Over the past several seasons, general manager Steve Yzerman has quickly established one of the NHL's most formidable and reliable prospect pipelines in Tampa Bay. Like a well-oiled machine, the Lightning's roster has been consistently refreshed by blue-chip prospects that, upon their graduation to the NHL, are almost immediately replaced in the minors by the next generation of top-ranked talent.
Last season, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson finished the 2013-14 regular season with the second- and third-most votes respectively in Calder Trophy voting, an award given annually NHL's top rookie. Meanwhile, fellow rookies J.T. Brown, Nikita Kucherov and Radko Gudas also made an immediate impact on a Lightning team that finished with the third-highest point total in the Eastern Conference.
Entering this season, the Lightning are in possession of possibly both the NHL's best forward and goaltending prospects in left winger Jonathan Drouin and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Though both Johnson and Palat's rookie success came as a great surprise, Drouin's play throughout the upcoming season will be carefully dissected as he looks to become the first Calder Trophy winner in Lightning history.
Here's a look at the Lightning's top 10 prospects, according to FOXSportsFlorida.com's Jameson Olive.
1. LW JONATHAN DROUIN
Sent back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after being selected third overall in the 2013 draft, Drouin, 19, once again lit up the competition for his second straight 100-point season with the Halifax Mooseheads. He amassed 29 goals, 79 assists and a plus-50 rating in just 46 games in 2013-14. And although the Moosheads were unable to repeat as Memorial Cup champions, the blame cannot be placed on Drouin, who averaged a staggering 2.5 points per game over 16 playoff games. Standing just 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, Drouin's first-class skill and offensive ingenuity should be enough to quell concerns over his size as he begins his rookie campaign.
2. G ANDREI VASILEVSKIY
Entering his first season in the American Hockey League, Vasilevskiy, 20, has already compiled an impressive amount of hardware. He was named the Konitental Hockey League's rookie of the year in 2014 and helped Russia take home medals at both the IIHF World Junior Championships and IIHF World Championship. In 28 games for Salavat Yulaev of the KHL, Vasilevskiy posted a 14-8-5 record with a 2.21 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and three shutouts.
3. C VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOV
In his second professional season with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, Namestnikov, 21, finished with the 2013-14 regular season with the third-highest point total on the team. An undersized power forward at 5-foot-11, 171 pounds, Namestnikov notched 19 goals and 48 points in 56 games. Lauded for the vast improvements he made over the course of just one season, Namestnikov was called upon by the Lightning to join the team for four games during the 2013-14 regular season. He recorded no points while averaging 9:28 of ice time a game.
4. G KRISTERS GUDLEVSKIS
No Lightning prospect's stock rose faster than Gudlevskis during the 2013-14 season. Within a span of only a few months, the 22-year-old goaltender worked his way from the East Coast Hockey League all the way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he allowed just one goal on 17 shots in the Lightning's Game 4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, Gudlevskis became a household name among non-Lightning fans for his unforgettable 55-save performance during Latvia's 2-1 loss to Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Spending the majority of last season in the AHL, however, Gudlevskis posted an 18-11-4 record with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage with the Crunch.
5. D SLATER KOEKKOEK
Reaching the 60-game plateau for the first time since the 2010-11 season, a healthy Koekkoek finished last season with 15 goals, 38 assists and a plus-44 rating in 62 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Unfortunately for Koekkoek, however, his season ended with him needing shoulder surgery to have the labrum in his right shoulder repaired. Having already missed substantial time the previous two seasons due to multiple surgeries on his left shoulder, concerns over Koekkoek's health have begun to mount. While the 20-year-old defenseman is clearly oozing with raw talent, getting through his first professional season with a clean bill of health will be paramount as he prepares to take the ice for the Crunch.
6. LW ADAM ERNE
A 6-foot-1, 210-pound power forward with a knack for crashing the net, Erne's hard-nosed play and big hits earned him an entry-level contract with the Lightning in April. Joining the Crunch for the final eight games of the AHL's 2013-14 regular season, Erne recorded one goal, three assists and two penalty minutes. Prior to his promotion, he suited up in 48 games with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, recording 21 goals and 62 points along with 65 penalty minutes. He ranked second on the Remparts in points and was fourth in goals. Due to the 20-year-old minimum age requirement of the AHL, the 19-year-old Erne will likely return to the QMJHL for one more season before joining the Crunch as a full time player in 2015-16.
7. D ANTHONY DeANGELO
The leading scorer among OHL defensemen last season, the 5-11, 175-pound DeAngelo fell to the Lightning in the 2014 draft after concerns over character-related issues caused his stock to drop. Twice during the 2013-14 season, the Sarnia Sting defenseman was suspended for violating the league's harassment, abuse and diversity policy for using derogative slurs. Still just 18-years old, however, the Lightning believe that DeAngelo's maturity will soon catch up to his on-ice talent. An offensive-minded defenseman, DeAngelo notched 15 goals and 56 assists in 51 games for the Sting last season. It marked the second straight year that he led the OHL in assists at his position after dishing out 49 in 2012-13.
8. LW HENRI IKONEN
A Finnish-born forward, Ikonen, 20, has been steadily improving since coming to North America in 2012. Over his last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs, Ikonen compiled 47 goals, 47 assists and 79 penalty minutes in 105 regular-season OHL games. He finished last season second on the Frontenacs in points (70) and was tied for second in assists with 45. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound winger also played in seven games for Team Finland at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships, recording one goal and three points to help Finland capture a gold medal.
9. C CEDRIC PAQUETTE
Joining the Lightning for the final two games of the 2013-14 regular season, Paquette's versatile play earned him an important role on the team's post-season roster. In four playoff games with the Lightning, he recorded two assists and 16 penalty minutes while averaging 10:33 of ice time per game. Prior to his promotion, the 6-1, 198-pound Paquette notched 20 goals, 24 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 70 games for the Crunch.
10. G ADAM WILCOX
A sixth-round steal of the Lightning in 2011, Wilcox stepped into the spotlight during his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota after helping lead the Gophers to the NCAA championship game. Standing 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Wilcox posted a 26-6-6 record with a 1.97 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and four shutouts in 38 games last season. For his efforts, Wilcox, 21, was named the Big 10 Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year. He was also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey's best Division I player.
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
