The Lightning were one of the favourites to win the Cup entering last year's season but thanks to an injury to their captain, Steven Stamkos, they just missed out on the playoffs. The forwards are skilled all across the depth chart while the defence is also good; lots will depend on the goaltending now that Ben Bishop is gone. If Andrei Vasilevskiy plays well in net, the Lightning will be contenders coming out of the Atlantic but if not another disappointing season could be coming.
Arrivals/Departures
Arrivals: Dan Girardi, Chris Kunitz, Mikhail Sergachev, Jamie McBain, Michael Leighton
Departures: Jonathan Drouin, Jason Garrison, Kristers Gudlevskis, Luke Witkowksi, Greg McKegg, Byron Froese, Joel Vermin
Forwards:
Steven Stamkos showed how valuable he was to the Lightning after suffering a season-ending injury causing the Lightning to go from Stanley Cup contenders to missing the playoffs. Stamkos is an elite sniper who managed nine goals in the 17 games he played while adding 20 points before his season was cut short. Alex Killorn has turned into a very good winger alongside Stamkos as he scores goals as well as adds a physical element. With Jonathan Drouin gone, Vladislav Namestnikov will have to replace him on the first line even though he may not be ready for the role. Nikita Kucherov exploded in Stamkos' absence though as he netted 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games proving he can be one of the best players in the NHL. Having two 40-goal scorers on separate lines in the top six gives the Lightning a scary one-two punch. Tyler Johnson has taken a step back over the past two seasons after his 72-point campaign where he also dominated in the playoffs taking Tampa Bay to the finals but he is still one of the best second-line centers. Ondrej Palat caps off the best second line in the league as he is a solid goal scorer and offensive contributor beside Kucherov and Johnson. Brayden Point surprised as a rookie putting up 40 points in 68 game replacing Stamkos as the number-one center. With Stamkos back, Point will be bumped down to the third-line center but if Jon Cooper wants him to get more time, he may replace Namestnikov on Stamkos' line. Another player continually affected by the injury bug is Ryan Callahan as he only appeared in 18 games but when he is healthy he provides grit, leadership and offence. Chris Kunitz has the most Stanley Cups of any current player with four so he was brought in to fill a third-line role and teach the young guys how to win. Cedric Paquette has become a good fourth-line center with the Lightning as he will be asked to fill the same void for the fourth-straight year. Another player who has been a staple of the Lightning's fourth line is JT Brown who has become a great grinder. Yanni Gourde played well in 20 games last season so he should get a full-time role right out of training camp this season. Erik Condra and Gabriel Dumont will likely be the depth forwards.
Defencemen:
Victor Hedman has turned into one of the league's best players as he is in conversation for the best defenceman in the world with Erik Karlsson, Duncan Keith, Brent Burns and Drew Doughty. Hedman has always been great defensively but he exploded on offence smashing his career high of 55 points with 72 finishing second among all blue liners. The other half of the top pair is Anton Stralman who has turned into a very good player since coming to the Lightning in 2014. Longtime New York Ranger Dan Girardi was brought in during free agency to provide the team with excellent defence and penalty killing. Braydon Coburn caps off the top four as another defensive defenceman who shuts down opponents. Mikhail Sergachev was acquired for Jonathan Drouin as he is one of the best defensive prospects in the entire league and based on his skill set, he should crack the roster and push for a top-four spot. Andrej Sustr is the other Lightning defenceman who is very reliable with his massive frame and defence. Jake Dotchin and Slater Koekkoek will compete for the seventh defensive spot throughout training camp and the preseason.
Goaltending:
The goaltending situation in Tampa Bay is an unknown as it will be Andrei Vasilevskiy's first full season as an NHL starting goaltender. Vasilevskiy has been very good as the backup and was pretty good when he took over for Bishop after the trade deadline. Peter Budaj will be the backup after a year with the Kings where he played very good replacing the injured Jonathan Quick.
Projected Lineup:
Alex Killorn
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Steven Stamkos
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Vladislav Namestnikov
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Ondrej Palat
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Tyler Johnson
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Nikita Kucherov
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Chris Kunitz
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Brayden Point
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Ryan Callahan
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Yanni Gourde
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Cedric Paquette
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JT Brown
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Erik Condra
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Anthony Cirelli
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Gabriel Dumont
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Victor Hedman
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Anton Stralman
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Braydon Coburn
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Dan Girardi
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Andrej Sustr
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Mikhail Sergachev
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Jake Dotchin
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Slater Koekkoek
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Andrei Vasilevskiy
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Peter Budaj
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Michael Leighton
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Top 10 Players:
10. Dan Girardi
9. Brayden Point
8. Andrei Vasilevskiy
7. Alex Killorn
6. Anton Stralman
5. Ondrej Palat
4. Tyler Johnson
3. Nikita Kucherov
2. Steven Stamkos
1. Victor Hedman
Projected Finish: 101 Points (1st in Atlantic)
Last Year: 94 Points (5th in Atlantic)
Photo credit for Dan Girardi goes to http://www.cbc.ca/. Steven Stamkos goes to http://www.sportsnet.ca/. Victor Hedman goes to https://www.cbssports.com/. Nikita Kucherov goes to https://www.nhl.com/.
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