Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 10 Draft Picks In Franchise History

As the 2016 NHL Draft approaches later this month, let’s take a look back some of the top draft picks the Tampa Bay Lightning has selected over the years.

Since its inception in 1992, the Tampa Bay Lightning has had some success and some failure and many of the ups and downs the team has experienced over the years is interwoven into the fabric of this relatively young franchise.

There have been various draft picks taken by the Lightning that are direct results of those ups and downs, including a franchise-worst 55 loss season in 1997-98, when it was granted the number one overall pick. You can probably guess who was taken with that pick: that’s right, Vincent Lecavalier.

Among the many draft picks taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning since 1992, there are 10 that stand out the most and these players have become synonymous with the franchise in one way or another. To crack the top 10, though, there are a few standards that must be met in order to be considered for this list.

• A player must have been drafted directly by the Lightning, so, unfortunately, that leaves out players like Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson, both of which went undrafted
• Must have been with the organization for at least a full season (playing in the AHL does not count)
• Draft picks taken during the 2014 and 2015 drafts will not be considered since they’re too recent
• Players taken during the 1992 Expansion Draft will not be included on this list
• The round in which a player was taken did not affect where he got placed

Aside from the general criteria displayed above, a player must have made a significant contribution to the Lightning during his tenure here or for players currently on the team, must have already made a noticeable impact while on the roster and shown important value to the organization as a centerpiece for the future.

Players who have won MVP awards or scoring titles with the Lightning will be considered differently than those who haven’t. We are looking at players who have made a name for themselves and impacted the organization in a positive manner.

Though this list is a matter of opinion and the order of these players can be argued, there are various factors that went into deciding who would make the top 10, including time with the team, key statistics, and lasting impact on the organization, which is subjective, of course.

We hope you enjoy these choices and feel free to make your own top 10 if you disagree with this list. In any matter, here are the top 10 draft picks in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Let’s get to it.

Next: Number Ten

#9: Andrei Vasilevskiy – 2012 NHL Draft, 19th overall

A more recent newcomer to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, rising goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is a blooming star in the NHL and shown flashes of brilliance during his relatively short time in the league. After getting drafted in the first round in 2012 by the Lightning, Vasilevskiy spent a couple of more seasons in Russia playing for Salavat Yulayev of the KHL and Tolpar UFA Jr.

Before jumping into the NHL right away, Vasilevskiy spent time in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch and adjusted to North America life and the style of play. While in Syracuse, he appeared in 25 games and posted a 14-6-5 record to go along with two shutouts, a .917 SV%, and a 2.45 GAA during the 2014-15 season. He also split time between the NHL and AHL when Evgeni Nabokov was released and he served as the primary back-up to Ben Bishop.

Vasilevskiy appeared in 16 games during the 2014-15 season and posted a 7-5-1 record with one shutout, a .918 SV%, and a 2.36 GAA. He earned his first NHL win on December 16, 2014, in a 3-1 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. From that point, he would continue to impress with his athletic ability and poise in net, which would eventually lead to him earning the primary back-up spot behind Bishop and a somewhat daunting future appearance in Game 2 of the 2015 Cup Final.

From that point, he would continue to impress with his athletic ability and poise in net, which would eventually lead to him earning the primary back-up spot behind Bishop and a somewhat daunting future appearance in Game 2 of the 2015 Cup Final.

He earned the victory in that Game 2 of the Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks and proved that he can play in big games and high-pressure situations. It would only add to his case for being one of the elite young goaltenders in the NHL.

This past season, Vasilevskiy appeared in eight more games and finished with an 11-10-0 record, but with worse numbers in save percentage and goals-against average. However, he took over in net during the Eastern Conference Finals after Bishop went down early in Game 1 and led the Lightning to a Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

During that seven game stretch, he stopped nearly 40 shots every game and kept the team in most of the games when the players in front of him looked dazed and confused.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has shown that he can handle the starting job in goal and perform well in the regular season and in the playoffs when the stakes are much higher. If not here, he could be a starter for most teams in the league, but the hope is that he or Bishop stays in Tampa Bay to man the net. The Lightning picked a rising star in Vasilevskiy and he has proved his value to the organization by showing his future potential, which is why he lands at number nine on this list.

Next: Number Eight

#8: Pavel Kubina – 1996 NHL Draft, 179th overall

With the 179th pick in the 1996 NHL Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected defenseman Pavel Kubina from the Czech Republic after the franchise’s first winning season and appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kubina would play with the Lightning for 10 seasons in two separate stints and proved to be a top 10 draft pick by the team when his career ended.

Before the Lightning selected Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards in the 1998 Draft, there weren’t too many stand out draft picks up to that point. Names like Chris Gratton and Roman Hamrlik come to mind, but both of their tenures with the Lightning came during a period of growing pains for the organization and neither of them posted stellar numbers while in Tampa Bay. We’ll just leave those two out of the top 10.

But, Kubina showed his value to the Lightning and was a part of 2004 Stanley Cup Championship team (he also played in the All-Star Game that year). He was a large defenseman (6’4″ 258 lbs.) and had great strength, roughing up opponents with his large frame. With that, he also racked up quite a few penalty minutes during his career. Kubina was also a solid point producer and utilized a hard shot from the point. However, he struggled against speedy forwards and lacked overall consistency in the defensive zone.

Kubina also played for his home country in the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006, and 2010 and won a bronze medal with them in 2006.

Nonetheless, Pavel Kubina had an identity with the Lightning and proved to be a solid player despite being a seventh-round pick. Maybe it was his passion for the team that drafted and gave him a chance in the NHL that thrust him into the top 10. Either way, among the many draft picks in franchise history, he finds himself comfortably in the number eight spot.

Next: Number Seven

#7: Ondrej Palat – 2011 NHL Draft, 208th overall

Late round picks can still prove to be great players in a league where all of the hype is in the earlier rounds and Ondrej Palat has done just that. Since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in 2011, Palat has risen to the occasion and become one of the most talented forwards in today’s NHL. He was a part of that 2012 Calder Cup winning team in Norfolk and has been a part of two recent deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, the Lightning were quickly ousted in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2014 playoffs. Despite a short postseason, the regular season was one to remember, as the team rolled into the playoffs coming off a 101-point campaign. Palat and fellow linemate, Tyler Johnson, finished as Calder Trophy finalists for the rookie of the year award.

That year, Palat had a breakout season, finishing with 23 goals and 59 points to go along with a plus-32 rating. He definitely had a fantastic season and deserved to be in the Calder Trophy conversation, but he ultimately lost out to fellow rookie Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

He increased his production the following season, scoring 16 goals and earning 63 points while on the famed Triplets line with Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. However, Palat dropped off a bit last season mainly due to injuries and a lack of overall consistency.

Ondrej Palat has proved that you don’t need to be a high draft pick to earn a spot in this league and he showed that by working hard and improving his two-way game. He is a valuable asset to the Lightning organization and the hope is that he’ll remain in Tampa Bay for seasons to come because of the chemistry with his other linemates. So, Palat lands at number seven among the top 10 picks in team history.

Next: Number Six

#6: Jonathan Drouin – 2013 NHL Draft, 3rd overall

Coming off a tough 18-win shortened season in 2013, the Tampa Bay Lightning found itself with the third overall pick in the draft. With that pick, the Lightning selected highly touted wing prospect, Jonathan Drouin, from the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL and appeared to have taken another potential franchise center in the making.

However, things did not get off to such a great start between the Lightning and Drouin.

Prior to the 2013-14 season, the Lightning decided to send the young prospect back to Halifax for another year of seasoning in the juniors since he wasn’t yet eligible for the AHL. So, Drouin did just that and posted monster numbers during that season, racking up 108 points in 46 games. After that, everyone thought he was ready to move up to the NHL. But, an upper-body injury prior the 2014-15 season delayed his arrival to the big league and he would get off to a late start.

Time passed and Drouin eventually saw some NHL action on October 20, 2014, in a game against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Lightning lost 3-2 and Drouin was held pointless, but played well overall, including two takeaways and one blocked shot in 16:10 of ice time.

Drouin’s first season in the NHL wasn’t what most were expecting once it all ended, but many saw hope for the talented winger down the road. He finished the year with 32 points in 70 games, well out of the rookie of the year race. Controversy struck, though, once the playoffs began and Drouin sat out for most of the deep postseason run that the Lightning went on in 2015. He only appeared in six postseason games and was held without a point to go along with a minus-6 rating.

Coach Jon Cooper was the main reason behind why Drouin wasn’t playing and his reasoning for that was because he thought that Drouin hadn’t yet developed a complete two-way game and was playing poorly in his own end. That’s understandable considering your team is fighting its way through the playoff gauntlet.

So, after the disappointing playoffs for Drouin, the 2015-16 wasn’t much better. He made the opening night roster and looked poised for a comeback, but as the season continued, the situation became even murkier for the young forward. Injuries and inconsistency plagued Drouin for much of the first half of the season and most of the time, he found himself on the fourth line, which is not where he’s meant to be.

Related Story: Top 5 Contracts The Tampa Bay Lightning Needs To Sign

He had discussions with his agent, Allan Walsh, and there were talks of him demanding a trade to a different team early on in the season. By early January, those talks intensified because Drouin was injured and had not quite hit his stride yet. When he was ready to come back from the injury, Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager, Steve Yzerman, made the smart decision to send him down to the minors for a conditioning stint to see how he would perform.

Fast forward three months later, after sitting out indefinitely following him failing to show up to a game with the Crunch in Toronto and continuing to demand a trade from the team during a somewhat hostile stalemate with the Lightning, and Drouin is suiting up in the playoffs and positively impacting the team. Many thought that he was down and out after that long period of inactivity away from the organization, but he rebounded well and helped lead the Lightning to an appearance in the Conference Finals.

Despite that incident midway through the regular season, Jonathan Drouin has shown that he can be an elite player in this league and correct his behavioral issues in the process. He had a stellar playoff performance this year and if he can put together a breakout season in 2016-17, then that will only add to his value and importance to the Lightning in the future.

Next: Number Five

#5: Nikita Kucherov – 2011 NHL Draft, 58th overall

Nicknamed the “Russian Assassin” by many of his teammates, Nikita Kucherov is stating his case for being one of the best shooters on the team after his dominant regular season and postseason. Drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011, Kucherov made himself known while apart of the Triplets line in the 2014-15 season and has established himself as one the top young shooters in the NHL.

After a less than stellar 2013-14 season, Kucherov exploded with 29 goals and 65 points in 82 games in 2014-15 and improved his defensive game as well, which caught the attention of head coach Jon Cooper, who in turn gave him more playing time because of that trust between the two. Cooper is known making his players earn their way and work hard for more playing time.

Kucherov continued to dominate in the playoffs and helped lead the team to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. He had 22 points in 26 playoff games, one shy of Tyler Johnson’s team-leading 23 points, during that Cup run in 2015.

This past season, Kucherov increased his point total by one goal (30 goals, a new career high), but led the team in points during the regular season. He continued to produce in the playoffs, scoring 11 goals and 19 points in 17 games, which help offset the loss of captain Steven Stamkos, who was out recovering from a blood clot.

Nikita Kucherov has the potential to be an elite scorer in the NHL and has shown what he can do in the regular season and playoffs. With free agency approaching in a few weeks, he is expected to get paid, and a lot for that matter. The Tampa Bay Lightning is confident that if a deal can’t be reached with Stamkos, Kucherov can take over and pick up where he left off.

That’s how valuable the young forward is to this team and he deserves to be in the top 5 in all-time draft picks in franchise history.

Next: Number Four

#4: Victor Hedman – 2009 NHL Draft, 2nd overall

Taken second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009, Victor Hedman has developed into one of the NHL‘s top defensemen and is still only 25 years old. The “Big Swede” is key cornerstone of the franchise and has emerged as the number one blue liner in Tampa Bay.

Hedman had a breakout season in 2013-14, racking up 55 points and rocketing himself into the Norris Trophy conversation for the league’s top defenseman. Though he would not be a finalist, his performance that year was only a glimpse of what was to come.

During the 2014-15 season, his numbers dropped, but he only played in 58 games due to injury. However, the playoffs turned out to be a much different story. Hedman played in all 26 games during the postseason and many analysts deemed this his “coming out party” because of the way he dominated on the ice.

And that’s just what he does: dominates on the ice. Hedman can do it all and what’s most impressive about him is that he can skate so smoothly with ease relative to his large frame (6’6″ 227 lbs). He’s able to join the rush and chip in offensively when needed, but also be there in the defensive zone to block shots and knock pucks from sticks with his long reach.

Winning a championship means a team must play well defensively throughout the year and the most recent Stanley Cup winners all have a number one defenseman in their defense corps. Victor Hedman is the Lightning’s top blue liner and he is in an important piece in the team’s quest for a second Stanley Cup. There are only a few players that are not expendable in order to win the Cup and he’s one of them.

Next: Number Three

#3: Brad Richards – 1998 NHL Draft, 64th overall

As we get into the Top 3 draft picks in franchise history, I’ll mainly be looking at the lasting impact each has had or will have on the Tampa Bay Lightning rather than just looking at how each of them play(ed) during their respective careers.

Drafted 64th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998, Brad Richards was brought into an organization that had just experienced one its worst seasons in franchise history, compared to now at least, and he followed behind the number one overall pick that year, Vincent Lecavalier. But, in the following years, he would be a part of a trio that climbed to the highest point in hockey.

Richards didn’t join the team right away and continued playing for his junior team, Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. After four seasons with the Oceanic, he finished with 147 goals and 442 points, so you could say the Lightning were eager to bring him up to the NHL.

He was known for his great playmaking abilities and passing skills and would shoot often while on the power play. Richards led the Lightning in points during the 2004 Stanley Cup run and was instrumental in the team’s success. He scored 12 goals and 26 points in 23 games in route to also being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP.

In the seasons following, Richards continued to dominate with the Lightning, including a 91 point campaign during the 2005-06 season. But, his legacy with the organization will likely be associated with his performance during the 2004 playoffs. It’s a full team effort, but without him, who knows if the Cup would’ve come to Tampa Bay that year.

Of all the draft picks the Lightning have selected, Brad Richards might be the most underrated. Though I can provide many exceptions to that (Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, etc.), he had a lasting impact on the organization and its fans and he might have been overshadowed by the other stars that have and continue to play in Tampa Bay, which is why I make that point. Richards is well deserving of the number three spot on this list.

Next: Number Two

#2: Steven Stamkos – 2008 NHL Draft, 1st overall

STAMMERTIME! The number one overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft is still in Tampa Bay and is hotter than ever, in terms of free agency, I mean. After a 31-42-9 finish in the 2007-08 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a 48.8% chance of winning the draft lottery and they did just that. With the number one pick, the Lightning selected the highly touted Steven Stamkos from the Sarnia Sting of the OHL.

In his eight seasons with the Lightning, the sharp-shooting center has racked up 312 goals and 562 points since the 2008-09 season. Stamkos has also scored the second most goals in the league with 289 since the 2009-10 season, just 17 behind Alex Ovechkin.

That scoring prowess has thrust him into a category of elite scorers in today’s NHL and he continues to pose a threat with his quick and accurate shot. Stamkos’s well-recognized shot has become sort of a brand for him and he’s been known for one-timing pucks into the net on the power play, similar to what Ovechkin does on the man advantage.

Stamkos has been to three Eastern Conference Finals with the Lightning and one Stanley Cup Final, but has yet to win a championship. He’s one of the hottest free agents on the market this summer and his legacy could rest on if he remains in Tampa Bay or leaves for another market. Many say he should stay since he has a fairly good chance to win it all in sunny Florida.

However, Steven Stamkos will be remembered for more than just winning a Stanley Cup here, if he does indeed do that in the future. In my opinion, the two-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner (top scorer in the league during the regular season) has already left an impact on the franchise and its fans. Stamkos has given the Tampa Bay Lightning an identity as captain and one of its top players, which is why he stands at the second best draft pick in team history.

Next: Number One - Who Could It Be?

#1: Vincent Lecavalier – 1998 NHL Draft, 1st overall

Perhaps the greatest player in franchise history, Vincent Lecavalier, nicknamed “Vinny,” was selected number one overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 1998 NHL Draft in Buffalo, NY.

Over the years, Lecavalier has become one of the most recognizable players in the Tampa Bay sports market and is still active in the community here. For a while, he was the face of the franchise, alongside players like Richards and Martin St. Louis, and served as captain for six seasons.

The Ile Bizard, Quebec native joined the Lightning during the 1998-99 season and scored 28 points in his first full season in the NHL. Lecavalier continued to improve and broke out with 67 points the following season. During the 2004 Cup run, he scored 66 points in the regular season and contributed 16 points in the playoffs, which was the second most on the team that year.

Two seasons later, Lecavalier put together a 108 point campaign in the 2006-07 season and he landed a spot on the cover of the popular video game, EA Sports NHL, in 2006. This only added to his popularity as a player and helped garner attention for the Lightning franchise. His 108 points that year stands as the most in one season by a Lightning player to this day.

In addition to his play on the ice, Lecavalier was actively involved in the community and he helped touch the lives of so many people in the region. He founded the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg and continued to raise millions for his foundation, which he started in 2003.

After he was bought out by the Lightning in 2013 as a result of his decline in overall play, Lecavalier joined the Philadelphia Flyers the next season, and in his return to Tampa Bay, the organization recognized him as a Community Hero during a game against the Flyers on November 27, 2013. Owner Jeff Vinik wanted to recognize the veteran for his countless efforts in the community while a member of the Lightning.

Though Vincent Lecavalier was known for his great vision, hard shot, and long reach, as well as the various franchise records he set, the kid from outside Montreal will always have a special place in the hearts of Tampa Bay Lightning fans.

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Lecavalier’s ending with team may not have ended as we hoped it would, but he definitely deserves to have his number four retired by the organization and he is for sure the greatest draft pick in franchise history.