Year End Report: Tampa Bay Lightning

Not very many sports pundits predicted a strong season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but despite a bottom seven finish in the Eastern Conference, there is optimism heading into next season. There is little doubt that this team is on the upswing, but many factors will have to come into place for future success.

THE OFFENSE
Regardless of the presence of veterans, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos is the present and future of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In only his second full NHL season, Stamkos has proven himself as an NHLer and shown his undeniable talent for scoring goals.

With only 156 NHL games under his belt, Stamkos has been able to tally 69 goals and 65 assists, totaling 134 points in two seasons. Despite Tampa Bay's overall lack of success the past couple of seasons, Stamkos has been able to score at a torrid pace, and is only getting better. At only 20 years of age, we can expect that Stamkos' best years are still ahead of him.

At 34 years of age, many would think that the offensive contributions of veteran Martin St. Louis would be in decine, however, he has silenced his critics for at least another year with an outstanding 90 points in 77 games. If St. Louis hopes to compete for the Stanley Cup with the Lightning again, he will need to continue to produce offense at a high rate for a least a couple more years.

Despite scoring 67 points in 77 games thus far, many have looked at this season as a failure for Vincent Lecavalier. Since breaking into the league as a rookie, this 29 year old centre has been the most important piece for his struggling franchise. Now with the emergence of Stamkos, it seems that Lecavalier's role with the team has diminished.

At a staggering $10,000,000 cap hit, and Stamkos becoming the teams number one centre, one wonders how long it will be before Lecavalier is seen as expendable. He is still a premier player, with the scoring ability and size that will entice a few teams if he becomes available, but his salary will be seen as a sticking point for other GM's.

Tampa Bay's offense has a couple other key players, like the impressive Steve Downie, who seems to have put his tumultuous past behind him scoring 46 points in 75 games since joining the Lightning. Ryan Malone has also put up another good season, collecting 44 points in 65 games.

THE DEFENSE
Tampa Bay's defense, like their offense, should be improved next season, especially as rookie Victor Hedman continues to develop his skills. This is, however, a group that could use some help in the offseason.

It is clear that Victor Hedman is seen as the future of the Lightning defense, but there are also some other pieces that have impressed this season. Curtis Foster, a twenty-nine year old in his first season with the Lightning, has been a pleasant surprise on the blueline. He has 38 points in 66 games with 40 PIMs and considering the only player on the roster with a + rating is Steve Downie, Foster's -5 isn't all that bad. The Lightning need him to repeat his success next season to move up in the standings.

Andrej Meszaros has been a failure this season for the Lightning, with only 14 points in 76 games and a -15, not many can defend his $3.5 million per season salary. Any improvement on his game for next season will be a positive for the team, as it would be tough for Meszaros to sink any lower.

Healthy seasons for Mathias Ohlund and Paul Ranger will also be important for the Bolts, as Ohlund has been a consistent defender for years, and Ranger has shown he can be a dominant presence in any game. If healthy, Ranger will need to duplicate the kind of season he had in 2007/2008, when he tallied 31 points in 72 games with 56penalty minutes.

THE GOALIES
Ever since the departure of Nikolai Khabibulin, following Tampa's Stanley Cup win in 2004, the Lightning have had a tough time finding stability in their crease. There is a glimmer of hope for the future now with Antero Niittymaki and Mike Smith filling out the goaltending duties.

With improved team defense, Niittymaki has shown he can help carry his team to a win. So far this season, Niittymaki sports a 20-18-5 record, with a 2.80 GAA and a .910 save percentage. These are pretty decent numbers considering the way his team has played in front of him for the majority of the season.

Mike Smith on the other hand, as also shown flashes of brilliance, but injury and inconsistency have been the major hinderance to his stats. As this team continues to improve, however, this might be a goaltending tandem that has potential for the Lightning.

THE SCOOP
This is a team that has somewhat underachieved this season. With a core of Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis, Downie, Malone, Hedman, Ranger, and Niittymaki there is reason to believe that this team could compete for a playoff spot next season. Now that the ownership issue is being resolved, playing hockey can once again be the main focus for this team.

The team as whole must improve if it intends to fight for the Stanley Cup next season. However, focus should be placed on strengthening team defense and goaltending. Head coach Rick Tocchet has his work cut out for him, but he does have some important assets looking ahead.