Inside look at Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Four years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning entered training camp motivated and still angry about getting swept in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They went to the Stanley Cup Final three straight seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.

When the Lightning start training camp next month, they should be motivated and probably still angry about losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round last season. But they'll also be a veteran team that is rested, healed and healthy.

It might be what they need be a Stanley Cup contender this season.

"There was no doubt that the guys were absolutely crushed and bummed we lost, but two days later it was like, 'Oh my God, I need some rest,'" Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "You felt it with the players. Hopefully that will be the positive change for us, that our guys will come in rested, and first and foremost, our goalie."

Andrei Vasilevskiy is the backbone of the Lightning and once again, a lot will be on the 29-year-old's shoulders.

Vasilevskiy played in 60 games last season, going 34-22-4 with a 2.65 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and four shutouts. He can expect a similar workload this season.

Jonas Johansson, who signed a two-year contract July 1, is the current backup. He played in three NHL games last season with the Colorado Avalanche and has played in 35 across four NHL seasons.

"'Vasy' is the type of goalie that he likes to play and he's at best when he plays a lot," Cooper said. "And I don't care what other people say, your goalie can play 60 games. That shouldn't be anything that hinders somebody. Vasy has proven it time and time again."

Steven Stamkos needed the rest.

The Lightning captain is entering his 16th NHL season. He had 84 points (34 goals, 50 assists) in 81 games last season and has missed two of Tampa Bay's 191 games, regular season and playoffs combined, in the past two seasons. The forward has played 1,003 regular-season games.

Victor Hedman needed the rest.

The Lightning's top defenseman has played the fifth most regular-season minutes in the NHL since the start of the 2015-16 season (14,119:03, 24:16 per game). He has played the most playoff minutes in the NHL since 2014-15 (3,494:18, 25:19) and has played in 974 regular-season games.

The Lightning as a team have played 367 games since the start of the 2019-20 season. That's 15 more than any other team (Vegas Golden Knights, 352).

"It's been a lot of bruises going to the Final three years in a row," Hedman said. "We've been blessed with the success we've had and we've earned that success, but to heal up and get ready for a season I think is important."

The Lightning are coming back this season a different team, or at least a team with many different parts.

The biggest loss is forward Alex Killorn, who signed a four-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks after setting NHL highs in goals (27), assists (37) and points (64) last season.

Tampa Bay didn't have the salary cap space to re-sign Killorn.

"Losing 'Killer' is super tough not just as a hockey player but as a person as well," Hedman said. "We came up together in Tampa. That's going to be a tough one. Killer got what he deserved. It's going to be a lot different without him."

Tampa Bay traded forwards Pat Maroon, Corey Perry and Ross Colton because of salary cap reasons. It did not re-sign forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, defenseman Ian Cole or goalie Brian Elliott.

The Lightning replenished the depth by signing forwards Conor Sheary, Logan Brown, Josh Archibald and Luke Glendening, defenseman Calvin de Haan, and Johansson.

"The big thing for us is probably the veteran leadership we lost," Cooper said. "But I think because we have this core that's been together and all of a sudden we've turned into a veteran team, I'm hoping that shouldn't be a problem for us."

The core, led by Stamkos, Hedman and Vasilevskiy, featuring forwards Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel and Nicholas Paul, and defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak, is expected to again lead the Lightning into the playoffs.

Their Stanley Cup window is still open.

"I don't want anybody to sit here and say, 'Jon Cooper is complaining,' because I'm not," Cooper said. "I think there are a lot of coaches out there that would like to take this core that we have and be able to run with it. It's just the supporting cast is different. Our job as coaches is to figure out how this supporting cast will fit in."