With the new year approaching Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are entering 2025 as one of the NHL’s hottest teams. The month of December was a dominant one for Tampa Bay, with a record of 8-3-0 and a league-leading 48 goals in 11 games via Natural Stat Trick.
However, it’s been quite a year of hardship for Lightning fans following a first-round beating from their interstate rivals in April and the departure of their long-time captain in July. Despite the turmoil, Tampa Bay appears to have figured things out heading into 2025.
A rejuvenated Lightning group will look to reach new heights following back-to-back first-round exits and a dynamic change to the core. With that said, here are three bold predictions for the Lightning in 2025.
Lightning Reach Eastern Conference Final
The Lightning haven’t made a deep playoff run since their Stanley Cup Final loss to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Since then, Tampa Bay got bounced by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers in two first-round exits. This season is a different story in the Atlantic Division, as the Boston Bruins are in the middle of an identity change after firing Jim Montgomery, and the Panthers haven’t looked as dominant relative to last season due to their losses on the back end.
The only major threat standing in their way is Craig Berube’s Maple Leafs, who along with the Lightning have looked like the two best teams in the division this season. Another team to keep a close eye on is the Ottawa Senators, as they are surging behind newly acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark. Yet, the Lightning must find their way around Toronto. If head coach Jon Cooper can crack the Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay is bound for another deep playoff run.
Brayden Point Wins Rocket Richard Trophy
Despite missing six games for the Lightning, Brayden Point ranks just three goals behind Leon Draisaitl for the NHL lead to close 2024. With 23 goals in 30 games, Point is on an absolute tear again this season. He reached 51 goals in 2022-23 and followed that up with 46 last season. A part of Tampa Bay’s stacked top line, Point winning this award isn’t the most unrealistic outcome in the world.
Related: Lightning’s Brayden Point’s Elite Shooting Percentage Is Sustainable
However, Point will only be able to play up to 76 games on the season given he remains healthy for the remainder of the ride. But, if he ends up at the top of the league in goals after missing six games, that would make this prediction even more impressive. After all, Point continues to emerge as one of the NHL’s best goal-scoring threats over the past few seasons.
Anthony Cirelli Becomes of the NHL’s Best Centermen
A building block of the Lightning’s core for several seasons, Anthony Cirelli returned to the Tampa Bay area early this past summer to train with Nikita Kucherov. While Cirelli has always been known for his dominance in the defensive zone and faceoff circle, he turned to his talented teammate to improve his offensive game.
Kucherov appears to have done the trick because Cirelli has exploded with 14 goals and 32 points in 33 games this season. He’s on pace to shatter all his career bests and will finish with a stat line of 77 points in 79 games if he continues to score at his current pace. Cirelli was even named to Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster due to his strong play.
With Cirelli having an elite impact on both sides of the puck, expect the Lightning center to enter the conversation amongst the best at his position in 2025.
Huge Year for the Lightning
The Lightning took the first steps toward a new wave of the franchise in the second half of 2024, and this trend will continue in 2025 as the team continues to retool and get younger. If the Lightning fail to go deep in the playoffs again, expect more changes this upcoming summer from general manager Julien BriseBois, who’s proven he’s not afraid to pull the trigger on some high-risk, high-reward transactions.
