Video above: Tampa Bay Lightning take the ice for first day of training camp
(AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning
Last season: 47-27-8, lost to Florida in first round.
COACH: Jon Cooper (13th season with Tampa Bay; 572-306-83).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 vs. Ottawa.
DEPARTURES: C Luke Glendening, D Nick Perbix, RW Cam Atkinson, LW Isaac Howard, LF Conor Sheary.
ADDITIONS: C Pontus Holmberg, LW Boris Katchouk, RW Jakob Pelletier, C Sam O’Reilly, RW Scott Sabourin.
GOALIES: Andrei Vasilevskiy (38-20-5, 2.18 goals-against average, .921 save percentage), Jonas Johansson (9-6-3, 3.13, .895.
BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 11-1.
What to expect
Despite their attempts at securing a third consecutive Stanley Cup, the Lightning have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs in the last three years, exiting at the hands of future champions Florida each time. Their offseason was low-key with no significant trades or acquisitions, yet their squad remains strong with minimal weaknesses. While some speculate the Lightning’s prime may be dwindling, bookmakers still rank them highly. Health is a key factor; last season saw Nikita Kucherov leading in points, with Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel among the top goal-scorers. Vasilevskiy ended up fourth in goals-against average and save percentage, although Kucherov and others were not at their best during the series against the Panthers.
Strengths and weaknesses
The positives: A top-tier front line, led by Kucherov and Vasilevskiy, bolsters the team’s strength. Their offensive prowess saw them topping goals per game with an average of 3.56 and holding a 25.9% power-play success rate. Defensively, they ranked fourth in goals against per game (2.63) and sixth in penalty kills at 81.6%, achievements owed to both Vasilevskiy’s skills and a defense anchored by Victor Hedman, the captain. Coach Cooper embarks on his 13th season, guiding a squad largely unchanged from the teams that clinched consecutive titles in 2020 and ’21, and reached the finals in ’22.
The drawbacks: Years of staying competitive have come at the cost of future assets, leaving the team with a sparse prospect pool if injury replacements are required. Additionally, the salary cap constraints have thinned Tampa Bay’s defensive depth.
Players to watch
Kucherov was a Hart Trophy MVP finalist in the past two seasons and clinched last year’s Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player, as voted by fellow players. Only a select few, including Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon, have accumulated more than Kucherov’s 994 points since his 2014 debut. Both Point and Guentzel rank as top-tier playmakers. Meanwhile, Brandon Hagel excels at generating offense during even-strength play, minimizing reliance on power-play opportunities for boosting his stats.
