third on the Rangers.
