Tampa Bay Lightning fantasy projections for 2024-25

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, the fantasy hockey staff has ranked the top 5 players on the Tampa Bay Lightning and identified other preseason draft targets with point and win projections for the 2024-25 season.

1. Nikita Kucherov, F

NHL.com point projection: 125

Kucherov led the League in scoring with 144 points and 53 power-play points in 81 games. He was also tied with Connor McDavid for the most assists in the League (100). Kucherov had career highs in goals, assists, points, power-play points and shots on goal (306). Kucherov could challenge the 130 point-mark again this season and should be considered a top five overall option in fantasy drafts.

2. Brayden Point, F

NHL.com point projection: 101

Point led the Lightning with 46 goals, including 15 on the man-advantage, and was second in scoring with 90 points behind Kucherov. His 97 goals over the past two seasons are tied with Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche for third in the NHL in that span. For the second consecutive season Point scored at least 46 goals with a shooting percentage above 20 (20.3). He should be considered a top 30 overall player in fantasy drafts.

3. Jake Guentzel, F

NHL.com point projection: 91

Despite missing 15 games last season, Guentzel still scored 30 goals and set an NHL career high with 47 assists in 67 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. He added nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 postseason games with Carolina. He will slot onto the Lightning’s top line and first power play with Kucherov and Point and could easily challenge his career high of 40 goals and 11 power-play goals.

4. Victor Hedman, D

NHL.com point projection: 78

Hedman’s 76 points (13 goals, 63 assists) in 78 games was a bounce-back season after a having 49 points in 76 games during 2022-23. He remains one of the most productive fantasy defensemen in the League and opens the season as a top five player at the position. His 63 assists were fourth among NHL defensemen and was top 10 among all skaters last season. With the addition of Guentzel to the offense, he should challenge a point-per-game and 30 power-play points again this season.

5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G

NHL.com win projection: 35

Vasilevskiy missed the first six weeks of last season recovering from back surgery but reached 30 wins for the seventh consecutive season and had an elite stretch in March, going 8-1-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 10 games. Vasilevskiy remains among the top 10 fantasy goalie options.

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More TBL players on preseason draft lists:

Other top 100 overall fantasy draft options: Brandon Hagel, F (point projection: 70)

Deep sleeper candidates: Anthony Cirelli, F (point projection: 55); Nicholas Paul, F (point projection: 50)

Breakout candidate: J.J. Moser, D (point projection: 40)