Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 5 Fantasy Forwards

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Dec 19, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrate Kucherov

With NHL hockey starting in a little over two weeks, fantasy hockey drafts have begun to kick off. Who are the Tampa Bay Lightning forwards you should consider selecting?

Fantasy sports is something that many sports fans participate in North America and around the world. The ability to draft you own team from scratch and compete against your friends give you a reason to watch a game you might otherwise not care about. The Tampa Bay Lightning have many players that people around the fantasy hockey world would love to get their hands on, especially from the forward unit.

With a team that led the league in scoring during the regular season last year and a roster that is relatively unchanged, many around the hockey world believe the Lightning will once again rank among the league leaders in scoring. Most fantasy hockey leagues are structured the same way. Whether it be head-to-head or rotisserie, most scoring is based on goals, assists, points, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power play points, shorts on goal, hits, wins (goalie), save percentage (goalie), goals against average (goalie) and shutouts (goalie).

With your fantasy draft right around the corner, there are a few Tampa Bay Lightning forwards you should consider selecting as you continue to fill out your roster. Here are the top five Tampa Bay Lightning forwards in fantasy hockey during the 2015-16 regular season.

Next: Number 5: Alex Killorn

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May 18, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Alex Killorn (17) celebrates after scoring a goal past New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (not pictured) during the third period in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. The Lightning defeated the Rangers 6-2 to tie the series at 1-1. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Killorn burst on to the scene last year during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs and will be a key piece for the Tampa Bay Lightning come the start of the 2015-16 regular season. The 26-year-old Halifax, Nova Scotia native had 15 goals and 23 assists in 71 games during the 2014-15 regular season, and his ability to play on different lines proved crucial as injuries and other adversity hit the team throughout the year.

Killorn saw himself play top-6 minutes on many different line combinations throughout the year, but no matter who Killorn was paired with, he always played very well. Killorn scored nine goals in just 26 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs after scoring 15 in 71 during the regular season. The reason for this? Well, for one he was on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Steven Stamkos consistently on the top line. The line combination worked very well with Filppula playing the center position and Stamkos flanking Killorn on the opposite wing. However, I do not believe Stamkos will be playing wing during the regular season which means there will be an opening at that position on the top line.

If Killorn is placed with Stamkos and another skilled wingers such as a Jonathan Drouin or Ryan Callahan, there is a good chance that top line could be very good. With Stamkos being the scorer he is, Killorn’s assist numbers could really spike. Ryan Callahan is no slouch either in the point producing department, but the feeling is he will spend more time on the third line in a rotation with Filppula or Drouin based on the situation and matchup. Killorn is an asset that the team will need to use correctly and that means playing him on the first line where he can increase his goal and assist totals from previous seasons while also playing a solid two-way game. Killorn is a solid late round selection and is one of my breakout players this season.

Projected Stats: Goals- 24 Assists- 35 Points- 59

Next: Number 4: Ondrej Palat

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Jan 28, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat (18) celebrates a goal by defenseman Matthew Carle (not pictured) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

One of the team’s breakout performers last year, Ondrej Palat was the glue that held the triplet line together. Along with the ability to throw his body around and battle for the puck along the wall in the offensive zone, Palat has the hands to put in pucks around the net that most others wouldn’t be able to do.

After scoring 63 points last season, there is a good chance Palat can meet or even exceed those high numbers. Just imagine a full season of the triplet line together. Unless there is an injury, there are not many teams in the league that can stop that trio. We know Head Coach Jon Cooper trusts this group in any situation and that was seen during their second preseason game when the triplets were on the ice during the 3-on-3 overtime period.

Back to Palat as an individual. His fantasy value is increased dramatically now that he is slotted with Johnson and Palat and there is a good chance that Palat could have more of an impact on the power play this season. The new system allows players like Palat to be given a pass/shoot option from different parts of the ice. He has the vision to make those cross ice passes to players like Kucherov at the circles, so expect is assist and power play point numbers to go up.

Palat finished as the fourth leading scorer for the Lightning this season and there I believe he will finish there once again at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. A solid fantasy forward with great value that won’t cost you a insanely high pick. You might want to consider grabbing his two linemates too if you get the chance.

Projection: Goals- 18 Assists- 50 Points- 68

Next: Number 3: Tyler Johnson

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Feb 10, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson (9) skates on the ice prior to the game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning center and Spokane, Washington native Tyler Johnson comes in at number three in our countdown after his spectacular sophomore season. Remember when people were wondering if Johnson would have a sophomore slump? Well, that phrase isn’t in his vocabulary. Instead of struggling, Johnson took another step forward and has etched his name as one of the top young forwards in the NHL.

After finishing second in the team scoring lead behind only Steven Stamkos, Johnson led the team in playoff scoring after what was a fabulous performance during the team’s Stanley Cup Finals run. While Stamkos continued to struggle, Johnson took the team on his back and basically won the quarterfinals series against the Detroit Red Wings by himself with a little help from Ben Bishop in net.

Moving into the new season, Johnson will continue to center one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL. His speed down the middle to go with pinpoint passing and exceptional wrist shot make him a great fantasy option. This season, Johnson will spend more time on the powerplay then he did last season and will increase both is goal and assist totals from last year.

It seems like Johnson has fully recovered from the wrist injury he sustained during the Stanley Cup Finals and will play a key role on getting this team back there this season. I fully expect him to exceed the 70 point mark once again this season and it would not surprise me if he made it to 80 points this season. What does that mean for the next two people on this list? Let’s find out.

Projection: Goals- 30 Assists- 51 Points- 81

Next: Number 2: Nikita Kucherov

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Jan 19, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA;Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (86) reacts against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Russian star Nikita Kucherov comes in at number two on our list of forward you should have on your team from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kucherov is the third piece to the triplet line that gained so much notoriety around the league last season and is now ranked among one of the leagues elite snipers. Not to mention he also led the team in +\- as well.

This upcoming season will be a big one for Kucherov as he will be entering the last year of his entry-level contract that pays him less than a million per season. He will be looking to get paid and get paid bigtime. A monster regular season would be just the thing to nail down that contract and I full expect Kucherov to put on quite a show on the ice this season.

Just like I expect Johnson to exceed his point production from last season, I fully expect Kucherov to do the exact same. After putting up 65 points in 82 games last season, there is a solid chance that Kucherov will join Johnson in the 80 point club when the regular season concludes in April. The only difference is that Kucherov will exceed his goal total by a wider margin while also getting the puck to his teammates.

Speaking of passing, we all know Kucherov has a deadly shot, but his passing abilities are very underrated. How many times have we need him fire a bullet pass to a streaking winger crashing the net on the powerplay or making a nifty short pass to avoid a turnover? It’s amazing what he can do in tight spaces with the puck and I only expect that to improve next season.

Projection: Goals- 38 Assists- 43 Points- 81

Next: Number 1: Steven Stamkos

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Nov 6, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Your number one option on the Tampa Bay Lighting forward lines for fantasy hockey is captain Steven Stamkos. I don’t recall a year where Stammer wasn’t the obvious choice for the top forward in terms of fantasy for the Lightning. You would probably have to go back to his rookie season for that. Anyways, lets look at the upcoming season and what the expectations are for Stamkos.

We all understand the contract situation going around. No, I am not going to go in-depth on that situation. All I care about right now is how the Lightning captain will help my favorite NHL team on the ice as well as my fantasy hockey team. The contract will not be a distraction and I feel like Stammer will come out of the gate on fire. There is no doubt in my mind that he can crack the 50 goal mark again this season, especially if Alex Killorn and his other future winger can get him the puck in space.

Last year was considered to be a down season for the superstar forward. A year that still resulted in 44 goals and a tie of the team scoring lead with Tyler Johnson. How many other NHL players would take a season like that statistically?

Steven Stamkos is a must have on any fantasy team. The Lightning captain will easily break 80 points this season and will probably be closer to 90. With all this contract talk swirling around, many might think that number 91 will not be focused come the start of the regular season. Well, that won’t be the case. Steven Stamkos wants nothing more than to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Tampa Bay, and he will have a monster season after falling just short of that goal last season.

Projection: Goals- 51 Assists- 36 Points- 87

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Get 'Close' In New Commercial (Video)

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