Speculation: 2024-2025 Tampa Bay Lightning predictions

[Point21]

With opening night just under 2 weeks away. What are some of your predictions for the season?
What is your biggest "Hot Take"?
Where do we finish in the standings?
Playoffs? if so how far do we go?
Do we make a splash at the deadline now that we can accrue cap space?
Opening night roster?
Late season call ups?

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[Peacefool]

With opening night just under 2 weeks away. What are some of your predictions for the season?
What is your biggest "Hot Take"?
Where do we finish in the standings?
Playoffs? if so how far do we go?
Do we make a splash at the deadline now that we can accrue cap space?
Opening night roster?
Late season call ups?

We will make PO. Kuch gonna be Kuch, Healthy Vasy is OP. I really hope Atkinson wont be Sheary vol.2 and will be influantial at score board, I hope Sheary wont be Sheary vol.1 and will score at least 40 points. Really hope some of young guys will make a team and will do it like Point Cirelli or at least Colton.
I think this season will be more optimistical than previous one. Go Bolts!

 

[Todd1a]

With opening night just under 2 weeks away. What are some of your predictions for the season?
What is your biggest "Hot Take"?
Where do we finish in the standings?
Playoffs? if so how far do we go?
Do we make a splash at the deadline now that we can accrue cap space?
Opening night roster?
Late season call ups?

I’d say playoffs, at some point geekie gets called up , JBB trades for at least 1 good forward at the trade deadline. I’d say we finish 3rd in the Atlantic division.

 

[DFC]

With opening night just under 2 weeks away. What are some of your predictions for the season?
What is your biggest "Hot Take"?
Where do we finish in the standings?
Playoffs? if so how far do we go?
Do we make a splash at the deadline now that we can accrue cap space?
Opening night roster?
Late season call ups?

Hot Take: PP doesn't miss a beat without Stamkos.

2nd in the Atlantic, if Vasy is decent.

2nd round exit.

No splash at the deadline.

 

[JoVel]

Hot Take: PP doesn't miss a beat without Stamkos.

2nd in the Atlantic, if Vasy is decent.

2nd round exit.

No splash at the deadline.

I wouldn't go as far as saying doesn't miss a beat, but as long as we have Kucherov our PP will be good. Sure it might drop from top 3 to top 5 or something.

Since Stamkos has actually been mostly healthy ever since we've ran this same power play configuration with these four players, the 2020 playoffs are really the only relevant sample size to use as a reference for what we could expect this season. In 2019-2020 our PP% went from 23,1 in the regular season to 22,7 in the playoffs.

 

[Rschmitz]

All three of our top line forwards score 50 goals

Atkinson scores 20g

Raddysh hits 60 points

Vasy looks like a HOFer again

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Not having a legitimate NHL backup goalie comes back to hurt the team in one or more of the following ways:
Overworked/played Vasi, not good for grind of playiffs
Low number of points won by backup, especially compared to playoff teams
Season over if Vasi gets injured
Overpay (either in terms of contract, trade, etc) for a legit backup.


The team has no real prospects in net, and only three goalies signed to NHL contracts. This is a bad situation that could turn terrible real quick.

 

[These Are The Days]

My only hot take is that last year may have been the most frustrated I have been as a Lightning fan since seeing Dan Boyle run out of town and I desperately want to be wrong about the concerns I have with our team now

 

[Master P]

Not having a legitimate NHL backup goalie comes back to hurt the team in one or more of the following ways:
Overworked/played Vasi, not good for grind of playiffs
Low number of points won by backup, especially compared to playoff teams
Season over if Vasi gets injured
Overpay (either in terms of contract, trade, etc) for a legit backup.


The team has no real prospects in net, and only three goalies signed to NHL contracts. This is a bad situation that could turn terrible real quick.

If JBB could work out a deal for a back up while also packaging Sheary in the trade I'd be over the moon.

 

[Rschmitz]

I’m not concerned at all about our backup situation. As frustrating as it will be to watch the softies go in the team in front will more than compensate for it

 

[StammerHammer]

They easily make the playoffs.
Vasy returns to form with a better defense.
Hot take:Kuch will be very good.

 

[Point21]

NHL.com released the team preview and what the lineup should look like... that 3rd line is beyond bad
Lightning season preview: Entering new era with Guentzel | NHL.com

 

[OffBy1]

I have no hot takes, only my stale takes - our window closed two years ago and, despite JBB's efforts, we're playing out the string until the rebuild happens.

Guenztal is an improvement over Stammer, but we had both Stammer and Duclair in the top six for playoffs last year and went down 0-3. So unless we get another Duclair-like rental at the trade deadline, we'll be a little worse than last year's post season top six.

The second line has a hole at RW. Atkinson, the current projected starter, was scratched multiple times for Philly last year.

The third line needs wingers for Paul. We need Sheary to be good enough where Cooper actually feels compelled to not scratch him, and Eyssimont or Chaffee or Brown or someone from the farm to emerge as another third line level player. Last year our bottom six was Paul and five fourth liners, with Eyssimont being the best, scoring 11 goals. I'm hoping Chaffee emerges, but he looked ineffective in the playoffs against Florida in that spot.

Our blueline looks improved, assuming Hedman and McDonagh don't decline and hold up for the whole year. I am excited to see what we have in Moser.

Our goaltending is another question - can Vasy return to consistently one of the best. I think he'll be better than he was last year, but not sure if he can regain his former level. I'm leaning toward yes.

Guessing where we'll end up with all that said, I see us potentially getting to the second round this year if things go our way.

 

[Gurglesons]

If Guentzel stays healthy I think he hits 50 goals with you guys.

That top line is legitimately going to be the best line in the league if they can all stay healthy.

 

[The Gongshow]

We're severely lacking a top 6 winger, but if Kuch hard carries like usual and healthy Vasy returns to form we'll be okay.

The goal would be to grab a legit winger at the TDL, problem is we don't have assets for one. The hope is Geekie can get there but that's a few years off.

I don't think Arkinson will do much for us, but, I'd love to be proved wrong