Tampa Bay Lightning: 20 Greatest Goal Scorers In Franchise History
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.
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