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After losing longtime captain Steven Stamkos on the first day of free agency this past summer, no one would blame the Tampa Bay Lightning for feeling wounded. It would have been perfectly understandable if they started this season slow without Stamkos as the beating heart of their squad. However, due to the standout performance of multiple tenured veterans on the team, the Lightning once again find themselves in position for a playoff spot.
Off to the races 💨 pic.twitter.com/2ZLSwdwHJK
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 13, 2024
“Off to the races,” quipped the Lightning's official account on X, formerly Twitter.
Everyone has expected the continued excellence of Bolts' right winger Nikita Kucherov. He leads the team with 46 points, a total that fronts the Eastern Conference and is second overall in the NHL. On the blue line, top defenseman Victor Hedman has embraced his new role as the Tampa Bay captain. He's replaced longtime friend Stamkos with ease, and his game has begun to look like the Hedman of old. Could another Norris Trophy be in the Swede's future?
However, the emergence of left winger Brandon Hagel has been a revelation. He's third on the team in points with 35, only behind Kucherov and superstar center Brayden Point (36). His 15 goals rank third, behind Point and center Jake Guentzel, the team's big free agent signing who has filled Stammer's old role in the offensive attack. How has Hagel improved so much? Let's dive in and break it down.
1. Brandon Hagel brings new dimension to Lightning offense
Hagel was acquired at the 2021-22 trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks. The price was high (it included two first round picks), but as evidenced by his play since coming to Tampa, it was definitely worth it. He's on track to have a career year this season, topping his excellent 2023-24 season. Last year, he had 75 points (26 goals to go with 49 assists), and he's already almost halfway to that mark this season in one-third the games.
He's been given an expanded role since the departure of Stamkos, and the ex-Blackhawk has delivered and then some. His explosive play and quick reactions have led to the birth of yet another star at Amalie Arena. In order for the Bolts to get back to the postseason, they need players like Hagel to make these types of leaps. They also need their current stars to continue their high levels of play. One star that has risen back to a previous high, and maybe then some? The new captain of the Lightning, Victor Hedman.
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2. Victor Hedman looks reborn in new role of Lightning captain
Hedman is in his first season as captain of the Bolts, and he looks like he's back to the level he displayed earlier in his career. He had declined slightly the last couple of seasons, but that may have been related more to the insanely high workload he had as the top defenseman for a multiple time Stanley Cup championship team.
The early exits that the team has had over the last few years have been a blessing in disguise, as it has given their core players more time off than they've had in quite a while. That time off seems to have done Hedman and other long time core players like Point and goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy some major good, which has helped the Lightning's solid start.
Now, the team needs to show some consistency in order to be considered a major threat to win the Cup. Hedman and many of his teammates have been here before. Can they do it once again this season? Based on the highs they've shown so far, including the form they showed in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on the road, it is possible.
3. Nikita Kucherov once again looks to capture multiple awards
There are still many fans around the league who cannot believe that Kucherov didn't win the Hart Trophy last season. He set two NHL records during an historic 2023-24 campaign, including most assists by a winger in NHL history with 100. He also set the mark for most points in a single season for a Russian-born player with 144 points.
The fact that the man also known as “Kuch” already has 46 points in just 26 games played means that he still has quite a bit of time to eclipse last season's totals. Once again, the Bolts right winger is right in the middle of the MVP race. He currently leads the entire NHL in points scored. It feels like last year was just the beginning of his ascent into true superstardom. Can Kucherov continue to break records and barriers to lead Tampa Bay back to the promised land? Don't count him out in any case moving forward.
