Cole Guttman

April 2018 – After sitting out the majority of the USHL season with a hip injury that he sustained playing for team USA at the World Junior A Championship, Guttman will take the summer to recuperate, then head west to the University of Denver. The Pioneers roster will have a plethora of freshman making the jump to the NCAA from both Canadian leagues as well as the USHL so the Lightning sixth-round pick will have to get off to a hot start in order to establish himself amongst a roster that will be looking for a few new leaders. Brayden Olafson November 2017 – The petite sixth-round-pick by the Lightning in the 2017 Entry Draft is off to a positive start with Dubuque of the USHL. It was previously expected that Guttman would attend St. Cloud State upon completion of his last year of high school, however, this month Guttman announced that he has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Denver. Both universities programs had apparently felt very passionate about the Los Angeles native, as the signing reportedly led to a verbal altercation between the head coaches of the respective NCAA clubs. Both programs would be respectable places for Guttman to further develop, however, with both Troy Terry and Henrik Borgrstrom eying early departures to the NHL, he could find himself in an optimal offensive roll with the team, sooner rather than later. Brayden Olafson June 2017 – With their second selection of the sixth round of the 2017 entry draft, Al Murray and Steve Yzerman selected Cole Guttman, a small, skilled center out of the USHL. Guttman plays for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, and will return next season as the team’s captain before transitioning to the NCAA in the fall of 2018 to join fellow Lightning 6th round pick, Nick Perbix. Guttman scored at a point per game rate in the USHL, earning him a spot on the All-Rookie team. Guttman is a better-rounded player than his small stature might suggest, however, it is that stature that will be one of the primary factors in determining the slope of his development curve to the professional ranks. Brayden Olafson