The calendar has flipped to 2025, and the Tampa Bay Lightning look to build upon their strong 2024 half of the slate. Like with everyone else, a new year comes with some New Year’s resolutions. The Lightning are no different and could use a few as well.
With the entire 2025 half of the schedule in front of them, here are three New Year’s resolutions for a better Lightning team. These resolutions will help them succeed in the now and prepare them for further runs in the future.
Continue to Pace Andrei Vasilevskiy
January is going to be a tough month. There is a 16-game marathon that includes a West Coast trip and multiple matchups against key playoff contenders. It could be tempting to maximize star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to get ahead and pick up some statement wins.
However, this could be a mistake. Vasilevskiy was overused after his return from last season and the results were ugly at times. He would go through hot streaks and then get smoked by the competition. Keeping him fresh and opting for backup Jonas Johansson for a good chunk of this schedule will keep Vasilevskiy at his peak performance.
It helps that Jonas Johansson has played well as of late. In his last four games, he’s posted a .944 save percentage (SV%). Every game of this stretch has seen his best performance in a game he has started this season. Before that, his best game saw him finish with a .857 SV% on the night.
No one knows how much longer Johansson will keep this up. It could be this is the new norm or he’ll slowly slip back into a cold spell. The Lightning have to keep faith in the former for now. Don’t let him sit until he gets rusty. To succeed in this stretch, head coach Jon Cooper needs to strategize when he picks which goalie to put between the pipes.
Be Aggressive (But Smart) at the Trade Deadline
The Lightning have developed an interesting history of activity at the trade deadline. Some of their deadlines are still benefiting them to this day, such as when they acquired forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul at the 2022 Deadline. Hagel is a rising star in the league and Paul continues to be a key contributor.
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Then there are ones that live in total infamy, like when they threw the kitchen sink at Tanner Jeannot the following season. Jeannot, at best, is a bottom-six enforcer and he’s already been traded away to salvage a couple draft picks – albeit fewer assets than they originally gave up.
This Lightning team is in the right position to make upgrades at the deadline. The defense is much stronger, goaltending is healthier and key forwards like Anthony Cirelli are experiencing breakout seasons.
A similar deadline to last season – where they acquired forward Anthony Duclair and defenseman Matt Dumba – would be good again this season. Not necessarily the same level of player at each position – Duclair worked out very well, but Dumba not so much – but once again getting sufficient depth at the right price.
The Lightning used to ship off first-round picks for bottom-six depth. That era needs to be over. Duclair came over for a third-round pick and defenseman prospect Jack Thompson. That type of trade works because they only shipped off one mid-round pick and a prospect with upside who wasn’t going to get much playing time with the team that traded him away.
Don’t be afraid to make that big deadline acquisition. Those have won Cups for this team. But be smart about it.
Give at Least One More Prospect Some NHL Playing Time
Conor Geekie has had a respectable start to his NHL career with five goals and five assists for 10 points in 33 games. Two of those goals have been game-winners. The 2022 first-round pick might take a leap forward before the end of the year as he continues to get the work and experience in. They might as well see if any more of the future can make an impact now.
A strong candidate to try out is 2021 fourth-round pick Dylan Duke, who is now with the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch after signing his entry-level deal in April. In 30 AHL games, he has 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points.
Another option could be 2021 seventh-round pick Niko Huuhtanen, who has been in the AHL in Syracuse since he signed his entry-level deal in May. In 27 AHL games, he has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points.
Neither have numbers that are lighting up the AHL right now, but they’re showing they can be impact players at that level. It would be good to see if either of the 21-year-old forwards is ready to test the waters of the NHL. Plus, these young players will get valuable experience for when they become the core of this team down the road.
The Lightning can pick and choose which resolutions they wish to follow. Most people only have one, so no fault in making a choice. However, having a checklist of multiple resolutions makes for a more complete step forward in the new year. There is nothing here that isn’t off-brand for them either. The success of Vasilevskiy is a given at this point. He’s won a Vezina, a Conn Smythe and two Stanley Cups. However, they also play the trade market well and love to capitalize on mid- to late-round picks. These resolutions stay within their philosophy but will help fine-tune it further.
