Tampa Bay Lightning preview: Look within to find improvement
2014-15 results: 50-24-8, 2nd in the Atlantic
Arrivals: RW Erik Condra (free agent signing)
Departures: LW Brenden Morrow (free agent)
Goaltending: It’s a tall order to get the best of 6-7 G Ben Bishop (40-13-5, 2.32 .916) who has developed into a difference-maker in the net. He posted a .921 save percentage in the playoffs. The Lightning have an embarrassment of riches in net because Andrei Vasilevskiy is also on the roster. He is considered a future star. However, he will start the season on the injured list because he recently had surgery to remove a blood clot. Kristers Gudlevskiys from the AHL is the likely backup. He played for Latvia at the 2014 Olympics.
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Analysis: Always-aggressive GM Steve Yzerman did very little this offseason because he didn’t need to do much. The Lightning reached a Stanley Cup Final with a team that has several younger players who still haven’t reached the primes of their career. Players such as C Tyler Johnson and his wingers Ondrej Palaot and Nikita Kucherov, plus D Viktor Hedman, are still improving daily. Plus, all of the Lightning learned plenty about winning last spring. The Lightning have a scary offensive team, and they refined their defensive game and developed mental toughness during their postseason run. Their goaltending is also above average. The Pittsburgh Penguins reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2008, and then won in 2009. The Lightning are capable of doing the same.
What advanced stats say: In 2014-15, the Lightning led the NHL in goal scoring, and they were ranked fourth in Corsi rating, which is a proxy of puck possession.
Breakthrough candidate: What everyone needs to remember about LW Jonathan Drouin is he is still only 20 and he’s trying to crack the lineup on the NHL’s best scoring team. He only had four goals last season, but he did have 28 assists. He should top 40 points this season, although it will depend greatly on how Cooper plays his lines.
Youngster to watch: D Slater Koekkoek is in line to get some games at the NHL level, particularly if the team runs into injuries on the blue line. He’s a puck mover who had 26 points in his first AHL season.
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What the team really needs: To stay injury free and hungry. They have all of the ingredients. They simply need to remain focused about what the mission is.
Key question: Will the Lightning get Steven Stamkos re-signed? There’s no reason to believe they won’t. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but Yzerman said signing him is a priority. He’s one of the most dangerous scorers in the game today, and he’s an excellent captain for the Lightning. He seems to like it in Tampa Bay. Plus, owner Jeff Vinik seems like a reasonable owner when it comes to understanding what his players are worth. Unless Stamkos asks for the moon and the stars, this will get done.
Forecast: This Lightning group can thunder up the ice at will. They are a threat to win the President’s Trophy and Stanley Cup.
PHOTOS: Preseason highlights
