The Tampa Bay Lightning have followed up back-to-back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances — and two championships — with consecutive first-round exits. Gone are face of the franchise Steven Stamkos and top-pairing defensemen Mikhail Sergachev as general manager Julien BriseBois looks to create a team that can compete for a couple more National Hockey League rings.
Whether or not the Bolts will be better without Stamkos and Sergachev is unlikely, but adding superstar Jake Guentzel will certainly help as the core looks to have playoff success for the first time since 2022. Although the Lightning's roster looks quite different than last season, this is still a squad that should be competing for the Atlantic Division title next April.
And the front office brought in a couple of veteran players to help in that mission. Although none of these skaters are expected to move the needle too much, they could end up playing a bigger role than anticipated in 2024-25. Here are three sneaky players who could help mitigate some monumental losses in Tampa Bay.
Cam Atkinson still has some game
Cam Atkinson broke into the NHL in 2011-12 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was an unrestricted free agent for the first time ever this summer. After the Philadelphia Flyers bought out the final year of the 35-year-olds contract, he decided to take his talents to Tampa Bay as he approaches the twilight of his career.
In his prime, Atkinson was a fantastic player for the Blue Jackets despite his small stature. He's a former 41 and 35-goal scorer, and has also been great in the few Stanley Cup Playoff contests he's gotten into. In 35 postseason appearances, Atkinson has managed a very solid 10 goals and 26 points.
As he's never been past the second-round in his career, it goes without saying that Atkinson will be hungry to finally capture a Stanley Cup on a Lightning team that knows exactly how to win one. That's probably one of the main reasons he signed with the Lighting as a free agent back in July.
Although Atkinson has inevitably declined, he still showed some game in 2022-23, when he amassed 23 goals and 50 points with the Flyers. He regressed to a disappointing 28 points in 70 contests last season, but there's certainly an opportunity for a bounce back here. Although Atkinson is unlikely to crack the top line — that should be Guentzel and superstars Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov — he projects to play on the second line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli.
Those are better linemates than he had for most of last season, and if there are any injuries in the top six, he would be a prime candidate to jump onto the top powerplay unit that should feature Kuch, Point, Guentzel and Hagel on opening night.
Despite his advanced age and declining abilities, Atkinson is still a two-time NHL All-Star who is likely desperate to get a few more cracks at a Stanley Cup. He should get that opportunity in Tampa Bay, and he has the ability to be a fixture in the Lightning's top-six all season long.
Zemgus Girgensons finally gets a change of scenery
A player who won't be getting into the top-six, but still could make an impact, is longtime Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons. The Latvian was selected No. 14 overall by the Sabres in the 2012 NHL Draft and has played his entire career in Western New York — until now.
Like Atkinson, Girgensons was a free agent for the first time in his career this summer following 10 full seasons with Buffalo. He inked a three-year, $2.55 million contract with the Lightning on July 1, and also like Atkinson, he should benefit from a change of scenery.
The Sabres are objectively one of the most depressing teams in the NHL, owning the longest postseason drought by a longshot. Buffalo hasn't advanced to the dance since 2011, and they're going to be hard-pressed to change that in 2024-25 in a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division. Thus, the 30-year-old decided to take his talents south to Florida.
And the warm weather should do him some good. Girgensons has never been much of an offensive contributor — his career-high came in 2014-15 when he scored 15 goals and 30 points in 61 games en route to his only All-Star appearance. But this is a player who has never skated in a Stanley Cup Playoff contest, and he should also be motivated to chase a Stanley Cup as his career begins to wind down.
While currently projected to play on the fourth line, if the Latvian gets a look on the third unit alongside Nick Paul, he could easily eclipse the eight goals and 14 points he provided for the Sabres last season. It'll be odd seeing him in different jersey for once — but definitely not as weird as Stamkos in a Nashville Predators sweater.
Ryan McDonagh is a familiar face
Finally, on the defensive end, the Lightning had to replace Sergachev after he was shockingly traded to Utah earlier this summer. And what better way to do that than reuniting with a stalwart defender who helped the Bolts win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
Ryan McDonagh is not quite the player he once was — he is 35-years-old now, after all — but he should help complete a Bolts blue line that is now without Sergachev. McDonagh actually had a great year with the Preds in 2023-24, scoring 32 points in 74 games, his highest total since the 2018-19 campaign.
The Saint Paul, MN native should jump right into the top-four along with Erik Cernak, with Daily Faceoff projecting Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh on the top pairing. McDonagh proved last season that he still has some game, and he should be an important contributor at both ends of the rink for Tampa Bay in 2024-25.
All of Cam Atkinson, Zemgus Girgensons and Ryan McDonagh are new additions this season, and each has the potential to play a larger role than what is probably envisioned for them. It'll be interesting to see if the trio can help the Bolts make some noise again in the NHL postseason.
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