It’s no secret that Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was a busy man this summer. Between making key signings and completing key deals, Yzerman was able to improve the Bolts’s roster. The hockey world took note.
On Tuesday, the NHL released its ‘expert’ predictions for the 2014-15 season. The Lightning’s presence is prevalent throughout the piece, which can be seen here.
Here are the Lightning-related highlights:
* Two of the 12 analysts polled believe that the Lightning will win the Atlantic Division; the rest predict that the Bruins will remain in the top spot.
* Three of the 12 analysts polled believe that the Lightning will make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as Eastern Conference champions.
* Five of the 12 analysts polled believe that Jonathan Drouin will win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie. This despite the fact that Drouin is currently injured, and likely won’t be ready to go for game one.
* Three of the 12 analysts polled believe that Steven Stamkos will win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player judged to be most valuable to his team. Only Sidney Crosby received more votes, with four.
* One of the 12 analysts polled believes that Jon Cooper will win the Jack Adams Award, given to the coach who is judged to have contributed most to his team’s success.
* Nine (!) of the 12 analysts polled believe that Steven Stamkos will win the Rocket Richard Trophy, awarded to the player who scores the most goals over the course of the regular season. There were nine votes for Stamkos and only two for Alex Ovechkin.
What does all this mean? Not much, really. Until the games are played, what the experts say or predict doesn’t mean much. Even so, it’s nice to see the Lightning receive the recognition they deserve as a team on the rise. The fact of the matter is that it isn’t just Lightning fans who are excited about this team; impartial observers see the Bolts as a team that could do some damage.
"I think Tampa Bay has made some great strides in becoming one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference." Keith Jones on @TBLightning
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) October 8, 2014As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.