A look at the Tampa Bay Lightning top 10 prospects heading into the 2015-16 season.
Since joining the Lightning as GM, Steve Yzerman has done an excellent job guiding this franchise. Using his former team the Detroit Red Wings as a model, Yzerman has placed an emphasis on scouting, drafting and developing talent.
The NHL roster is loaded with impact players under 25 and despite that accomplishment, there are plenty of quality and depth still remaining in the organization. Tampa made a return to the Stanley Cup finals last year and look poised to be just beginning a long run of playoff appearances and Stanley Cup contentions.
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy: Goalie – 6’3” / 207 lbs
Drafted: 19th overall in the first round of the 2012 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
Coming in at 6’3″ tall, Vasilevskiy has the ideal height and size that NHL teams are looking for more and more in goaltenders today. He is big and takes up a lot of space. When he gets out on his angles he doesn’t leave shooters with a whole lot of net to look at. As evidenced by his performance in the finals Vasilevskiy is mature beyond his years, and this helps him maintain a cool and calm composure in the net.Vasilevskiy has quick and agile legs that cover the bottom of the net. He is very hard to beat down low. He also has an effective glove hand, something that more and more European goalies are learning to develop in recent years. Vasilevskiy is very good in his lateral movement, he gets side to side in his crease quickly and doesn’t overcommit to cross-ice passes. – Last Word on Sports
2. Anthony DeAngelo: Defence – 5’11” / 175 lbs
Drafted: 19th overall in the first round of the 2014 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
An excellent skater with good straight ahead speed, he is extremely tough to beat in races for loose pucks. DeAngelo possesses great patience and vision with the puck along with a quick release on a good wrist shot. With his skill set, there is every reason to believe that he will quarterback a power play at the NHL level. – Hockey Prospectus
3. Slater Koekkoek: Defence – 6’2” / 184 lbs
Drafted: tenth overall in the first round of the 2012 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
We’re pretty happy with as an organization. He really needed to improve on his down-low defending game and he’s made a lot of strides in that area. He’s got a great plus/minus; he’s a guy that we count on the penalty kill and in late-game situations. His speed allows him to do a lot of things defensively, not just offensively. – Syraccuse Head Coach Rob Zettler, NHL.com
4. Adam Erne: Left Wing – 6’1” / 210 lbs
Drafted: 33rd overall in the second round of the 2013 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
He is a prototypical power forward who hits hard and is a handful to deal with down low in the offensive zone. A good skater with solid speed that he uses to his advantage on the rush. He is also a very good stickhandler and is quite comfortable skating up ice with the puck on his stick. His conditioning must improve and the next step for him is to prove he can put up numbers at the pro level. – Hockey Prospectus
5. Mitchell Stephens: Centre – 5’11 / 188 lbs
Drafted: 33rd overall in the second round of the 2015 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
2015 draft pick Mitchell Stephens is a very mature all-around player who brings a lot of grit and leadership ability to a team. He is a great passer and protects the puck well using good positioning. He has great speed and it will be interesting to see how much he produces offensively this season in the OHL in his third season with Saginaw. – Hockey Prospectus
6. Brayden Point: Centre – 5’10” / 160 lbs
Drafted: 79th overall in the third round of the 2014 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
elusive, intelligent puck carrier who sees the ice well and offers elite playmaking skills .. equally effective at shifting laterally with the puck from the boards into the high slot, then finding open teammates sense the game well – knows when to pass and when to unload a hard, often-screened slapshot that can stymie goalies .. non-stop motor and great anticipatory skills make him a quality two-way junior center .. not the faster skater in a straight line, but great on his edges, and able to handle the puck in top gear .. needs to add some muscle for the pro game .. tough roster to crack, but top-three center potential. – McKeens Hockey
7. Matthew Peca: Centre – 5’8” / 155 lbs
Drafted: 201st overall in the seventh round of the 2011 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
Peca is an extremely good skater, with very good speed, quick acceleration and the ability to change gears that fools opponents off the rush. He’s well balanced on his skates and is not afraid to battle in corners or in front of the net despite his size. He will however need to add some more muscle to be more effective in playing that type of game at the pro level. Peca is more of a playmaker than a scorer. He has strong puck handling skills and shows poise with it on his stick. He has good vision and passing skills helping him to rack up assists at the NCAA level. He can create plays off the rush with his speed, or in the cycle game as he does good work down low as well. Peca’s shot is accurate and features a quick release, but he could stand to add a bit more muscle and power. Peca has a well refined two-way game. Throughout his college career, he was an important two way player for the Bobcats, who played against other team’s top lines and was featured on the team’s penalty kill. While he can sometimes be overpowered by bigger and stronger opponents, Peca is relentless on the backcheck and never stops battling.- Last Word on Sports
8. Dominik Masin: Defence – 6’2” / 189 lbs
Drafted: 35th overall in the second round of the 2014 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
Masin has good size and mobility like Koekkoek and Spencer, with offensive upside that lies somewhere between the two, although much closer to Spencer’s than Koekkoek’s. With that said, the thing that sets the Czech-born blueliner apart from his two contemporaries is a zeal for the physical game that at times. – Bolts Prospects
9. Matt Spencer: Defence – 6’2” / 203 lbs
Drafted: 44th overall in the second round of the 2014 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
The 18-year-old will not wow you with any of his individual skills, but the sum of his parts should lead to a successful professional career. Not a great skater, but does have good enough mobility and makes a very good first pass out of the zone. He needs to fill out a bit in order to become a more physical defender at the pro level. – Hockey Prospectus
10. Kristers Gudlevskis: Goalie – 6’4” / 190 lbs
Drafted: 124th overall in the fifth round of the 201 draft by Tampa
Scouting Report:
Gudlevskis continues to refine the technical and tactical aspects of his game but is a large, lanky goalie who fills the net well and uses his size to advantage. He is an athletic goaltender who can sometimes use his physical tools to compensate for mistakes. He needs more consistency as he faces higher quality scorers capable of exploiting any lapses. He is a well-conditioned athlete and has the stamina to handle a big workload though he appeared fatigued at the end of the long season. – Hockeys Future
Honorable Mention: Yan Dennis, Anthony Cireelli, Dylan Blujus, Jonathan MacLeod, Nikita Nesterov, Henri Ikonen, Adam Wilcox.
Recent Roster Graduates: Jonathan Drouin, Vladislav Namestnikov, Cedric Paquette, Nikita Nesterov
Players under 25 years old and with less than 25 career NHL games played qualify as a prospect for purpose of this list.
Written by Peter Harling, who can be found on twitter @pharling
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Anthony DeAngelo
Slater Koekkoek
Adam Erne
Mitchell Stephens
Brayden Point
Matthew Peca
Dominik Masin
Matt Spencer
Kristers Gudlevskis