Welcome to the latest installment of the future Lightning prospect series. In this column, we take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning prospects who are standing out and enjoying success, whether they’re playing in Canadian juniors, the American Hockey League (AHL), Europe, Russia, or anywhere around the world.
While the Lightning are off for the 4 Nations Face-Off, their affiliates in Syracuse and Orlando are in action and are fighting for spots in their respective playoffs. The Solar Bears are in fourth place in the South Division of the ECHL after falling to Jacksonville in overtime on Saturday.
The Crunch split their two games over the weekend, defeating the Rochester Americans in overtime before falling to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Crunch are in fifth place in the North Division of the AHL, occupying the final playoff spot in that division, and have a four-point lead over the Belleville Senators.
Let’s look at some of the players on the Crunch and other prospects in the Lightning organization.
Geekie Sent to Syracuse
The Lightning raised a few eyebrows when they sent forward Conor Geekie to the Crunch. While the 20-year-old did struggle a bit in his first full season in the NHL, he did play in 49 games for the Lightning this season, recording six goals and 12 points with two game-winning tallies and 86 hits.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound forward was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft. He was acquired by Tampa Bay via trade, along with defenseman J.J. Moser, a 2024 seventh-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick on June 29, 2024.
“He’s a 20-year-old kid that’s exceeded expectations,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Geekie after he was sent down. “He’s done a great job and you know…it’s a great league to learn and gain more confidence in than he has already. So he’ll go down & work on a few things and probably be back at some point.”
It was likely that Geekie was sent down at this time so he could continue to play meaningful games while the Lightning and the rest of the NHL were off for two weeks. He has settled in nicely in Syracuse and has three points in his first five games in a Crunch sweater.
Halverson Signs Two-Way Contract
In January, the Lightning announced that they signed goaltender Brandon Halverson to a two-year, two-way contract. While this does not seem like a significant deal, this signing is important for a couple of reasons.
The first is that the 28-year-old has been outstanding since joining the Crunch late in the 2023-24 season. This season, Halverson ranks at the top of the AHL in shutouts, goals-against average, and save percentage and was selected to participate in the 2025 AHL All-Star game. He did spend some time in Tampa in early February when backup goaltender Jonas Johansson was dealing with an injury.
The other significant piece of this story was Halverson’s journey before joining the Lightning organization. He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft, taken before current Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
After spending some time in the AHL, Halverson didn’t play at all in 2021-22 when he was recovering from knee and wrist surgery. During his time away from hockey, he worked on a farm and did deliveries for UBER Eats. He continued his hockey journey in 2022-23 with Bayreuth in Germany’s second division before signing an amateur tryout (ATO) with Syracuse and eventually earning an AHL contract.
Do not be surprised to see Halverson challenge for the backup goaltender role for theLightning next season.
Ethan Gauthier
The Lightning’s second-round pick in 2023 has returned to action in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League after an okay performance for Canada in the most recent World Junior Championship. His Drummondville Voltigeurs are among the best in the league and are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. Gauthier had a notable performance on Jan. 27 when he had a goal and four assists against the Victoriaville Tigres.
However, scouts have not been impressed by Gauthier’s growth this season and are questioning whether the 20-year-old can live up to his projection as a top-six forward in the NHL. While the scouts feel that he will play in the NHL at some point, the production that he gives the Lightning will likely be determined by how he progresses next season in the AHL as a member of the Crunch.
Isaac Howard
Isaac Howard continues to have an outstanding season, with many pundits believing he is the best player in the NCAA. He has unlocked the goal-scoring prowess he had with the US National Team Development Program and has busted through with 22 goals and 43 points, which leads the nation.
Even with Howard’s goalscoring taking a significant leap, his playmaking hasn’t seen any decline. His linemates at Michigan State also have career years, and when the Spartans head into the postseason, it will be interesting to see how Howard and his linemates perform with all the attention they will garner from opponents. Don’t be surprised to see him in Syracuse when his season is over, with an eye on making the Lightning roster in 2025-26.
The Lightning do not have the deepest prospect pool in the NHL, but they continue to draft and develop mid-round talent that makes significant contributions to the roster. The critical thing to remember about prospects is that development is non-linear. Some players take longer to figure it out than others, and some players never do, but the Lightning have been encouraged by the play of their prospects as they continue to work for the chance at a roster spot.
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