In a fairly quiet offseason, in terms of trades, the Tampa Bay Lightning
managed to make a few deals of their own. These moves could determine the
team';s short and long term future.

After locking up forward J.T. Miller and defenseman Ryan McDonagh to long term
extensions, general manager Steve Yzerman turned his attention to a pressing
issue in the eyes of all of Lightning-land - the future of star right winger
Nikita Kucherov.

Up against the salary cap, it didn';t seem likely that a deal would be struck
this offseason. It seemed inevitable that Kucherov would make a decision mere
days before he was due to become a free agent July 1, 2019, or worse, leave the
 Lightning organization altogether. Neither idea sounded appealing, so Yzerman
went to work, negotiating an extension with the league';s best winger.

With most of their core now locked up long term, the Lightning and Yzerman find
 themselves in an enviable position. They can remain playoff contenders for
more than two seasons, potentially rivaling the Detroit Red Wings for a streak
of 25 consecutive postseason appearances.

How is something that incredible possible?Stamkos Stays Put

No matter how important Kucherov is to the Lightning';s success, it';s Steven
Stamkos that has been the face of the franchise since being drafted first
overall in 2008. He';s a five-time All Star, has won the Maurice "Rocket"
Richard Trophy twice and has four seasons of 40+ goals.

Put simply, Stamkos is one of the elite goal scorers from this generation.
It';s safe to say that, had injury not limited him to under 40 games twice in
the past five years, he could have a few more awards and team records. He would
 have also been an Olympic Gold Medalist, but a fractured tibia forced him out
of the NHL';s last Olympics in 2014.Steven Stamkos (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

Painful as that time was, Stamkos learned a lot as both a player and a man. He
learned mental toughness and how to lead by example, working harder than ever
before to get back into game shape before the 2013-14 regular season concluded.

Another lesson came when good friend and linemate Martin St. Louis demanded a
trade to the New York Rangers. Yzerman complied, netting Ryan Callahan in the
deal. Unfortunately, the move left a young Lightning team without a captain.
That only lasted one day, with Stamkos returning from injury with the
captain';s 'C'; stitched on his sweater.

Two seasons later, the captain was due for a contract extension. While he
tested the market and could have made more money elsewhere, Stamkos chose to
remain with the team that drafted him. An eight year, $68 million contract was
good enough, allowing Yzerman to keep building the Lightning into a legitimate
Stanley Cup contender.

Yzerman used the money saved to sign top defenseman Victor Hedman, forward Alex
 Killorn, trade deadline acquisitions J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh, plus
Kucherov, to long term extensions. That list doesn';t include reigning Vezina
Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy, who signed a three-year deal during the
2016 offseason - but will need another one shortly.Stamkos & Kucherov:
Lightning Fixtures for Awhile

With both key offensive weapons locked up long term, the Lightning have created
 a team with a legitimate 1-2 punch. It doesn';t matter where in the lineup
head coach Jon Cooper places them, they can burn an opponent much like
Pittsburgh';s duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The question now is whether two of the best forwards in the game should be
split up for the Lightning to achieve balance up front. It';s easy to see that,
 when healthy, Stamkos and Kucherov can light up the scoreboard on more than
one occasion. In fact, that line drove the team early last season. They played
a big role in the Bolts torrid start, not losing double digit regulation games
until mid January.Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is greeted by
forward Steve Stamkos and defenseman Anton Stralman (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY
Sports)

Unfortunately, they slumped and became banged up as the season wore on. After
scoring at will for months, the top line of Stamkos and Kucherov found
themselves silenced late in the regular season and especially during the
playoffs.

It was a good sign then that the defense and second line consisting of Brayden
Point, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat found their groove early in the
postseason. Those two units factored into the Lightning';s deep playoff run,
dispatching the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins before falling short
against the high-powered Washington Capitals.

Even though Stamkos to Kucherov had worked extensively for a time, the Capitals
 relative ease in neutralizing Crosby and Malkin in the series prior begs the
question of whether moving one down a line might have thrown a wrench into the
Caps quest for Lord Stanley';s Cup.

As disappointing as last season ended, the Lightning have a bright beacon of
hope for the future. Their championship window remains open for years to come,
thanks in large part to two key pieces that opted to do something not often
seen in professional sports: stick together for the long haul.

The post Stamkos & Kucherov: Together for the Long Haul appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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