2019-20 Lightning Bold Predictions

The Tampa Bay Lightning were the best regular season team last season, but they failed to get past the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the postseason. The reason for the early postseason exit was overconfidence by the players. It looked as though the team thought they would be able to roll over the Blue Jackets, but that didn’t happen because the Blue Jackets just outplayed the Lightning.

The Lightning didn’t have many holes to fill in the offseason because of the solid roster and lack of cap space. The team traded Ryan Callahan and J.T. Miller to clear some cap space. The Bolts’ management team re-signed key restricted free agents, while adding some cheap veteran help. Kevin Shattenkirk was bought out by the New York Rangers and signed a cap-friendly deal with the Lightning. The two big deals of the summer were getting Brayden Point under contract for the season and extending goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy into the future. 

Here are five bold predictions for the Lightning for the 2019-20 season:

1) Andrei Vasilevskiy Struggles

In the offseason, the Lightning signed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to a new eight-year contract worth $76 million. The contract comes with a hefty $9.5 million cap hit per season. The new contract won’t kick in until the 2020-21 season since the goalie was already under contract through the 2019-20 season. Vasilevskiy will have high expectations on him because of the size of his new contract. The Lightning could have also made the move now because of the lack of goalie depth in the organization.

If Vasilevskiy folds under pressure this season, he won’t play as many games. The fact that he will already play fewer games since the Lightning signed Curtis McElhinney in the offseason is going to affect his game. Vasilevskiy likes to see a lot of action and pucks on net during the course of a game. The more action Vasilevskiy sees, the better that he is during the course of a game and season. Vasilevskiy’s numbers will take a dive because of the lack of action during the season.

2) Kevin Shattenkirk Proves His Worth

The Bolts’ blue line is crowded with eight defensemen currently on the roster after the team waived Luke Schenn. Shattenkirk was bought out in the offseason so he has a lot to prove to himself and other teams around the League that he can still play. He will be playing with a chip on his shoulder and looking for a new contract starting in the 2020-21 season. 

Shattenkirk will work his way into regular minutes on the bottom pair this season. The defenseman will play a solid game in his own zone and make smart plays with the puck. Shattenkirk isn’t the most offensively gifted defenseman, but he does have a solid point shot. If he can get his point shot through with traffic in front of the goalie then he will get some points. Shattenkirk won’t only be playing for a shot at another Stanley Cup, but a chance to prove that he can still play the game that he loves.

3) Mikhail Sergachev Breaks Out

I feel like I’ve been saying this for the past few seasons, but it just never happens with Mikhail Sergachev. This season he’ll be playing with a lot of veterans, and could be on the third pairing. If he is on the third pairing, it could take a lot of pressure off of him to produce this season. He has the offensive ability to get some points and they will come this season. Sergachev is only 21 years old so he has time to develop into an all-around defenseman. 

If Sergachev gets paired with a defensive-minded defenseman then he could have more offensive freedom, and just play his game. Sergachev can skate and move the puck up the ice. He will eliminate some of those unnecessary turnovers in his own zone and neutral zone as the season goes on. Sergachev reads the play well in both zones so that will help him get some points and find the open man. The defenseman will be smarter with the puck and not as aggressive without it.

4) Yanni Gourde Scores 35 Goals

Yanni Gourde hit a bit of a sophomore slump last season as his numbers took a dip. In 80 games, he had 22 goals, 26 points and 48 points. He had three less goals, 13 less assists and 16 less points than his rookie season. His ice time also took a little bit of a dip, but he will rebound in his third full season. The 27-year-old has the tools to get 35 goals this season and at times he could be playing with elite talent like Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos or even Tyler Johnson. 

Gourde can be feisty and likes to initiate contact so he can be in on the forecheck and win some board battles. Another way he can get to 35 goals is by standing in front of the goalie looking for deflections or rebound chances. The biggest reason that Gourde will be able to get 35 goals this season is his speed. He can carry the puck into the zone making the defender back up and create his own space. The forward is versatile so he can be moved up and down the lineup depending on injuries and he will get some power play time. He has good hockey sense so that will help him get to 35 goals this season too.

5) Early Postseason Exit

The Lightning will suffer yet another early playoff exit this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy won’t get as much work in during the season since the team has a reliable back up in Curtis McElhinney. Vasilevskiy likes to see a lot of action and will not be sharp because of the decrease in game action. The goalie will let in soft goals and will be slow getting to pucks that he normally would be able to get. The Lightning are going to make mistakes that will cost them goals this season too.

The Lightning won’t get as much scoring depth and will have to rely on the top line to produce. Teams will try to follow the Blue Jackets’ model from the postseason and just outwork them to wear the Bolts down. The Lightning will be a hungrier team come postseason this year, but it just won’t be enough for the team to make it out of the second round.