The Tampa Bay Lightning have been the NHL's model franchise for a long time. Tampa Bay dominated the league during the late 2010s and early 2020s. In fact, they once tied the regular season wins record with 62 in the 2018-19 season. Their record stood until the Boston Bruins broke it in 2022-23.
Over the last two seasons, though, the Lightning have taken a noticeable step back. Tampa Bay made their third straight Stanley Cup Final in 2022, but the Colorado Avalanche ended their dreams of a three-peat. They hoped to get back on track in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However, that didn't happen. The Maple Leafs emerged victorious in that series, winning in six games. It marked Toronto's first playoff series victory in nearly 20 years. And it left a stunned Lightning organization searching for answers.
Tampa Bay entered the 2023-24 season looking to put the loss behind them. They were certainly a good hockey team, but something was off. Stars such as Andrei Vasilevskiy were not playing to their usual elite standards. Sure, Nikia Kucherov made history, but this team felt different.
In the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Lightning matched up with the Florida Panthers. Tampa had never lost to their intrastate rivals in the postseason to this point. But they had little answer for a ferocious Panthers squad as they lost the series in just five games.
Now, the Lightning are looking ahead to next season. In fact, they've already made their first move, re-acquiring Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators. But what else can Tampa do to improve their playoff chances in 2025? Here are two moves the Lightning must make during the offseason this summer.
Lightning must keep Steven Stamkos
Let's get the obvious move out of the way first. Steven Stamkos is a legend in the Lightning organization. The Tampa Bay captain has scored more points in the regular season than any skater before him in team history. Even as he's struggled with injury, Stamkos has had a major impact on the team.
However, there is a real chance he does not continue his career in South Florida. The future Hockey Hall of Famer is an unrestricted free agent this summer. And contract discussions between the pending UFA and the team don't appear to be close at this time.
If the Lightning want to make another playoff run, they need to keep Stamkos around. He needs to stay even if they go for a retool this summer. The Tampa captain should not put on another team's sweater before he hangs up his skates. Stamkos may cost a pretty penny, but he shouldn't require a long-term contract. This should make a deal between the two sides more digestible.
A need for more forward depth
Beyond retaining Stamkos, the Lightning need added forward depth. Kucherov led their offensive attack in 2023-24. However, he was by far their main offensive threat this past season. Others chipped in more than 70 points, but it drops off significantly after that. In fact, the gap between the team's fifth and sixth-highest point scorers is nearly 30 points.
To some extent, it's understandable. The Lightning have not had a ton of cap space over the last few seasons. It's the cost of success, after all. But they have not done a great job of finding diamonds in the rough. Their forward depth has suffered, and they need to fix that moving forward.
Tampa Bay will certainly have their work cut out for them. But there are players that bring offense and come at a relatively cheap price. For instance, winger Dakota Joshua could be a fit. He brings physicality and secondary offense when he takes the ice. He should get a raise, but won't necessarily break the bank this summer.
The Lightning need to improve their offensive depth for the season ahead. If they can do that, they stand a good chance of doing well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025. If not, they may be headed for another disappointing end to their season once again.
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