2025-26 Puck Drop Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2024-25 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2024-25 Tampa Bay Lightning.

2025-2026 Tampa Bay Lightning

2024-25 Season

The Bolts finished third in the Atlantic Division last season and, as usual, made the playoffs. Because let’s face it: what’s spring hockey without Tampa, besides melted ice. Sure, the postseason didn’t end with another parade down Bayshore Boulevard, but with all the miles this core has put on the odometer, they’ve earned a pit stop or two. Nikita Kucherov casually dropped 121 points. Brayden Point notched 42 goals and though Andrei Vasilevskiy sometimes looked like he was ready for Early Bird at Sizzler, he continued to make saves that should probably be illegal.

Puck Drop Previews:

2024- 2025 Off-Season

The offseason wasn’t as dramatic as some in Lightning history (no blockbuster trades, but there was “did our crosstown rival just win another Cup?” hangover), but there were moves to keep the machine humming. Julien BriseBois did some cap gymnastics again, adding depth pieces while keeping the stars in place. He signed Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves to contract extensions to protect scoring depth. He then signed Forwards Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier and still has remaining cap space: $1,180,001.

Projected Lineup

Forwards

Guentzel – Point – Kucherov

Hagel– Cirelli – Goncalves

Girgenons – Gorde – Chaffee

Top Six

Good luck to any defense trying to handle both Kucherov’s wizardry and Point’s speed on the same line. They remain as one of the league’s most dangerous line and Point can easily add to his 42 goals from last year. By any division comparisons, the second unit isn’t bad either Hagel’s bagels and Cirelli’s two-way chops are more than enough to put points on the board while the top line rests their ice skates. Cirelli shows all signs of increasing his 27 goal output from the 24-25 campaign.

Bottom Six

Built Lightning-tough: sandpaper, forecheckers, and the occasional surprise goal that makes you check the roster sheet to see who just scored. Gorde still throws checks like they personally offended him, but he will be expected to have a better goal output exceeding last year’s 7, which is not as much a winner as a dice roll in Vegas. Nick Paul is legally required to score in every elimination game, but more will be expected from his stick as well.

Defence

Top Four

Hedman – Moser

Cernak– McDonagh

Hedman and Moser might just be the NHL’s version of a buddy-cop duo—Hedman brings the veteran swagger and smooth play-making while Moser adds the youthful hustle and a knack for cleaning up the mess. Hedman will continue to anchor the blue line like a guy who’s seen it all, while Moser is the eager sidekick who will make sure the getaway car actually starts. Together, they will continue to give the Lightning a mix of grit and flair that opponents would probably rather not deal with on a nightly basis.

Bottom Pair

Raddysh – Lilleberg

Raddysh–Lilleberg have quickly established themselves as a tight defensive pairing, combining steady positioning with just enough edge to frustrate opponents’ top lines. Emil Lilleberg brings a strong shutdown presence and calm puck management, while Darren Raddysh adds mobility and offensive instincts to jumpstart the transition game. Together, they give Tampa Bay a reliable, well-balanced duo that can eat heavy minutes without sacrificing stability.

Goalies

• Andrei Vasilevskiy

• Jonas Johansson

The Big Cat is still the gold standard. If he’s locked in, Tampa can beat anyone, anywhere. Last year was less than his best, so he may be starting to have to find the Fountain of Youth on the other side of Florida if they will continue to threaten for the Cup. Johansson is a capable backup—just don’t ask him to replicate Vasy’s playoff heroics unless you want a comedy sketch.

Puck Drop Previews:

Players to Watch

Nikita Kucherov

Every year the question is the same: can he do it again? And every year the answer is, “Oh, he just did.” Don’t overthink it—he’s one of the most gifted offensive players of this generation. But entering his twelfth season. Game 804 on opening day will give us some insight into answering many questions.

Victor Hedman

This is the season that may be trending downward. Sixteen campaigns is more than most politicians run. And Hedman’s has gotten more done than most of them. Again, he’s already great, but the Lightning will be still looking for him to play like the guy on the blue line.

Prediction for the 2024-25 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are still the Lightning. Kucherov, Point and Hedman aren’t fading just yet, and Vasilevskiy is still an unfair advantage in net. The Atlantic is tough, but Tampa should once again finish near the top and waltz into the playoffs.

Will they win another Cup? Puck Drop Previews thinks that depends on health, depth scoring, and whether the hockey gods are in the mood to grant us a fourth parade in fifteen years. And then there’s those RATS! Let’s hope they stay in Sunrise. But if you’re betting against Tampa making the playoffs, you might as well set your money on fire.

At minimum: they’ll be there in April. At maximum: see you on the Riverwalk in June.