Almost all Stanley Cup contenders trade valued draft capital to stay near the top.

And the Tampa Bay Lightning are no exception. The Lightning have picked just six players in the first round since 2013, and only Isaac Howard remains with the organization. Of them, Jonathan Drouin has been the most impactful forward at 281 points, and Tony DeAngelo is one point shy of 200 from the blueline.

In that span, they’ve managed to hit gems like Brayden Point (third round in 2014), Anthony Cirelli (third round in 2015), Ross Colton (fourth round in 2016) and Nick Perbix (sixth round in 2017), among others. Tampa’s ability to find value has been a big reason why they’ve been one of the top teams over the past five years, which includes three straight trips to the Stanley Cup final – including two titles.

But here they are, bolstering one of the worst pipelines in the NHL. They’re still expected to be a top team in 2023-24 and beyond, but their prospect pool won’t be a major contributor outside of churning out depth.

And the franchise wouldn’t have it any other way.

Biggest Strength

It’s hard to give them much credit in any area because, as you’ll see, they’re lacking everywhere. But they’ve done a good job of developing depth goal-scorers over the past decade, and that’s no different now. If Howard can figure out how to be more consistent against men, he could become a solid middle-six option. Gage Goncalves and Jack Finley are also interesting options, too. None of them is a sure bet to become NHLers, but it’s good to have some scoring help deep down.

Biggest Weakness

There might not be a single player that can step into a top-six or top-four role here. Ethan Gauthier is the closest, but his high-end offensive potential likely isn’t good enough to really spice things up in the NHL. Defensively, you’re looking at bottom-pairing players at best. This is all to be expected when you rarely pick above 31st, though.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Ethan Gauthier (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)*

Grade: D

1. Ethan Gauthier, RW, 18 (Drummondville, QMJHL)

Drafted: No. 37, second round in 2023

It’ll be easy for Bolts fans to become a fan of Gauthier’s play. One of my favorite 2023 draft prospects from a style perspective, Gauthier is fierce, aggressive and never stops moving. He saw his offensive output jump by 30 points to a nice 69 this past year, establishing himself as a strong goal-scorer. Gauthier’s power-forward style suits him well in a middle-six role. He’ll have a new home in Drummondville after getting moved on the final day of the NHL Draft combine.

2. Dylan Duke, C, 20 (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 126, fourth round in 2021

Duke had an excellent sophomore season with Michigan, scoring 18 goals and 32 points in 41 games. He also brought his hard-working playstyle to USA’s world junior team, where he scored, hit and blocked shots. Duke has the makings of a bottom-six energy forward that can do a little bit of everything. With a bit of a different look up front at Michigan, Duke should be counted on offensively.

*Isaac Howard (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

3. Isaac Howard, LW, 19 (Michigan State, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 31, first round in 2022

After obliterating goalies with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in 2021-22, Howard didn’t find the same success as a college freshman. The noted scorer had just six goals and 17 points in 35 games, good for sixth in team scoring. He transferred out of Minnesota-Duluth and is off to Michigan State University, where he’ll look to play a big part for a team with just a handful of NHL prospects. Howard is a strong scoring/passing dual-threat but lacks the defensive stylings to become an effective two-way player. If he makes it to the NHL, it’s more of a complementary role.

4. Niko Huuhtanen, RW, 20 (Jukurit, Liiga)

Drafted: No. 224, seventh round in 2021

Might this be another example of the final pick of an NHL Draft becoming an impact player? Huuhtanen was the last man taken in 2021, and all he has done ever since is score. He had 37 goals and 77 points in his lone year with Everett before returning to Finland last year, where he got his first taste of pro hockey. He was tremendous, finishing as the lone U-20 30-point scorer among Liiga players. He has an excellent shot, loves to hit everything in sight with his big frame and doesn’t lose many puck battles. He’s not a great skater, but he might still manage to carve a role in the NHL.

5. Hugo Alnefelt, G, 22 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 71, third round in 2019

Alnefelt had a solid season sharing the crease with Max Lagace in Syracuse, recording a 17-12-2 record with three shutouts. He outplayed Lagace for the most part, and many thought he’d be considered for the backup role to Andrei Vasilevskiy. The club instead signed Jonas Johansson, who, despite having some up-and-down seasons the past few years, does have more NHL experience. A good start to the season for Alnefelt could earn him some call-up opportunities.

*Jack Finley (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

6. Jack Finley, C, 20 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 57, second round in 2020

Finley had a solid first season in the AHL, even if his production was nothing to get thrilled about. At 6-foot-6 and 223 pounds, Finley is all about strength and power. He’s a decent skater for his size, but it’s not NHL-caliber right now. His physicality is, though, and he isn’t afraid to use it to his benefit to win puck battles. I’m not sure there’s NHL potential here with his overall package, but he could be a decent in-betweener who can fill a fourth-line role.

7. Jack Thompson, D, 21 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 93, third round in 2020

When Thompson began his AHL rookie season at 20, he showed he had enough to hang with the pros. He’s calm and smart with the puck and is a stout skater. The strong puck handler had 23 points during the regular season while playing solid minutes. The right-handed shooter isn’t very creative, which can make him easy to read at times, but he does enough small things well to establish himself as a potential bottom-pairing defenseman.

8. Gage Goncalves, C, 22 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 62, second round in 2020

After a good rookie season in 2021-22, Goncalves upped the stakes with an electric 41-assist, 54-point campaign with Syracuse. The playmaking center has an excellent release that he hasn’t displayed a ton in the AHL, but his overall offensive game feels more dangerous than it did in the WHL. He also possesses a quick top speed that makes him difficult to defend against. His own-zone play could prevent him from being an everyday NHLer, though.

*Gage Goncalves (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

9. Max Crozier, D, 23 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 120, fourth round in 2019

Crozier finished his four-year run at Providence, becoming a two-time member of Hockey East’s third all-star team. The hard-hitting defender finished the year with the Crunch and didn’t look out of place. He’s mature, smart and has good hands for a defenseman, even if there’s nothing eye-popping about his offensive game. I think he’ll be a depth defender at best, but he won’t hurt your squad if you need him in a pinch.

10. Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D, 22 (Syracuse, AHL)

Drafted: No. 107, fourth round in 2021 by Arizona/signed by Tampa Bay in 2023

Could EML become the next Norweigan NHLer? He capped off the year with a great World Championship, playing more than 25 minutes a night in big wins over Slovenia and Canada. More of a shutdown option, Martinsen Lilleberg spent the majority of his season with IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League, where he had three goals, eight assists, and 11 points in 46 regular season games, along with an assist in three playoff games. Martinsen Lilleberg couldn’t make things work with the Coyotes, but perhaps he’ll figure it out with Tampa.

Other notables: Maxim Groshev, RW (21), Daniil Pylenkov, D (22), Gabriel Fortier, LW (23), Gage Concalves, LW (22), Lucas Edmonds, RW (22), Jaydon Dureau, LW (22), Ilya Usau, C (22), Roman Schmidt, D (20), Declan Carlile, D (23), Jayson Shaugabay, RW (18), Connor Kurth, RW (20), Jack Harvey, C (20), Robert Flinton, LW (20), Mckane Webster, C (23), Ethan Hay, C (18), Klavs Veinbergs, C (20), Warren Clark, D (18), Eamon Powell, D (21), Dyllan Gill, D (19), Nick Malik, G (21)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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