The 2013-14 season was full of ups and downs for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts returned to the playoffs with an impressive second place finish in the Atlantic Division, but bowed out early in the playoffs after starting goaltender Ben Bishop was injured against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Lightning found a goaltender to build their franchise around in Bishop, who turned a question mark into a possible Vezina Trophy. The Lightning were a juggernaut offensively, but struggled to keep pucks out of the net. The acquisition of Bishop, late in the 2012-13 season has paid off with the giant backstop stepping into the starter’s role.
The Lightning certainly faced their share of adversity when star sniper Steven Stamkos went down with a gruesome broken leg in November. In spite of their leading scorer going down, Tampa had two young stars step up. Calder Trophy nominees Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat helped carry the burden while Stamkos recovered, and showed why the Lightning will be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
With the offseason in full swing, Tampa will look to reload rather than rebuild. The youth make up the core of the team and will look to free agency to supplement the roster. Here are five things the Lightning need headed into the 2014-15 season.
1.Good health
It seems a tad obvious to suggest, “staying healthy”. However, a glance at this team and the assumption that all will arrive in training camp in good health means that the Lightning will be pushing the Bruins at the top of the Eastern Conference.
2.Keep building the defense
With the collection of young forwards in the lineup, general manager Steve Yzerman needs to turn his attention to the blue line. With veterans Matt Carle, Mattias Ohlund and Eric Brewer all over 30 at the start of the season, the Lightning might be able to get another year out of their aging defense before they become a liability.
3. Don’t break the bank on Callahan
Don’t get me wrong. I think that Ryan Callahan brings a lot to the table, however, considering the money that he is asking for, the Lightning can get better value if they let him walk. The free agent market isn’t exactly bubbling over with talent, so Callahan might get paid, but with his history of injuries and style of play, Tampa will be better served by looking elsewhere.
4. Let Jonathan Drouin ripen
As a player and then an executive in Detroit, Yzerman had a front row seat to the Red Wing’s model of letting young players “ripen” either with an extra year in juniors or a season in the AHL. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a rite of passage for Yzerman’s new club, but there is certainly legitimacy and a proven record of success to this process. The number three overall pick in the 2013 draft looks like he will be a part of the Lightning’s future, but if he isn’t NHL-ready by training camp, let him start the season in Norfolk.
5. Don’t get suckered in for a trade
There are a ton of names floating around in the trade rumor world and Tampa needs to collectively put on their Beats by Dre (shameless plug) and ignore the phone until September. There will be great temptation to move some youth for a big name here or there, but Tampa is best served sticking with their roster and growing into a perennial contender.