Tampa Bay Lightning: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be the team of discussion in this one. As they fight for their third straight Stanley Cup, it is important to remember that they have lost many key players this off-season. However, they also have some breakout candidates who should be able to thrive in bigger roles with the team this season. The Lightning always seem to have players who can replace their departures quite well.

Ross Colton C/LW: Ross Colton had an excellent start to his NHL career. Most notably, he scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 this past postseason. He also had a bit of scoring touch during the regular season as well. In 30 games, he scored nine goals and had 12 points, while playing bottom-six minutes. With the departures of Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, he will surely be given more chances to succeed. Do not be surprised to see him utilized more on the power play and/or penalty kill. This should be able to spark his contributions to the club even more.

Cal Foote D: Cal Foote is also a player to keep a close eye on this upcoming season. The 2017 first-round pick played his first season this year. In 35 games, he scored a goal and had three points. With David Savard off the team, Foote will likely be a mainstay on the bottom-pair at a minimum. He is seen as having a good amount of potential, and at just 22 years old, there is certainly more room for growth. If all goes according to plan, he should be a notable two-way defenseman for the Lightning not only this upcoming season, but later down the line as well.

Honorable Mentions: As discussed in our Tampa Bay prospect piece, Alex Barre-Boulet, Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh could all become full-time NHLers this season. They have all had success in the AHL, so perhaps they could be breakout candidates as well. With there being so many potential spots available in Tampa Bay's lineup, they do have legitimate shots to succeed.

Check out our previous breakout candidate piece on the Ottawa Senators. We will finish up the Atlantic Division with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the next one.