#6 in the East: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning finished off a tremendous year this Spring falling one goal short of the Stanley Cup Finals. This was a huge improvement to the previous campaign in which the team finished 12^th in the Eastern Conference. The emergence of Stamkos was a large factor in this success, but so were the additions of Guy Boucher (coach) and Steve Yzerman (GM). Both of these gentlemen have done a fantastic job molding the progression of this team.

On offense, the Lightning have over $20 million tied up in three players - albeit three very good players: Lecavalier, St. Louis and Stamkos. The true leader of this team, St. Louis, will continue his dominance over the League. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged around 90 points. He has all of the assets, aside from size, that make a complete hockey player. The Lightning were able to wrap up Stamkos for another five years. This is music to my ears. It's comforting to see a player with some magnitude of loyalty to the organization that drafted him. His pricetag of $7.5 million is fairly reasonable considering what he brings to the table. Lecavalier is another fantastic forward. Overpaid? Yes, however he is still an integral component of this team. Lecavalier can still put the puck in the back of the net and I expect his goal total to rise this coming year - hopefully between 35-40. There have been rumblings of a Malone trade all summer and for good reason. His $4.5 million weight on the salary cap isn't fitting as he put up a meager 38 points. I like his game, but the production is tanking. This may be due to his inability to play over 70 games the past three seasons. I cannot wait to see what Purcell does this season. I was very impressed with his performance in this year's playoffs and I hope he keeps making plays like this. Ah, Downie...what an oxymoronic name. He provides time and space for his teammates by crushing opponents. He's not just a pummeling idiot though. Downie certainly has a knack for finding the right spot in front of the net. I can easily see 20 goals coming from him next year. I thought Moore was solely a defensive forward, but he showed me another dimension last year, especially in the playoffs. I would really like to see him play with Thompson next year. Thompson works extremely hard and does all of the little things correctly, including penalty killing. He's actually been given the nickname Nate Boucher by his teammates because he plays as the coach desires. He should see more ice time next year. Tyrell, Hall, Ritola and newcomer Shannon round out the forward depth. Shannon played well for the Senators last year. He was the only player who played more than 25 games while maintaining a positive plus/minus. That says a lot. Hall is an excellent energy player and does a tremendous job killing penalties. If only he and Betts played on the same team. I will admit I don't know a significant amount about Ritola or Tyrell, but I look forward to studying this coming year.


Offensive Score: A-


Brewer heads a group of fairly solid defensemen. Putting points up on the board isn't Brewer's job. It's shutting down the opposition's top line and that's exactly what he does with his huge frame. His leadership is going to be vital to this young team's success. Kubina has been shipped around to a few, different teams over his career and I'm not sure why. His pricetag is a little exaggerated but he provides some useful offensive skills without sacrificing defense. I don't know where Ohlund was last year but I'm expecting him to rebound this year. If not, he may be relocated. Although 5 more years at $3.6 million would be hard to sell. Hedman has a lot of expectations coming into this season. I guess that comes with the territory of being drafted second behind Tavares. I see him getting at least 40 points this season. Clark is another solid offensive contributor. More importantly, like Hedman, he's a puck-moving defenseman - which is the most important part of an offense. The Lightning brought in Gilroy from the Rangers. I haven't watched a ton of footage with Gilroy in it, but he seems to be a capable 5th or 6th defenseman. I'm looking forward to his progression in the NHL. Bergeron is an offensive defensman, but is a slight liability on defense. He'll be important on the power play. Gervais finishes out the defense. I watched him play on the island and was usually satisfied with his play. If any of the defensemen should become injured, he is more than capable of handling the responsibilities. 


Defensive Score: B


Roloson, who turns 42 at the start of next season, is back for another stint with the blue and white. Although he went 24-25 last season, he was most impressive in the playoffs. I still remember when he and Pronger carried the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. If he had stayed healthy throughout that run, I truly believe they would have won. Roloson is reliable and that's exactly what you want from a goaltender. His current backup, Garon, has filled this position for many years and is comfortable handling 25-30 games a season. With the depth at forward, the Lightning can afford a few goals and still get a win.


Goaltending Score: B


The Lightning may be poised for another strike!