Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gage Goncalves is viewed as one of the club's most promising young players. It is understandable, as he has had plenty of success with the Syracuse Crunch over the last few years.
After posting 54 points in 71 games with Syracuse in 2022-23, Goncalves had 58 points in 69 games this past season with the AHL squad. He has also been excellent while with the Crunch this season, posting 14 points in just 11 contests.
While Goncalves has had offensive success with the Crunch, he has struggled to carry that over to the NHL level. He had just two assists in his first 27 games with the Lightning this season. Naturally, with Goncalves being a prospect, he is understandably going through growing pains as he adjusts to the NHL.
However, Goncalves is now starting to break the ice with the Lightning. The 6-foot-1 forward has recorded an assist in each of his last two games. This is a nice step in the right direction for the skilled forward.
It will be fascinating to see how Goncalves builds on his solid stretch of play from here. There is no question that he has the tools to become a solid part of Tampa Bay's forward group.
