1. Another quick turnaround
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup for a second straight season with a 1-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on July 7. It was 282 days after they won the Stanley Cup on Sept. 28, 2020 with a 2-0 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Final. Winning back-to-back championships comes with a price: The Lightning have played the most games and have had the fewest days off of any team since the NHL restarted the 2019-20 season after pausing because of the coronavirus. Their ability to manage rest and recovery this season, especially in the first few months, will go a long way toward determining how ready they are at making a run at a third straight championship.
2. Replacing bottom-six forward depth
Recreating what the Lightning lost on their third line will be a challenge. They signed forwards Corey Perry and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to replace some of the lost depth. They will rely heavily on Ross Colton and Mathieu Joseph. Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, who made up the Lightning's third line, one that regularly started games to set the tone and played a lot late in close games, all are gone. Gourde was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. The Lightning could not afford to keep Goodrow and Coleman due to the NHL salary cap. Goodrow, who could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 28, was traded to the New York Rangers on July 17 and signed with them on July 22. Coleman left as an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Calgary Flames on July 28. Tyler Johnson, a scoring threat on Tampa Bay's fourth line, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
3. Staying hungry
The Lightning have to maintain the championship drive they've had the past two seasons. They were motivated to win the Cup again last season because they were playing in front of their fans. They won the 2020 Cup in the Edmonton bubble with no fans. The Lightning got what they wanted by being able to celebrate their Stanley Cup championship on home ice at Amalie Arena. Their ability to play with that same burning desire to win, that win at all costs mentality, will be a storyline to follow all season and into the playoffs.
