Tampa Bay Lightning F Nikita Kucherov ranked No. 2 wing in the league by NHL Network

There is no denying Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov was a driving force for the Bolts last season. Now, other people are really starting to notice.

The Tampa Bay Lightning definitely had more than their fair share of obstacles to deal with in the 2016-17 season. The injury list grew exponentially, sometimes on a nightly basis, and the Lightning was depending more and more on their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, to help fill the void.

Amid all the chaos of the season, and it’s rather disappointing abrupt end, there was one player in particular who went above and beyond in the hopes of not only keeping the Lightning above water but actually maintaining hope for a postseason run. This player was Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov.

In the beginning, Nikita Kucherov was one of those incredibly talented players who unfortunately got lost in a sea of other equally talented players (i.e. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Victor Hedman, etc.) Now, Kucherov has shaken off the shackles of the past and is really forging a path for himself in the NHL.

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After his performance last season, one would expect the rest of the league would begin to notice. Well…Kucherov’ time has finally come, and Tampa Bay Lightning fans couldn’t possibly be happier.

Last night, NHL Network unveiled their list of the Top 20 wingers in the National Hockey League right now. It should come as no surprise Nikita Kucherov found himself with a comfy spot very near the top of the list. Of course, by near the top, we mean the second place position.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov has been ranked the No. 2 wing in the league right now by NHL Network.

As we alluded to before, this should come as no surprise to fans here in the Bolts Nation. In the 2016-17 season, Nikita Kucherov led the way for the Tampa Bay Lightning all but one scoring realm.

Kucherov played 74 games with the Bolts last season, and in this amount of time the Maykop, Russia, native was able to bring home 40 goals and 45 assists for a total of 85 points to go along with his plus-13 rating. These numbers placed Kuch in first place on the team in goals and overall points, while he placed second in assists. The first place in assists last season went to Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman with 56.

When the season came to an end, Kucherov had some pretty harsh words for some of his teammates. Obviously, he felt as if he was left holding the bag last season and expected a little more help from some of the other players on the ice.

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While Kucherov wasn’t entirely wrong in his assessment of the way the season played out, those words (and aforementioned actions) are in the past. Now, Kucherov is looking forward to a successful season with his team. Who knows? The Lightning may emerge from the ashes and actually make a solid run for the Stanley Cup in the 2017-18 season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman did a lot of hard work (and even performed a little magic) during the off-season to give the Lightning the absolute best chance at a successful season. While some of his decisions may have been suspect, there is no denying Yzerman has a successful track record and should be afforded at least a little good, old fashioned “benefit of the doubt.”

Hopefully, when the 2017-18 season kicks into high gear on Oct. 6, the Lightning will have a healthy Steven Stamkos, a healthy Ryan Callahan and Kucherov will get some of that much-needed assistance on the ice. Can you even imagine what the Lightning could achieve if they managed to stay healthy all season long?

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We don’t know about you, but we are incredibly excited to see what the Tampa Bay Lightning have in store for fans next season. Judging by the attitude of the players and the optimism of those in the know, the Lightning will be looking to make an impact in the coming season. The one thing we know for sure is, you won’t want to miss a moment of the action.