How Stanley Cup champion Lightning were built
Roster almost identical from 2020 championship, shaped by drafting Stamkos, Point, Vasilevskiy, Hedman
Of the 21 players to appear in at least one Stanley Cup Playoff game for the Lightning this postseason, 19 won the Cup last season. Ten were selected by Tampa Bay in the NHL Draft, seven were acquired via trade and four were signed in free agency.
Here's how the roster of the Stanley Cup champion Lightning was built, along with background on its coaching staff and general manager:
FORWARDS
Anthony Cirelli, C:Selected in the third round (No. 72) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Cirelli scored 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 50 regular-season games and scored 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 23 playoff games.
Blake Coleman, C: Acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 16, 2020 for forward prospect Nolan Foote and a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Coleman scored 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 55 regular-season games and scored 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 23 playoff games.
Ross Colton, C: Selected in the fourth round (No. 118) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Colton scored 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in 30 regular-season games and scored six points (four goals, two assists) in 23 playoff games.
Barclay Goodrow, C: Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 24, 2020 with a third-round pick in the 2020 draft for forward Anthony Greco and a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Goodrow scored 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 55 regular-season games and scored six points (two goals, four assists) in 18 playoff games.
Yanni Gourde, C: Signed as a free agent March 10, 2014, Gourde scored 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 56 regular-season games and scored seven points (six goals, one assist) in 23 playoff games.
Tyler Johnson, C: Signed as a free agent March 7, 2011, Johnson scored 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 55 regular-season games and scored seven points (four goals, three assists) in 23 playoff games.
Mathieu Joseph, RW: Selected in the fourth round (No. 120) of the 2015 draft, Joseph scored 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) in 56 regular-season games and had two assists in six playoff games.
Alex Killorn, LW:Selected in the third round (No. 77) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Killorn scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 56 regular-season games and scored 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 19 playoff games.
Nikita Kucherov, RW:Selected in the second round (No. 58) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Kucherov did not play during the regular season after recovering from hip surgery. He led all scorers in the postseason with 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) in 23 games.
Pat Maroon, LW: Signed as a free agent Aug. 24, 2019, Maroon scored 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 55 regular-season games and scored four points (two goals, two assists) in 23 playoff games.
Ondrej Palat, LW: Selected in the seventh round (No. 208) of the 2011 draft, Palat scored 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) in 55 regular-season games and scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 23 playoff games.
Brayden Point, C: Selected in the third round (No. 79) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Point led the Lightning with 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 56 regular-season games. He scored 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) in 23 playoff games and led all goal-scorers in the postseason.
Steven Stamkos, C: Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos scored 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 38 regular-season games and scored 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 23 playoff games.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Cernak: Acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 26, 2017 with goalie Peter Budaj and a seventh-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft for goalie Ben Bishop and a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Cernak scored 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 46 regular-season games and scored 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 21 playoff games.
Victor Hedman:Selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Hedman scored 45 points (nine goals, 36 assists) in 54 regular-season games and scored 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 23 playoff games.
Ryan McDonagh:Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on Feb. 26, 2018 with center J.T. Miller for centers Vladislav Namestnikov and Brett Howden, defenseman Libor Hajek, a first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, McDonagh scored 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 50 regular-season games and had eight assists in 23 playoff games.
Jan Rutta: Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 11, 2019 with a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft for defenseman Slater Koekkoek and a fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft, Rutta had eight assists in 35 regular-season games and scored three points (two goals, one assist) in 23 playoff games.
David Savard: Acquired in a three-team trade involving the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings on April 10, Savard scored six points (one goal, five assists) in 54 regular-season games with the Lightning and Blue Jackets and did not score a point in 14 games with Tampa Bay. He had five assists in 20 playoff games.
Luke Schenn: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, Schenn scored four points (two goals, two assists) in 38 regular-season games and scored one goal in eight playoff games.
Mikhail Sergachev: Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on June 15, 2017 with a second-round pick in the 2018 draft for forward Jonathan Drouin and a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, Sergachev scored 30 points (four goals, 26 assists) in 56 regular-season games and had three assists in 23 playoff games.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy: Selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Vasilevskiy was 31-10-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and five shutouts in 42 regular-season games and was a finalist for the Vezina trophy for the fourth straight season. He was 16-7 with a 1.90 GAA, .937 save percentage and five shutouts and played every minute in 23 playoff games, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Curtis McElhinney: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, McElhinney was 4-6-2 with a 3.09 GAA, .875 save percentage and one shutout in 12 regular-season games. He did not play in the postseason.
COACHING STAFF
Jon Cooper, coach:Hired on March 25, 2013, to replace Guy Boucher, Cooper is the longest tenured coach in the NHL. He is 384-197-53 in the regular season and 70-46 in the playoffs, having guided the Lightning to the postseason in seven of his eight full NHL seasons. Cooper previously coached Tampa Bay's American Hockey League affiliate in Norfolk (2010-12) and Syracuse (2012-13).
Jeff Halpern, assistant: Promoted on June 22, 2018, Halpern joined the Lightning in 2015-16 as player development coach and was an assistant with Syracuse of the AHL for two seasons (2016-18).
Derek Lalonde, assistant: Hired on July 12, 2018, Lalonde previously spent two seasons as coach of Iowa of the AHL from 2016-18.
Rob Zettler, assistant: Hired on Dec, 7, 2020, Zettler previously spent two seasons as an assistant with the San Jose Sharks (2017-19) and was coach of Syracuse of the AHL from 2013-16.
Frantz Jean, goaltending coach: Hired on Sept. 7, 2010, Lightning goalies have been Vezina Trophy finalists seven times in his 11 seasons (Andrei Vasilevskiy, 2017-21; Ben Bishop 2013-14, 2015-16, 2018-19).
GENERAL MANAGER
Julien BriseBois: Promoted to general manager on Sept. 11, 2018 replacing Steve Yzerman, BriseBois guided the Lightning to an NHL record-tying 62 wins in his first season (2018-19). He previously was assistant GM of the Lightning for eight seasons (2010-18) and spent nine seasons in the Canadiens organization (2001-10).
