As we approach the 2016-17 season, we’re previewing what’s ahead for each of the 30 NHL teams. Here’s what’s on deck for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
MAIN SUMMER HEADLINES
• Stamkos chooses to re-sign with Lightning for eight years
• Lightning to retire Martin St. Louis’ jersey
• Ben Bishop: Trade to Flames ‘was close’
• Hedman signs eight-year, $63 million extension with the Lightning
Head coach: Jon Cooper
GM: Steve Yzerman
Team payroll: $67.1 million ($73 million salary cap)
2015-16 Record: 46-31-5 (Second in Atlantic)
GF: 227 (13th in NHL)
GA: 201 (Fifth in NHL)
Result: Lost to Penguins in Eastern Conference final, 4-3
Acquisitions: Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Cory Conacher, Mike Halmo, Jeremy Morin
Key departures: Matt Carle, Jonathan Marchessault, Jeff Tambellini,
Rookies To Watch: Although Adam Erne didn’t make the team out of camp, he was dealing with an injury through the pre-season so a good start in the AHL could put him atop the list of call-ups. Erne, 21, was a second-round pick in 2013 and scored 14 goals and 29 points in 59 AHL games last season, his first as a pro.
Slater Koekkoek, the 10th overall pick in 2012, also looks ready for more responsibility after fitting right in for 10 playoff games last spring.
Tampa Bay will have a successful season if…
Their secondary offensive weapons rebound and have strong output. Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson all either decreased offensive production, or stalled around the 40-point mark last season. With Nikita Kucherov still an RFA without a contract, someone will need to step up in the event no deal is struck by the start of the season. Jonathan Drouin, who exploded on the scene with a productive playoff, is an X-Factor on the roster and adds another exciting element.
An improvement on the power play could go along way to helping these players increase their scoring. At just a 15.8 per cent success rate last season, Tampa Bay’s power play ranked 28th in the league.
Tampa Bay will have an unsuccessful season if…
Expectations are high for the Lightning, a popular pre-season pick as Stanley Cup champion, so it’s hard to imagine the season going terribly wrong. The Lightning are one of the top two or three teams in the East with tremendous depth. Basically, Tampa Bay’s season will be unsuccessful if they fall short of the Stanley Cup final. Just one year removed from their last appearance, the Lightning still have a young roster with room to grow and their window is now wide open.
One thing to watch out for is the situation in goal. Ben Bishop talked about how he was nearly traded to Calgary, and with his contract expiring and the Las Vegas expansion draft coming up after this season, the Lighting will have to choose to move forward with Bishop on an expensive re-sign, or 22-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian netminder had a .910 save percentage in 24 games last season and should get some more looks in the crease this season as the Lighting figure out what to do.
