Tampa Bay Lightning: 20 Greatest Goal Scorers In Franchise History

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

20. Paul Ysebaert

Single Season High Goals: 16

Career High Goals: 149

The first player on our list of the 20 greatest goal scorers in Tampa Bay Lightning history is none other than forward Paul Ysebaert. The then-twenty-eight year old joined the newly found Tampa Bay Lightning just a few years after the team was founded in 1992. It wasn’t long before Ysebaert became the first captain in franchise history when he dawned the ‘C’ on his chest on opening night of the 1994-95 season.

Ysebaert played five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning toward the end of his hockey career, with the Lightning being the final National Hockey League team he would play for before moving to play internationally. Before his time with the Lightning, Ysebaert spent time with teams like the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and Chicago Blackhawks.

In five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ysebaert scored a total of 42 goals and 66 assists for a total of 108 points. Ysebaert’s best season came during the 1995-96 campaign when he scored 16 goals for the Bolts.

Though he was not in a Lightning sweater for a long stretch of time, Ysebaert comes in at number 20 on our list of the top scorers in the 23 year history of the Tampa Bay Lightning. As well as ending his NHL career with the Bolts, Ysebaert will always be remembered as the first ever Lightning captain, something that will stand in Lightning lore for all eternity.

Next: Remember When Scouts Doubted This Guy?

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

19. Nikita Kucherov

Single Season High Goals: 29

Career High Goals: 44

When Russian forward Nikita Kucherov was selected with the 58th overall pick during the 2011 NHL draft, many scouts understood how much skill the Moscow, Russia native had, but they felt like his lack of defense would not translate to the NHL level. Those same scouts are now kept awake at night now knowing the complete player Kucherov has developed into.

You knew when Kucherov scored in his first game, first shift, and first shot of his NHL career, you just knew he was going to be something special. We were right about that. Kucherov has developed into one of the most feared scorers in the league since he came in the league during the 2013-14 season, and along with teammates Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, the trio have become one of the most feared lines in the NHL.

Kucherov had a breakout season during the team’s Stanley Cup Finals campaign, as the Russian sniper scored 29 goals and was toward the top of the league in plus/minus. When he was being scouted, you would never have heard a scout say those words. Now, Kucherov is doing it on both ends of the ice as he continues to round out his overall game.

Right now, Nikita Kucherov would just be the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s best forward behind captain Steven Stamkos as the team looks to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and take home Lord Stanley’s Cup. Nikita Kucherov will be a prolific goal scorer for many years to come and he will continue to make opponents pay for passing over him on draft day in 2011.

Next: The Dino

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

18. Dino Ciccarelli

Single Season High Goals: 35

Career High Goals: 608

Out of all the players we will have on this list, only one player will have more goals in their career than Dino Ciccarelli has at this moment. That is Dave Andreychuk. His 608 goals in 21 NHL seasons made him one of the most prolific scorers of his era as he played for the Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, and Tampa Bay Lightning before ending his career with the Florida Panthers.

The Lightning acquired Ciccarelli in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings after the team sent a fourth round pick to Detroit in exchange for Ciccarelli. In his first game on October 5th, 1996, Ciccarelli would score a goal and add two assists in the win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Quite a debut for the new guy on the team. That same season, Ciccarelli would lead the team in scoring with 35 goals and 60 points.

In his two seasons with the Lightning, Ciccarelli scored 46 goals and 33 assists, with his final season in Tampa Bay ending with the worst record in the NHL at the conclusion of the 1997-98 campaign. With that pick, they would select a future superstar in forward Vincent Lecavalier, who’s name will come up on this list further down the line.

The 4-time all-star and NHL Hall of Famer would eventually retire after the 1998-99 season as a member of the Florida Panthers. Though his Lightning career was short, ‘The Dino’ still comes in at number 18 on our list of the top scorers in franchise history.

Next: The Hammer

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

17. Roman Hamrlik

Single Season High Goals: 16

Career High Goals: 155

“With the first overall pick of the 1992 NHL draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning select, Roman Hamrlik, defenseman from ZPS Zlin in the Czech Republic.” Those were the words that were said on that faithful day in 1992 when Roman Hamrlik became the first draft pick in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Hamrlik played in parts of six seasons for the Lightning, scoring 52 goals in his time on the Lightning blue line. From making the jump from European style of play directly to the NHL, Hamrlik struggled early in his NHL like most defenseman do, but quickly used his skill set to adjust to the game and become one of the better offensive-defenseman in the NHL.

During the 1995-96 season, Hamrlik scored 16 goals and 65 points from the blue line. Those numbers would not be heard of again from a Lightning defenseman until the time Dan Boyle would wear a Lightning sweater. However, Boyle will not make this list while Hamrlik comes in at number 17.

‘The Hammer”, known for his physical play on the blue line, is still one of the best defenseman in Tampa Bay Lightning history. The first “powerplay quarterback” in franchise history helped the young Lightning team compete in their inaugural years before he was shipped off to Edmonton to play for the Oilers. To this day, Hamrlik will always be remembered for the offensive game and physical presence he provided for the Lightning blue line in his time in Tampa Bay.

Next: Johnny B. Good

Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

16. Tyler Johnson

Single Season High Goals: 29

Career High Goals: 60

“Too small, too slow, not good enough, and won’t make it.” Those were the words Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson heard throughout his career, and ever time he quieted the doubters as he climbed the ranks and became one of the better young players in the NHL.

With 4 long years of hard work, constant effort, and sheer determination, Johnson finally earned the chance to prove to an NHL team that he was worth the risk, and that the other 29 teams in the league would be sorry for not taking a chance on him.

Undrafted, The 5’9 forward began his pro career with the teams minor affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia where he played for the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League. He scored 31 goals and assisted on 37 more in his first pro season, and helped the Admirals win 2012 Calder Cup.

Now, Tyler Johnson continues to excel in a league many did not even expect him to make. In his four years in a Lightning uniform, Johnson has scored 60 goals, with 29 coming during the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Finals season.

Seven years ago, not many outside the city of Spokane, Washington had any idea who Tyler Johnson was. He was just another hockey player looking to live the dream of one day making it to the NHL. Today, he ranks number 16 on our list of the top goal scorers in franchise history, and there is no doubt in my mind he could rank in the top five by the time his Lightning career is over.

Next: Climbing Klima

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

15. Petr Klima

Single Season High Goals: 28

Career High Goals: 313

Drafted in the fifth round (88th overall) of the 1983 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Petr Klima would see much success throughout his National Hockey League career. After spending his junior years with CHZ Litvinov and an interesting story on defecting to the United States from his native country of Czechoslovakia, Klima would enjoy a quality NHL career, with some of those years spent in Tampa Bay.

After winning a Stanley Cup championship with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990, Klima would play for Edmonton until the 1993-94 season before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In three seasons in Tampa Bay, Klima would score 63 goals, with 28 coming in his first season with the team during the 1993-94 season.

Petr Klima was always an interesting player, starting with his time in Detroit where he was suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules  and later got in trouble for problems with alcohol and drugs. However, once he got his act his act together, Klima became one of the better scorers in the NHL.

Klima spend the last remaining good years of his National Hockey League career in Tampa Bay with the Lightning before bouncing around different teams and leagues around the world. Though his Lightning career was short, Klima still ranks number 15 on our list for the top scorers in franchise history.

Next: Mr. Power Play

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

14. Dave Andreychuk

Career Season High Goals: 21

Career High Goals: 640

The highest scoring member of our list, Dave Andreychuk may have had a pretty short career in Tampa Bay, but he will always be remembered as the captain of the 2004 Stanley Cup winning team and one of the greatest players on the power play in NHL history.

During his fantastic 23 year career, Andreychuk would play for six NHL franchises, with most of his career being spent in Buffalo as a member of the Sabres. Through 19 NHL seasons, Andreychuk had not yet been able to win a Stanley Cup championship, and his decision to come to Tampa Bay as a free agent before the start of the 2001-02 season would shock many around the league.

Through the struggle of not making the playoffs in the beginning of Andreychuk’s time in Tampa Bay, the veteran refused to be moved to any other team and knew his work with the Lightning was not finished. Andreychuk was rewarded for his patience, as he would help captain the Lightning to their first ever Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

The man that spent the final few seconds of game 7 against the Calgary Flames in the penalty box would finally be rewarded with his first Stanley Cup. He was able to accomplish this on a team that seemed to be going nowhere when he first joined, but through patients and perseverance, Andreychuk was able to lead his team to the promise land.

In his five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Andreychuk would score 68 goals, with 21 of them coming during the 2001-02 season. Andreychuk will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in franchise history for his commitment to the team during his playing days, and his bronze statue just outside Amalie Arena of him raising the cup on that great day in 2004 represents just what he means to this franchise.

Next: Big Kuby

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

13. Pavel Kubina

Single Season High Goals: 17

Career High Goals: 110

If you were to rank the top five defenseman in Tampa Bay Lightning history, you would surly see the same Pavel Kubina on that list. One of the longest serving members of the Lightning, Kubina would spend 10 season in Tampa Bay, providing offense and quality defensive play during this tenure.

When Kubina began his NHL career with the Lightning during the 1997-98 season, he struggled to find his game that made him successful in Europe. Time in the NHL helped Kubina get his confidence back, and when the 1998-99 season started, Kubina became an important part of the Lightning blue line.

During his 10 seasons with the team in two separate stints that included a Stanley Cup championship in 2004, Kubina would tally 72 goals, including 17 during the 2003-04 season. Along with Dan Boyle, the duo combined to become two of the better offensive defenseman in the league and help the Lightning win a Stanley Cup championship.

Lightning fans were able to watch the 6’4 258 lb Czech Republic native grow up during his time in Tampa Bay. From a player that struggled to find his footing in a new league to a shutdown, top pair defender, Pavel Kubina will be remembered for his impressive play in Tampa Bay during the early 2000’s and later in his second stint in Tampa Bay later in his career.

Next: Game 7 Hero

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

12. Ruslan Fedotenko

Single Season High Goals: 26

Career High Goals: 173

One of the most important players in franchise history, Ruslan Fedotenko will be remembered as the player that played a major role in delivering the Tampa Bay Lightning a Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

Fedotenko scored two goals in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Calgary Flames, a game that the Lightning would win 2-1. If there were one player that could come back to Tampa Bay and there Vinny Levavalier or Marty St. Louis, Fedotenko may be that person that will never pay for a drink at the local bar ever again.

Fedotenko went undrafted and first entered the NHL after being signed by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1999. After two seasons with the Flyers, he was traded in 2002 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with two second round draft picks, in exchange for Tampa Bay’s first round draft pick. This would be one of the most important trades in franchise history, as the Lightning would receive a forward in Fedotenko that would win them the grand jewel of hockey.

Over his four seasons with the Lightning, Fedotenko would score 74 goals, with 26 of them coming during the 2005-06 season. Fedotenko would then go on to play for the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and is currently playing for the Minnesota Wild organization with their AHL affilaite Iowa Wild.

Thanks to Fedotanko’s time in Tampa Bay, the organization has a Stanley Cup. If he were not with the team then, who knows that would have happened. For that, Fedotanko ranks as the number 12 player on our list of the greatest scorers in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Next: The Early Lightning Russian

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

11. Alexander Selivanov

Single Season High Goals: 31

Career High Goals: 121

Alexander Selivanov has spent most of his hockey career playing outside of the United States, but the Moscow, Russia native spend a majority of his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was a pretty darn good scorer.

After originally being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL draft, Selivanov never played a game for the Flyers at the NHL level. Instead, he was dealt to the Lightning in September of 1994 for a fourth round pick.

An interesting story about Selivanov is that he actually married the daughter of Lightning founder and NHL Hall of Famer Phil Esposito. Scoring on and off the ice was something Selivanov did pretty well I suppose.

As for scoring on the ice, Selivanov scored 17 of his 121 career NHL goals with the Lightning over his 5 seasons, including a 31 goal year during the 1995-96 season. Selivanov would play with the Lightning until January of 1999 when he was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Alexandre Daigle.

Selivanov would end his NHL career after the 2001 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and decided to return to Europe for the rest of his hockey career. Though his time in the NHL was short, his stop in Tampa saw some great goal scoring, and that is why he ranks number 11 on our list. Now, onto the top 10.

Next: Robbie Zam

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

10. Rob Zamuner

Single Season High Goals: 17

Career High Goals: 139

Unless you have been a Tampa Bay Lightning fan since the team’s inception in 1992, there is a slight chance you have never heard the name Rob Zamuner before. While his name may not have been on the cover of every newspaper in town, it is because of players like him that the Tampa Bay Lightning is the team they are today.

Zamuner was originally drafted in the 3^rd Round (45^th overall) by the New York Rangers in the 1989 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Zamuner would play one more season in the International Hockey League before joining the Rangers’ then-American Hockey League affiliate, the Binghamton Rangers in the 1990-91 season.

In the two seasons Zamuner spent with the New York Rangers organization, he would only play a total of 9 games on their main roster where he would register one goal and two assists for a total of three points.

Now a Free Agent, Zamuner elected to sign with a small expansion team known as the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. In his first season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the then-twenty-three year old Zamuner scored 15 goals and 28 assists for a grand total of 43 points. As you can see, this far outweighed anything he’d accomplished in his short time with the New York Rangers.

Just four seasons later, in the 1996-97 season, Zamuner would record his then-career high single season goal record, notching 17 goals and 33 assists for a total of 50 points.

In 1998 he was named the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning after former Lightning captain Mikael Renberg was traded back to the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, the same fate was just around the corner for Zamuner. The very next season, the Ontario native would be traded to the Ottawa Senators.

EDITORIAL: Evaluating The NHL Salary Cap Situation

Today’s style of hockey is very fast paced and high scoring unlike back in the day when the game was full of grinders who may not have the flashiest stats, but were consistent throughout their career and able to maintain the kind of normalcy some teams ultimately crave. One of his greatest strengths is that he was known as a very defensively-minded forward. This is important when you are attempting to play the puck into the attack zone through coverage.

Out of Zamuner’s thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League, seven of them were spent in a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater. In that amount of time, Zamuner was able to earn himself 84 goals and 116 assists for a total of 200 points as a member of the Bolts. Zamuner’s 84 goals earns him a spot in the Top 10 leading goal scorers for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Next: A Bright Future With A Troubled Ending

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

9. Ryan Malone

Single Season High Goals: 26

Career High Goals: 179

The story of former Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ryan Malone is a long and arduous one filled with some pretty decent highs and some immensely deep and dark lows. Much like some of the players that have come before him on this list of Lightning goal scorers, Malone did not start off his career here in Tampa Bay.

Ryan Malone was originally drafted in the 4^th Round (115^th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 National Hockey League Entry Draft. This almost seemed like the perfect place for Malone; especially given his physical style of play. Malone may have been drafted in 1999, but he would spend the next four seasons with his college team, the St. Cloud State Huskies.

After finishing up school, Malone would report to the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Malone would only play in 3 games that season. In the 2003-04 season, Malone would make his NHL debut with the Penguins. Malone wasted no time in making a name for himself, cracking the twenty-goal ceiling in his first season out.

The then-twenty five year old forward would continue to put up consistent numbers for the Penguins until the 2008 when the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired negotiating right to Malone from the Penguins. The next season, Malone would make his debut in a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater. Ironically enough, the Pittsburgh native’s first season with the Bolts would be the season he would set his career single season goals scored record.

In the 2008-09 season, Malone would play in a total of 70 games. In that amount of time, Malone would register 27 goals and 24 assists for a total of 51 points. This would also mark Malone’s single highest points draw in the regular season.

In the 2010-11 season, Malone would see his first postseason play since 2008 when he and the Pittsburgh Penguins became the Eastern Conference Finals and battled the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Lightning would come within one game of becoming the Eastern Conference Champions and battling once again for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Unfortunately, it was simply not meant to be.

Just five days before the Tampa Bay Lightning was set to take on the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Ryan Malone was arrested for DUI and cocaine possession here in Tampa. Over the course of the regular season, Malone had found himself as a healthy scratch on more than few occasions, leaving Lightning fans to wonder what was going on. His arrest answered a lot of questions for Lightning fans.

Apparently, unamused with his recent decisions off the ice, and his lack of production on the ice that season, the Tampa Bay Lightning elected to use their final compliance buyout to terminate Malone’s contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Malone would spend last season with the New York Rangers, but after playing in just six games with the Rangers Malone would find himself with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Unfortunately for Malone, this is where his career as we know it would come to a halt.

In the six seasons Malone spent with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was able to score 92 goals, which places Malone just inside the top ten Lightning goal scorers of all time, just beating out left wing Rob Zamuner for the 9^th place position.

Malone’s actions in his later years with the Lightning may have left some people with a bad impression of him, and rightly so, but we choose to remember Ryan Malone as the hard-hitting forward who could almost always be found in front of the net digging for rebounds and peppering the opposing netminder with shots.

Had Malone’s personal life taken a different direction, we may be having a different conversation here. Unfortunately, we will never know what might have been.

Next: A Hard-Hitting First Round Draft Pick Who Couldn’t Get Enough Of Tampa Bay

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

8. Chris Gratton

Single Season High Goals: 30

Career High Goals: 214

Much like some of the players that came before him, like former Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Vinny Prospal, former Lightning center Chris Gratton did quite a bit of moving from team to team during his seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League. Of those seventeen seasons, eight of them were spent with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Gratton was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1^st Round (3^rd overall) in the 1993 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The very next season, Gratton would make his debut in a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater.

While Gratton would not break the 20 goal mark in his first season, he would in fact break the forty point mark. The then-nineteen year old forward would register 13 goals and 29 assists for a grand total of 42 points in his debut season with the Bolts.

It wasn’t until his fourth season with the team that Gratton would really hit his stride as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the 1996-97 season, Chris Gratton would score a career high 30 goals in the regular season. When you combine this with the 32 assists he earned that season, Gratton brought home a total of 62 points. Gratton would reach the same threshold in the 1997-98 season with the Philadelphia Flyers.

After spending about a season and a half with the Philadelphia Flyers, Gratton would once again return to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup. Unfortunately, his stay would be a short one this time. After just two seasons back here in the Bolts Nation, one of which was spent as the Lightning’s captain, Gratton was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

It would be another season, and four new teams, before Chris Gratton would make his way back to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third time in his career. Unfortunately, his final two years here in the Bolts Nation were nothing to write home about. At the same time, Gratton still provided good offensive pressure for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they needed it the most.

EDITORIAL: Evaluating The NHL Salary Cap Situation

After just one more season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Gratton would find himself placed on waivers by the Lightning where he would find himself claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gratton would play just six games with the Blue Jackets before he would announce his retirement from hockey in 2009.

While Gratton may have changed teams quite a bit in his fifteen seasons in the National Hockey League, Gratton still made quite the impact for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his eight combined seasons with the team, Gratton would score a total of 98 goals in a Bolts sweater. This was more than enough to place Gratton in the eight place in goals scored by a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, just behind players like Vinny Prospal and Freddy Modin.

There is no denying that Gratton never had the kind of flashy 60 goal season like Steven Stamkos; however, it is players like Gratton that often go unappreciated in the National Hockey League. These are the grinders who always seem to have a sense of consistency and can be relied upon by their team when the pressure is on. Sometimes, you just need someone who can find a way to make it work when no one else can.

Next: A Veteran Player With Skills On And Off The Ice

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

7. Brian Bradley

Single Season High Goals: 42

Career High Goals: 182

One of the most easily recognizable names from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s early days is former Lightning center Brian Bradley. Why is his name still so familiar after all these years? Well, that would be in addition to his stellar playing career, Brian Bradley is currently the Community Representative for the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a pretty consistent staple at the Amalie Arena on game nights.

Much like some of the great players in Tampa Bay Lightning history that have come before him, Bradley did not start off his career as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The young Ontario native was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 3^rd Round (51^st overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

Bradley would spent two seasons with his junior team, the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, before he would join the Flames main roster. In his NHL debut season, Bradley would only play in five games, but he would still manage to make his way to the score sheet with an assist.

The next season, Bradley would get a little more playing time where he was more able to showcase his talents. Unfortunately, Bradley wouldn’t be given very much time to develop in Calgary. At the conclusion of his sophomore season in the NHL, Bradley would be traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

Brian Bradley would spend three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before making his way to the Sunshine State. Bradley finally made the jump to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1992-93 season. It would be this season where he would make a name for himself here in the Bolts Nation.

Playing in 80 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning that season, Bradley would score a career high 42 goals in a single season. Combine that with Bradley’s 44 assists, and he earned a grand total of 86 points in his debut season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Brian Bradley would play with the Tampa Bay Lightning for another five seasons before chronic injuries began to catch up with him and he decided to hang up his skates and transition into a new chapter in his life. In the six seasons Bradley played with the Lightning, he was able to amass a total of 111 goals. These numbers were good enough to place him in the 7^th place slot amongst Tampa Bay Lightning all-time leading goal scorers.

When someone has given as much as Brian Bradley has to the sport of hockey, and more specifically the Tampa Bay Lightning, they tend to become a household name among fans. If there is anything we know for sure, it is that Brian Bradley’s contributions to the Tampa Bay Lightning – both on and off the ice – have earned him a place in Lightning history and in the hearts of Bolts fans everywhere.

Next: A Veteran Player with Plenty of Frequent Flyer Miles

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

6. Vinny Prospal

Single Season High Goals: 29

Career High Goals: 255

Former Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Vinny Prospal had a long and winding road to becoming a member of the Lightning organization. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 3^rd Round (71^st overall) in the 1993 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Prospal would spend five seasons in the NHL before he made his way to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vinny Prospal would spend two seasons with the Flyers, followed by three and a half seasons with the Ottawa Senators, when he would finally make his way to the Sunshine State as a member of the Florida Panthers. Prospal would make his Tampa Bay Lightning debut in the 2001-02 season.

In his first season, Prospal would make a name for himself as a playmaker. In the 81 games he played with the Bolts that season, Prospal scored 18 goals and 37 assists for a total of 55 points. The very next season, Prospal would see a big bump in his stats. Prospal would go on to score 22 goals and 57 assists for a total of 79 points in the 2002-03 season.

Unfortunately, in the season where the Tampa Bay Lightning would hold the Stanley Cup high above their heads, Prospal would find himself as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. The very next season, after the horrific time known as the NHL lockout, Prospal would find himself back here in the Bolts Nation for another three seasons.

In the 2007-08 season, Prospal would score a career-high 29 goals in a single season. If you combine this with the 28 assists Prospal earned that season, he would bring home a total of 57 points. Unfortunately for Prospal, he would exit the Tampa Bay Lightning once again towards the end of the season as he was traded back to the team that originally drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers.

After spending one more season with the team he began his career with, Prospal would make his way back to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third time. This time, he would only spend one season with the Bolts before he would make his way to the New York Rangers.

EDITORIAL: Evaluating the NHL Salary Cap Situation

While he may have hopped around a lot during his six overall seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Prospal would score a total of 127 goals. This is about half of the goals he would score in his 16 seasons in the National Hockey League. Considering only six of his seasons were with the Tampa Bay Lightning, we think it’s pretty safe to say his biggest impact on hockey was as a member of the Bolts. Prospal’s 127 goals place him in sixth place overall in franchise history for goals scored.

As we said before, Vinny Prospal may not have had the storied careers of players like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis did with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but his impact was still felt here in the Bolts Nation. Much like players like Brian Bradley and Freddy Modin, Prospal is a part of the foundation on which the Tampa Bay Lightning was built.

Next: The Swede with the Killer Slapshot

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

5. Freddy Modin

Single Season High Goals: 32

Career High Goals: 232

Whether you have been a fan of the sport of hockey since the Tampa Bay Lightning’s inception in 1992, or you are a fan who has just recently been turned onto the sport and/or team, there is always a particular group of players you recognize by name. Many of those players were members of the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning team that captured the Stanley Cup.

There are many players on that particular team that are worthy of being considered as one of the greatest goal scorers in Tampa Bay Lightning history. One of those very such players goes by the name Frederik Modin, or as those of us here in the Bolts Nation know him, Freddy Modin.

Freddy Modin started out his career in the 1996-97 season as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. His first couple seasons in the National Hockey League were a little rough. In the three months he spent with the Maple Leafs, Modin found himself unable to break through the 20 goal mark.

Once Modin was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999, things seemed to begin clicking for the then-twenty-five year old winger. In his very first season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Modin broke through the 20 goal ceiling he had been trapped under with the Maple Leafs. Modin would end his first season with the Bolts with 22 goals and 26 assists for a total of 48 points.

As we mentioned before, Modin was also a part of the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning team that won the Stanley Cup. In the regular season, Modin would bring home 29 goals and 28 assists for a total of 57 points. Modin would also play an instrumental role in the Lightning postseason success, bringing home 8 goals and 11 assists for a total of 19 points. The very next season, Modin would set a career-high single season goal record with 32 goals and 24 assists for a total of 56 points.

EDITORIAL: Evaluating the NHL Salary Cap Situation

While Freddy Modin may not have had the kind of flashy goal scoring season as someone like Steven Stamkos, Modin certainly made his impact here in the Bolts Nation. In the six seasons Modin wore a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater he would amass a total of 145 goals. This places Modin in fifth place in goals scored in Tampa Bay Lightning franchise history.

No matter how much time passes us by, Freddy Modin will always have a place in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Aside from helping the team capture its first Stanley Cup Championship in franchise history, his puck handling skill and dangerously fast slapshot definitely made an impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning as a whole and helped pave the way for young players today like Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson.

Next: One-Third of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Franchise Trio

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4. Brad Richards

Single Season High Goals: 26

Career High Goals: 288

The Tampa Bay Lightning had no idea when they drafted a young forward from Prince Edward Island by the name of Brad Richards in the 6^th Round (64^th Overall) of the 1998 National Hockey League Entry Draft that he would turn out to be the success story he ultimately became. We would go as far as to say he was one of the best draft picks the Tampa Bay Lightning ever made.

Brad Richards would make his Tampa Bay Lightning debut in the 2000-01 season, the same season as his teammate Martin St. Louis. In his very first season in the Lightning sweater, Richards would already start making an impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Richards would register twenty-plus goal seasons in every season he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning with the exception of the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons.

The then-twenty-four year old center would set a single season high for goals scored as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003-04 season where he would register 26 goals and 53 assists for a total of 79 points and a plus-14 rating. As most of you know by now, this is the same season the Tampa Bay Lightning would capture their first-ever Stanley Cup victory.

As much as Brad Richards as a part of the collective Tampa Bay Lightning effort towards winning Lord Stanley’s Cup, Richards would get some recognition of his own that season. In the 2003-04 season, Richards would be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs.

In the 23 games Richard played in the post season with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003-04 season, Richards would record 12 goals and 14 assists for a total of 26 points. This means Richards was scoring an average of at least one point per game during the post season. With statistics like this, it is no wonder he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Unfortunately, after spending seven successful seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brad Richards would be involved in what most Tampa Bay Lightning fans refer to as one of the worst trades in Tampa Bay Lightning history as Richards was sent to the Dallas Stars along with goaltender Johan Holmqvist in exchange for Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen, Mike Smith, and a 2009 fourth round NHL Draft Pick.

While Richards was with the Lightning, he was able to register a total of 150 goals. This places Richards in fourth place in overall goals scored by a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning during their time with the team. The only players to beat him out are his former teammates Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and current Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

Brad Richards made many contributions to the Tampa Bay Lightning both on and off the ice. While we can’t speak for everyone here in the Bolts Nation, as far as we are concerned there will always be a place in our hearts for Brad Richards.

Next: The Once Heart and Soul of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Dec 23, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis (26) skates in the first period of a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

3. Martin St. Louis

Single Season High Goals: 43

Career High Goals: 391

There is no denying there are still some fans here in the Bolts Nation that harbor some form of ill will against former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Martin St. Louis for the manner in which he left the team; however, despite people’s personal opinions of him there is no denying the impact St. Louis had on the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay community as a whole.

Unlike players like Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis went undrafted by every single team in the National Hockey League. Under normal circumstances this would be a serious blow to one’s confidence, one that potentially derail a person’s professional athletic career. Unfortunately for the doubters, this is not the kind of player Martin St. Louis was.

St. Louis would eventually be picked up by the Calgary Flames in February of 1998. He would first be sent to the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate at the time, the St. John Flames, but by the beginning of the 1998-99 season, St. Louis had gotten the call to join the main roster.

When St. Louis went unselected in the 2000 expansion draft, he quickly found himself as a Free Agent. This would lead St. Louis on the path that would bring him to the Sunshine State. Martin St. Louis would play his first season with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2000-01 season.

St. Louis’ first two seasons in the NHL were not exactly as glorious as one would have hoped. In fact, in his first two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis would fail to even crack the 20 goal mark. However, in the 2002-03 season something changed inside of St. Louis and he would quickly begin to shake off all the negativity that had surrounded him early in his career and really make a name for himself.

In his fourth season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis would be presented with an opportunity some players in the National Hockey League never get. St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning would find themselves as the Eastern Conference Champions and headed towards a showdown with the Calgary Flames for the Stanley Cup.

EDITORIAL: Evaluating the NHL Salary Cap Situation

As anyone who watched the Tampa Bay Lightning in their Stanley Cup season knows, it was a goal in a heart pounding double overtime from Martin St. Louis in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals that pushed a Game 7 and kept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for the Stanley Cup; an honor the team would achieve in just one more game.

Before being traded to the New York Rangers in the 2013-14 season, Martin St. Louis would score a total of 365 goals in a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater. Until this very day, St. Louis holds the second place spot for most overall goals as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, preceded only by his Stanley Cup winning teammate Vincent Lecavalier.

Despite the way things were left when he said his final goodbyes to the Sunshine State, there is no denying that Martin St. Louis was the heart and soul of the Tampa Bay Lightning for many years and his contributions helped lay the foundation for the successes the Lightning are still taking advantage of right now.

Next: Oh, Captain! My Captain!

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

2. Vincent Lecavalier

Single Season High Goals: 52

Career High Goals: 411

If there is any player over the course of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s twenty-three year history that has been synonymous with the Lightning’s team image it is former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier. As we mentioned before, Lecavalier was the steal of the century for a team who was literally dying for someone to come along and breathe new life into this listless team.

As most of you know by now, Vincent Lecavalier was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. In the 1997-98 season, the ailing Tampa Bay Lightning had only managed to earn a measly 17 wins, finishing off the season with a 17-55-10 record. As we said, the Lightning were desperate for someone to breathe new life into the team.

Lecavalier didn’t get off to quite as quick a start as some players like current Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, but he was certainly a breath of fresh air for the Tampa Bay Lightning and consistently cranked out twenty-plus goal seasons.

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, the first in franchise history, Lecavalier would go on to set a milestone of his own. In the 2006-07 season, Vincent Lecavalier would set a new Tampa Bay Lightning franchise record for single season goals scored with an astonishing 52 goals. Combine this with his 56 assists that season, and Vincent Lecavalier earned a total of 108 points.

Over the course of the next four seasons, Lecavalier would continue to produce twenty-plus goal seasons. Unfortunately, in the 2011-12 season, the season after the Tampa Bay Lightning would make their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since winning the cup in 2004, coaches and fans alike would start to notice a downtrend in Lecavalier’s production.

With the pressure of the salary cap weighing down on the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman had an incredibly difficult decision to make. Ultimately, Yzerman elected to buyout Lecavalier’s contract and send him on a journey to find a new home in the NHL. Needless to say, this move did not go over well with many fans here in the Bolts Nation. After a bit of searching, it wouldn’t take Lecavalier long before he was able to find a new home with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Before having his contract bought out in the 2012-13 season, Lecavalier had spent 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Quebec native amassed a total of 383 goals in a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater. To this very day, Lecavalier holds the record for the most overall goals scored in franchise history.

While his ending may not have been a fairytale one, Lecavalier’s legacy will always be felt here by Tampa Bay Lightning fans. No matter what color sweater he wears when he takes the ice now, Lecavalier will always be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the hearts of the fans.

Next: Which Tampa Bay Lightning Player Earned The Top Spot?

Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

1. Steven Stamkos

Single Season High Goals: 60

Career High Goals: 287

As you can see, there are plenty of players in Tampa Bay Lightning franchise history who have laid it all out on the line and become some of the greatest goal scorers the National Hockey League has ever seen. However, there is one player still on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster who has the opportunity to outshine them all. That players name is Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

Aside from former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos is one of the best draft picks the Lightning has ever acquired. Stamkos was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft. If you were a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning back then, you knew from the very beginning that this young forward would achieve great things in his future.

In Stamkos’ second season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the then-twenty year old Steven Stamkos would already be making a name for himself in the National Hockey League. After putting up a whopping 51 goals and 41 assists for a total of 95 points, Stamkos would lead the Lightning to their first Eastern Conference Final since winning the Stanley Cup back in 2004.

In addition to the team’s accomplishments that season, Stamkos would earn an accolade of his own. Steven Stamkos would be the recipient of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, which is handed out at the end of the season to the league’s highest goal scorer.

Just two seasons later, Stamkos would put up another banner season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2011-2012 season would be the season Stamkos would set a new franchise record for the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring an amazing 60 goals and 37 assists for a total of 97 points. This made Stamkos the highest single-season goal scorer in franchise history.

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Steven Stamkos has proved time and time again there is no stopping him when he has his mind set on something. Even in a season where he missed over three months thanks to a broken tibia, Stamkos would still manage to register over 20 goals and forty points.

While Steven Stamkos has only been a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning for going on eight seasons now, which is a far cry from players like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, Stamkos has already carved out a place for himself in Tampa Bay Lightning history, and given the fact he is still an active player with many years in front of him, he has a unique opportunity to surpass those who came before him and potentially become the greatest goal scorer the Tampa Bay Lightning has ever seen.