The Tampa Bay Lightning had one of, if not the most memorable offseasons in franchise history. With the departures of Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev and the additions of former Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes star Jake Guentzel and Utah's promising defenseman in J.J. Moser, the Lightning look like a completely different team.
With these changes on top of the additions of Ryan McDonagh and Cam Atkinson, the Lightning aim to win their third Stanley Cup in just six seasons. How do the Lightning compare to teams like the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, or the up-and-coming Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings? Here are our predictions as to where the Lightning end up in the standings and their stats.
Standings
The Tampa Bay Lightning didn't get worse during this offseason, and it's not too far-fetched to say they got better. With Stamkos having 39 of his 81 points be acquired on the power play, is a main reason Stamkos was let go this offseason in favor of a player at a similar price point who produced better 5 on 5. Only 42 even strength points on a team desperately needing 5 on 5 scoring is not what the Lightning want nor what they need. Having Guentzel help with the 5 on 5 scoring as well as J.J. Moser and Ryan McDonagh helping to bolster the defense with the departure of Sergachev shows that the Lightning bolstered up their weak spots and should be a contender in the eastern conference.
Here are our predictions for the Lightning's standing in the division, their run in the playoffs, and the top scorers on the team:
Standings:
1. Florida Panthers
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Boston Bruins
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Montreal Canadiens
7. Detroit Red Wings
8. Ottawa Senators
Playoffs:
Round One: Lightning defeat Leafs in six
Round Two: Lightning defeat Panthers in seven
Round Three: Lightning lose to Rangers in seven
Stanley Cup Champions: Nashville Predators
Stat Leaders:
Goals: Brayden Point (61-42-103)
Assists: Nikita Kucherov (42-103-145)
Points: Nikta Kucherov (42-103-145)
Defenseman Goals: Victor Hedman (15-60-75)
Defenseman Points: Victor Hedman (15-60-75)
Save %: Andrei Vasilevskiy: 0.923%
Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (42 wins)
Conclusion
While the Tampa Bay Lightning do improve in many areas, it won't be enough to win them another Stanley Cup next season. Guentzel, Moser, McDonagh and Atkinson will prove to be a big part in the Lightning's success next season, but it won't be enough for a cup win. With Stamkos and Jonathon Marchessault in Nashville, they are our favorites to become the 2025 Stanley Cup Champions.
