Tampa Bay Lightning bold predictions for 2024-25 NHL season

The Tampa Bay Lightning dominated the NHL in the early 2020s, reaching and winning two Stanley Cups in a row between 2020-22. Since then, the Bolts have experienced disappointment, falling in the first round of two successive Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Two years ago, the Lightning let the Toronto Maple Leafs win their first (and only) series in 20 years. A few months ago, they lost to the Florida Panthers, who won their first championship in 2024.

The Atlantic Division is a challenge, and moving past the first two rounds will be difficult. The Leafs, Panthers, Boston Bruins, and others are all competing and eager to end postseason streaks.

Since captain Steven Stamkos joined the Nashville Predators and top pairing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was traded to the Utah Hockey Club, Tampa Bay looks different from last year. General manager Julien BriseBois filled those vulnerabilities by signing Big Free Agency fish Jake Guentzel and adding depth.

Will it be enough to get a new Bolts team to the 2024-25 and beyond championships? Only time will tell, but at first view, this still appears like an outstanding club. Here are some bold Lightning predictions for the next NHL season.

Stamkos virtually usually centered the second line when he was on the Lightning’s roster, allowing the organization to roll out two top lines. But there were times when, along with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, he helped to form one of the league’s greatest lines.

As Guentzel is a left winger, it’s fairly inevitable that he will instantly go onto the top line with Point as the anchor and Kucherov at RW.

And that is as excellent a line as you will see in the National. Kucherov just put up an extremely amazing 44 goals and 144 points, which still wasn’t good enough to beat Nathan MacKinnon for the Hart Trophy. MacKinnon was incredibly deserving, but goes to illustrate just how skilled the best players in the world are.

And Point was no slouch either, amassing 46 goals and 90 points of his own. Adding Guentzel, who himself scored 77 points in 67 regular-season outings, Tampa Bay’s top line is an absolute beast. Guentzel is roughly five years younger than Stamkos, and probably has a bit more in the tank at this point in his career.

All that to say, the great core should enable the Bolts achieve a top three berth in the Atlantic Division, which wasn’t the case in 2023-24.

Tampa finished four points back of the Leafs, earning them a difficult Round 1 matchup with the Panthers. If that line can mesh well together, expect the Bolts to be fighting for a top spot in the division all season long. And that will be especially true if star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy can bounce back in 2024-25.

There was a moment not too long ago when Vasilevskiy was the indisputable top goaltender in the NHL. That distinction now definitely goes to another Russian in Igor Shesterkin, especially since Vasi had the worst regular-season of his career.

Coming off back surgery, the 30-year-old managed just a 2.90 goals-against average and .900 save percentage, both career worsts. That is saying a ton about a goaltender who has been consistently good, but his play obviously affected the squad.

He also struggled in the postseason, earning a poor 3.22 GAA and .897 SV%. That is a troubling pattern, since in the 2023 postseason versus the Leafs he was much worse, with a 3.56 and .875, respectively.

But with a complete offseason of training this summer and provided he is 100 percent healthy heading into training camp, predict that Vasilevskiy will bounce back and improve on those numbers in 2024-25.

If he can, the Lightning should again be vying for a top berth in the Eastern Conference, rather than settling for a wildcard slot.