Everett Baldwin had an inkling that the Tampa Bay Lightning liked him. His pre-draft meetings with Lightning management went well, and he knew that a future in the Sunshine State was a real possibility for him.
But as someone projected to go as high as the late second round, Baldwin couldn’t resist the anxiety that came as the NHL Draft progressed into the later hours of Day 2 and he remained on the board. Surrounded by family and friends with a mountain of Jersey Mike’s subs on the coffee table of his living room, all the Providence native could do was sit and wait.
“With the draft, you just never really know how things go. It's unpredictable,” Baldwin said. “There was definitely a lot of stress, a lot of tweaking sometimes during the rounds. Each Tampa pick, I’d get all anxious and jump up.”
As the back half of the fifth round continued, Baldwin’s anticipation and anxiety grew again as the Lightning prepared to make the 151st overall pick.
After an afternoon of uncomfortable suspense, Baldwin heard his name announced on the stage at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles as the newest member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It was crazy,” Baldwin said. “Just a flow of emotions, so it was good to have people there to support (me) … When the time came, it was awesome and relieving and exciting. I couldn’t be happier to end up with Tampa. It’s an unbelievable spot.”
Everett’s father, John, said, “It was an incredibly proud and surreal moment to see it all come to fruition and hear his name called. I was just really happy for him.”
It was a whirlwind of a weekend for the 18-year-old. The Lightning set up a flight for Baldwin just hours after the conclusion of the draft, and within 48 hours of hearing his name called, he was more than 1,000 miles from home, taking the ice for development camp.
A fleet-footed, two-way defenseman, Baldwin burst onto the scene in the two years leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft with St. George’s in Middletown, R.I. His powerful stride, above-average skating and ability to impact the game with his speed stood out most to the Lightning as they scouted him. Baldwin also possesses the relatively uncommon trait of being a shutdown defenseman who can create offense through neutral zone and defensive zone turnovers.
“With all kids in the maturation process, you know as a parent that certain kids develop at certain times, some earlier, some later,” John said. “He was always a very good player, very athletic and just one of those kids that kept getting better and better.”
Tampa Bay sees a player who is mature beyond his years in Baldwin. He doesn’t just have the raw physical tools to be a great hockey player; he has the mindset of someone who will never be satisfied with his game and is always looking to enhance his skill-set both on and off the ice.
Baldwin has even had his goals written down in front of him since he was a child.
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“My wife would go into his room once in a while to clean and she’d find a little notebook — ever since he was a little kid, he’d write his goals down,” John said. “In sixth or seventh grade, his goal was to get to prep school and be an impact player and make the U.S. development camps.”
That calculated mindset helped him improve his confidence on the ice.
“I think it’s really important to have a positive mindset and know that good things can happen if you put in the work,” Baldwin said. “I’m confident because I put in work in all the right areas, and I’m going to continue to do it.”
Part of his maturity is largely due to his summer skating acquaintances, a group of professional and college skaters who reside in the Greater Boston area in the offseason. The group that skates at Warrior Ice Arena in Boston includes NHL players Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.) and Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, as well as Boston University’s Case McCarthy, Sam Stevens and Shane LaChance (Andover, Mass.).
Grzelcyk, in particular, has been a big influence on Baldwin, who plays a similar style of hockey to the nine-year NHL veteran.
“I talk to (Grzelcyk) almost every skate,” Baldwin said. “I just try to watch what he does because he’s a pro and he does it for a living, and that’s what I want to do. He’s very dialed in during practice; that’s one thing that I’ve taken away.”
What Baldwin realized in his time skating with these players is that he can keep up with them, match their speed in drills and make plays at the same pace as the professionals.
“Continuing to skate with the pros in the summer and knowing I can make plays and hang with them just adds more confidence to my game,” Baldwin said. “That mental part is really important, just knowing you can do it.”
Instead of entering Providence College as a true freshman this fall, he will head to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to play for the Saint John Sea Dogs.
“The biggest thing for me is knowing when to go fast and when to slow down a bit, specifically joining the rush, knowing if there’s a guy behind me in case I want to jump,” Baldwin said. “I think focusing on knowing when to go and when not to is something I’m getting better at. It’s tough in prep because I had to do it a lot. In juniors, it’s a lot easier to know when and when not to.”
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Undoubtedly, the ultimate goal written down in Baldwin’s notebook will be, “Take the ice as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.”
“He’s a very humble kid,” proud father John said, “but he’s got an incredible determination and work ethic, and he’s always had that.”
