2015-16 record: 46-31-5 (97 points)
Lost to Pittsburgh in Conference Finals
Captain: Steven Stamkos
In spite of the continuous drama surrounding whether the Tampa Bay Lightning would lose Steven Stamkos one way or another, coupled with the Jonathan Drouin problem, the Lightning somehow managed to do very well for themselves, eventually solving their bugaboos along the way in the process. After another Conference Finals appearance that saw Drouin contribute after a few months exile in the AHL, the Lightning not only got Stamkos to sign on for eight more years, but they also headed off another potential problem, as they signed franchise defender Victor Hedman to a long-term deal. The Lightning are ready to take advantage of the window of opportunity now, but there are still things to sort out.
The Lightning had their early season struggles offensively, which explains their 12th place ranking in that category. A healthier Stamkos plus having a bounce back season from Tyler Johnson and Drouin being on board for a full season should help that number. One potential issue is whether they get Nikita Kucherov signed on time. Beyond that, there isn't much for the Lightning to do here. Defensively, the signing of Hedman means the Lightning won't have to worry about their top two defenders, as Anton Stralman also returns. However, depth may be something of an issue, as it does get a little thin. Still, this is a unit that should be able to replicate their 7th ranked defense. In goal is where things get interesting, as Ben Bishop is in his final year of his current deal, and despite playing Vezina-caliber hockey, Andrei Vasilevsky is ready to assume the starting job at some point. Tampa Bay will have to make a move there at some point, especially with the Las Vegas expansion draft looming. The power play outage that the Lightning suffered was one of the more inexpiable things to happen to the team, though getting everyone back on the same page could help here. Conversely, the penalty kill was near the top, and as long as everyone is healthy, it should remain in the top third of the league.
Prediction: 1st in the Atlantic Division
The Lightning managed to make the Conference Final last year despite not having Stamkos for much of the playoff run and with clouds hovering over them all season long. Now that Stamkos is under contract for his prime years and Drouin is happy, things should be even better than before with the Lightning...if the goaltending situation doesn't become another distraction.
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