CHICAGO — After taking a big, right-shot defenseman in the first round, the Lightning's second day of the draft was headlined by a few skilled Russian forwards.
Tampa Bay selected 6-foot-1 wing Alexander Volkov, 19, in the second round (No. 48 overall) Saturday, hoping to sign him and send him to AHL Syracuse next season. In the third round, the Lightning was thrilled to have C Alexey Lipanov, 17, fall to No. 76.
Tampa Bay is no stranger to drafting Russians. It picked No. 1 G Andrei Vasilevskiy in the first round in 2012, and forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Kucherov with back-to-back picks in 2011. The Lightning acquired D Mikhail Sergachev from Montreal in this month's Jonathan Drouin blockbuster trade.
"There's still some bias somewhere with some Russian players. We don't have that bias in our organization," said Al Murray, Lightning director of amateur scouting. "We want the best players."
Murray said the Lightning got a jump on Volkov, who likely fell under the radar due to an ankle injury suffered before the World Junior Championships in December, which forced him to miss most of last season.
Several other teams congratulated the Lightning on the Volkov pick, Murray said, noting that he was coming up quickly on their draft list.
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"He's a big, strong, responsible right wing," GM Steve Yzerman said. "He's a good two-way player, (has) really good hockey sense. We really like the way he plays the game, believe he fits the style that we play."
Lipanov, who likens his style to Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews, will play for Barrie in the junior Ontario League next season. Both Russians were lauded for their creativity, hockey sense and style. Murray said Lipanov was one of the top players on Russia's under-18 team.
"He's a very intelligent hockey player," Yzerman said. "He's got really good skill. He's smart, really responsible."
College bound
The Lightning used its two sixth-round picks on two captains and St. Cloud State commitments, right-shot D Nick Perbix (Elk River High, Minnesota) and F Cole Guttman (Dubuque, junior United States League).
Perbix, 6 feet 4, will play one season in the USHL before heading to St. Cloud State. Guttman, who had 27 goals last season, will be at St. Cloud. "A high-energy guy who can skate," Murray said of Guttman.
Tampa Bay's final pick came in the eighth round, F Sam Walker from Edina (Minn.) High. Walker, who had 46 points in 25 games last season, can go back to Edina or play in the USHL.
All six Lightning picks, including first-round D Cal Foote, are expected to be at development camp Tuesday-Saturday at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.
Family matters
Cool moment with Lightning forward prospect Mathieu Joseph in the stands to see his younger brother, Pierre-Olivier, taken 23rd overall Friday by the Coyotes.
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Explore all your optionsJoe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_JSmith.