The Tampa Bay Lightning will enter the 2014-15 season with more optimism than at any time in franchise history. Granted, that could have been said about the 2005-06 season if they had a chance to defend their Stanley Cup title, but alas, collective bargaining ruled the day and the season was lost.
The 2013-14 season was an unequivocal success story with sprinkles of heartbreak and despair scattered intermittently throughout. The bad: Steven Stamkos’ leg snapping, Martin St. Louis’ unceremonious pouty exit via trade, and of course the Ben Bishop playoff injury that led to the early round exit.
However, two of the three Calder Trophy finalists hailed from Tampa Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, Bishop emerged as a legitimate franchise goaltender, and Stamkos “Bionic Man” recovery from his shattered tibia give hope for years to come.
The Lightning will start the season as viable Eastern Conference favorites along with division rival Boston. Some savvy roster moves have given the Bolts depth from top to bottom with the youth that makes up the majority of the roster all under the age of 24. That’s a pretty scary roster if you happen to reside in the Eastern portion of the NHL.
For you fantasy general managers, the Lightning have plenty of great options. Here are the top five players to choose from.
Steven Stamkos
After Sidney Crosby, Stamkos is the most obvious draft selection unless you hate all of the huge offensive numbers he provides. He’s had a full summer to get his health back and will come out on fire when the puck drops this fall. Can’t go wrong with Stamkos in the top two or three picks.
Tyler Johnson, Center/ Left Wing
The Calder finalist cooled off considerably after the Olympic break, but expect big things from the possible second coming of Marty St. Louis. Mighty Mite 2.0 has a nose for the goal and can absolutely fly. He’ll be a treat to watch with a full NHL season under his belt. He’ll be available late but will be a steal at the eighth round and beyond.
Ondrej Palat, Center/ Left Wing
While Johnson was cooling off in the latter half of 2014, Palat was catching fire. He finished the season strong averaging over a point per game after the break. Palat has more size than his fellow sophomore Johnson, and seems to be the more likely of the two to continue the scoring pace. Palat falls under the sleeper category and is a steal at around the sixth round.
Ben Bishop, G
Feel free to draft Bishop with the confidence of any top goaltender. He is the bonafide starter of a very, very good team and will only get better at the ripe age of 27. He only has 108 starts in his young NHL career and with a ton of tread left on his tires could be an elite net minder for years to come. Depending on where you start drafting goaltenders, feel confident taking Bishop as early as the second round.
Victor Hedman, Defense
Hedman is fast approaching the role of dominant big man in the east. Though he gives up three inches to Zdeno Chara, the baby mountain Hedman is fast becoming one of the most underrated defensemen in the league. With 13 goals and 55 points he was among the leaders in the NHL but didn’t get a sniff in Norris discussions. He isn’t a sleeper any more so snap him up between rounds three and five if he’s available.