The Tampa Bay Lightning are off to a (relatively) strong start to the 2023-24 campaign, compiling a 6-3-4 record over their first 13 contests. Without Andrei Vasilevskiy for any of them, that is a record the Bolts will certainly take. But the Russian superstar is on his way back, with head coach Jon Cooper confirming that Vasi should return to the crease before the end of November.

That's excellent news for a Tampa Bay team that is second place in the Atlantic Division and just five points back of the Boston Bruins for the top spot in both the division and Eastern Conference. Realistically, Tampa could be much better on paper; they've lost all four of their games that have gone past regulation, and all of them in overtime. Even winning one or two of them would make the record look much better, but the fact remains that this is still a very strong team in 2023-24.

Nikita Kucherov not a surprise, but playing like a top-3 player

Nikita Kucherov, Lightning

Like usual, the Lightning are being led by the one of the most exciting players in the game of hockey in Nikita Kucherov. With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon all struggling, there's a case to make that Kucherov is the best player in the NHL right now. The Russian superstar is leading the league in scoring with a ridiculous 10 goals and 22 points in just 13 games. And 11 of those points have come in the last three.

Kucherov is a dominant force and a treat to watch every time he's on the ice, and he and Brayden Point have been electric in the early going. The two, along with Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, continue to show why this core won two straight Stanley Cups and came within two wins of a third. Although aging, it is still one of the best cores in the game.

But the play of the big guns on the Lightning is not at all surprising; we're used to excellence from them. Goaltender Jonas Johansson on the other hand, who will probably only be relevant for a few more weeks, has been a great surprise.

Jonas Johansson holding down the fort admirably

When it was revealed one of the best goaltenders in the NHL was getting back surgery, there was panic in Florida. But the 28-year-old Johansson has done a great job keeping the Lightning in games, and he's even excelled, recording back-to-back shutouts in consecutive wins over the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks earlier this season.

Johansson has won five of his 10 starts, which isn't perfect, but the Swede is making a lot of saves for his team. Although he'll certainly be relegated to backup duties when Vasilevskiy returns, it really could have been a ton worse. Johansson deserves a ton of credit for the work he's done in his first ever starting role, and his play may have earned him some potential starting looks with another NHL club down the road.

Mikhail Sergachev struggling offensively

Last year was a coming out party for former No. 9 overall pick Mikhail Sergachev. He nearly doubled his career-high in points, scoring 10 goals and 64 points in just 79 games from the back end. He was a force, earning looks on a dynamite first powerplay unit and also playing admirable defense.

But as Hedman has rebounded from a difficult season — to the tune of a very impressive 16 points in 13 games — it's been the opposite for Sergachev. The 25-year-old Russian has been related to PP2, along with Tanner Jeannot, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Alex Barre-Boulet. That's a far cry from a first unit featuring Kucherov, Point, Stamkos and Nick Paul.

Getting taken off the top unit has been devastating for Sergachev's offensive production; the former Montreal Canadien has failed to score a goal through 13 games, and has recorded seven assists in that span. It's a close to 45-point pace, nowhere near the 64 he put up last season. The warning signs are there; Sergachev has never scored more than 40 points in any other year, and he's no longer exposed to greatness on PP1. Still, it's early, and he has recorded two points in his last two games. Hopefully for Tampa Bay fans, one of the team's more important players can get back on track offensively in November.

Although Jonas Johansson has been a pleasant surprise, while Mikhail Sergachev has disappointed, the Lightning live and die by Kucherov, Point, Hedman and Stamkos. And in the early going, the core has proven that it is still phenomenal, with Andrei Vasilevskiy's anticipated return right around the corner.