The 2019-20 NHL Champion Tampa Bay Lightning return to the ice tonight in what is opening night for the 2021 NHL season. Just 107 days ago the Bolts lifted lord Stanley’s Cup after spending two months in the NHL bubble.
The Offense
Tonight, the road to repeat starts against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the road to repeat will take place without their best player. Nikita Kucherov, who has scored 30+ goals in five straight seasons, had offseason hip surgery and will miss the entire regular season. However, there is a chance the Bolts could get him back in the playoffs.
However, with the loss of one great player, the return of another. The Lightning captain, Steven Stamkos, who last played a regular season game February 25th of 2020, missed seven months recovering from multiple injuries. Stamkos returned for game three of the Stanley Cup final, playing just under three minutes and scoring one of the most iconic goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history.
During training camp Stamkos appeared to be 100% healthy, and he will need to return to his superstar form if the Lightning want any chance to repeat.
Stamkos will help pick up the incredible production that will be missed by Kucherov, but two key players the Lightning need to offset missing Kucherov are Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli.
Brayden Point
Brayden Point comes into the season as one of the most underrated players in the league. For much of his career he has been overshadowed by the star power of the Lightning. However, without Kucherov, Point might just be the best player on the ice for the Lightning.
In his first four seasons, Point has scored 116 goals, and added 146 assists in only 295 games. His best year as a professional came in the 2018-19 season when he scored 41 goals and 51 assists in 79 games. Point has the chance this season to put the league on notice and take the step from one of the best players on his team, to one of the best players in the league.
Anthony Cirelli
Along with Point, Anthony Cirelli will be a major component for the Bolts this season. Cirelli resigned a three-year, 14.4 million-dollar contract with the Bolts in the offseason, and although he deserved the extension, he needs to prove himself this season.
In three seasons, Cirelli has racked up 94 points in 168 career games. However, in those three seasons, Cirelli has never had a 20-goal season. Although he was on his way after scoring 16 goals in 68 games last season, the Lightning will need major production from Anthony this season.
I believe Cirelli holds the key to much of the success for the Lightning this season. If he can take the next step in his career and be a major contributor on the offensive side of the ice, missing Kucherov won’t be as noticeable for the Bolts.
The Defense
On the defensive side, the Lightning return a top-three defender in the league in Victor Hedman, as well as veteran Ryan McDonagh, and rising star Mikhail Sergachev, who resigned with the Bolts in the offseason for three years, and 14.4 million dollars.
The Lightning will lose three defenders from the championship run including Braydon Coburn, who was traded to Ottawa with forward Cedric Paquette, Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed with the Anaheim Ducks in the offseason, and Zach Bogosian, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason.
The Bolts will need young defenders Erik Cernak, Callen Foote and veteran Jan Rutta to excel their play if the Bolts want to repeat this season.
In The Net
You can’t talk about the Tampa Bay Lightning with talking about “The Big Cat” Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy, undoubtedly a top-three goalie in the NHL, will look to continue his dominance in the crease. Racking up 35+ wins in each of the last three seasons, the 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner likely be in a two-horse race with Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck to win the award again.
However, keeping Vasy healthy is a key for the Bolts. Curtis McElhiney will once again back up Vasy this season. The 37-year-old will be going into his 16th season in the NHL, and although the drop off from Vasilevskiy to anyone would be massive, McElhiney has only won eight of 18 stars last season.
The Lightning start their championship defense tonight, the puck drops at 8 p.m. at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
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