The 20^th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer/fall. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Ondrej Palat, Ryan McDonagh, Jan Rutta

Incoming – Vladislav Namestnikov, Ian Cole, Haydn Fleury, Philippe Myers

Impact of Changes – When it comes to a team remaining basically the same over the offseason in terms of the makeup of its roster, none fit that bill potentially any more than the Tampa Bay Lightning. An organization that has been the definition of consistent over the past five or six seasons remained consistently quiet this summer – for the most part.

Aside from the clutch depth scoring provided by Ondrej Palat (now with the New Jersey Devils) and the steadying veteran presence of Ryan McDonagh (departed via trade to the Nashville Predators) and Jan Rutta (signed a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins) this Lightning group is returning basically the exact same crew. That's good news for fantasy owners, as this squad will once again be very much in the mix for the Eastern Conference crown with eyes on yet another deep Stanley Cup run.

Additions of Namestnikov up front and Cole and Myers on the backend should offset any potential loss from the departure of the aforementioned trio of veterans. With that said, expect more of the same from the likes of such fantasy studs as Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and arguably the top fantasy goalie option in Andrei Vasilevskiy.

If you're expecting a step back from the Bolts this season on any front, you might want to check yourself and think again. This team is still for real, fantasy or otherwise. 

Ready for Full Time – With two brand-new Cup banners hanging from the rafters at Amalie Arena, it really comes as no surprise that the talent pipeline in Tampa is running a bit dry on intriguing, impact-ready prospects. The Lightning's front office deserves a lot of credit for its ability to build and maintain a winner over the last handful of seasons, but that has cost the Bolts in the future talent department.

With that said, I really do not see any young players in this system making the jump next season, but definitely keep your eye on Tampa's most-recent first-round selection in Isaac Howard, who was selected with the second-last pick of this year's first round. Even though his size (5-10, 180 pounds) might get in the way of making an impact at the NHL level, he definitely possesses the elite skating ability and offensive upside to make him a player to watch in this system.

Fantasy Outlook – The fantasy value on this team clearly lies in the names I mentioned above, but there are also some very interesting options down the Lightning's lineup when it comes to filling out your fantasy roster.

Everyone's attention will be on the Hedmans, Points, and Kucherovs (among others) of the world, so make sure you don't sleep on some of the other talented names the Lightning employ. Such as former 20-plus goal man Brandon Hagel who is in line for a bounce-back performance, or even rugged D-man Mikhail Sergachev who is set to eat even more minutes and have increased opportunity to produce with McDonagh's departure.

The immediate fantasy outlook for the Tampa Bay Lightning continues to be a promising one. However, with the talent pool so shallow, this franchise could be in line for some serious regression come 2026. That is a long way out, so for now they remain an elite fantasy group and serious Eastern Conference threat.

Fantasy Grade – A- (last year was A)