It was the end of an era for the Tampa Bay Lightning with the departure of longtime captain and icon Steven Stamkos, who departed the only franchise he's ever played for by signing a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators.
Sensing that a split between the two sides was inevitable, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois acted swiftly before the start of free agency by acquiring the rights to Jake Guentzel from the Carolina Hurricanes and subsequently locking him up to a hefty seven-year contract. Also, former Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons and former Philadelphia Flyers forward Cam Atkinson were signed.
On the back end, the Lightning welcomed back defenseman Ryan McDonagh while also dealing away Mikhail Sergachev.
What exactly is the outlook for the Lightning heading into what will be their 33rd season in the National Hockey League, and is their Stanley Cup window starting to close?
Lightning's biggest roster strengths
Despite losing Stamkos, the Lightning still boast some of the top forward talent in the League, led by Art Ross Trophy and former Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov. His incredible offensive output of 44 goals and 100 assists in 2023-24 were both career highs, cementing his status as one of the biggest steals in NHL Draft history (58th overall in 2011).
The addition of Guentzel, one of the most consistent performers since his rookie season in 2016-17, will help offset the loss of Stamkos. Additionally, Tampa Bay features offensive forwards Brayden Point (46 goals, 44 assists last season), Brandon Hagel (26 goals, 49 assists), and the reliable Anthony Cirelli.
Atkinson's arrival is seen as a low-risk, high-reward situation. He's only four years removed from scoring 41 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his offensive prowess could be revived by playing alongside some of Tampa Bay's top talents. He was signed to a one-year deal worth $900K, meaning he doesn't take up a considerable portion of the salary cap and is only tied to them for a single season.
Tampa Bay's biggest roster concerns
However, the Lightning are going to start running into issues when it comes to keeping the puck out of their own net, despite the presence of top goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes. The trade of Sergachev just one year into an eight-year contract is still seen as a head-scratcher by many, considering he routinely played the second most minutes on the back end behind Victor Hedman.
And while the return of McDonagh is also seen as a positive move, the Lightning don't have much else in terms of established NHL talent on their blue line aside from Erik Cernak. Both Hedman and Vasilevskiy have put some serious mileage on their bodies in their careers tanks to Tampa's lengthy postseason runs, and the physical toll has been an issue for them both.
Hedman has indicated that he feels fine physically, though he regrets Tampa's recent early exit in the 2024 playoffs means he'll have more time to train this summer, via The Tampa Bay Times.
“The body feels good. I feel great. No issues whatsoever,” said Hedman shortly after their postseason loss to in-state rival Florida. “A credit to a little bit of a longer summer last year and, unfortunately, it’s going to be the same thing again this year.
“But this gives me another opportunity to stay on top of things and just keep working hard and try to get better. Even though you’re getting older, you can still work with stuff and get better as a player. The way my body feels and the way my mind feels, it feels like I have a lot of good hockey left in me.”
Meanwhile, Vasilevsky missed the first two months of last season after having undergone surgery in the summer of 2023 to repair a herniated lumbar disc, though he also indicated that he feels fine physically.
“I felt great,” Vasilevskiy said. “We’ll be smarter about next season. I’ll probably change my preseason training a little bit, because I still have to fix it 100% going into the next season.”
Can the Lightning go on another extended postseason run?
Some of the bigger questions facing the Lightning as they head into the 2024-25 season include how they will compensate for the leadership void left by Stamkos and whether they can stay healthy. Despite the loss of Stamkos, don't be surprised to see them remain one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division given the elite offensive talent they retained.
However, the loss of Stamkos, who was the face, heart, and soul of the franchise, cannot be discounted. This, combined with the increasing injury risks to their older cornerstone players, could be a cause for concern for the Bolts.
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