Breaking Down the 5 Bolts Who Need to Step Up Most in the 2022-23 Season

1. Mikhail Sergachev

With the departures of both Ryan McDonagh via a trade to Nashville and Jan Rutta via free agency to Pittsburgh, someone needs to step up defensively in their place. With McDonagh being the second left-handed defender behind Victor Hedman, it is now up to 24-year-old Mikhail Sergachev to fill in his role.

Sergachev, who has been with the Lightning since 2017 after being traded from Montreal, has been a mainstay in the Bolts lineup since being traded. While being seen as one of the better defenders around the league, he has struggled at times with inconsistent play, especially regarding turnovers and giving up cheap penalties.

Now an experienced player who has been with the team for a few years, Sergachev needs to be a guy that the Lightning can depend on night in and night out and limit those inconsistencies. We have seen his flashes of excellence, such as in game five of the Eastern Conference Final where he had two points including a huge goal on the road for the Bolts to go up three games to two in the series.

With these flashes, however, come too many inconsistencies and mental lapses of Sergachev’s part. With all the potential and talent to become an elite NHL defenseman, Sergachev must heavily decrease these inconsistent plays and become the guy everyone thinks he can be in order to help the Bolts get back to the Final.

2. Cal Foote

Another young defenseman who has struggled with inconsistent play at times, Cal Foote is a guy who is going to need to mature very quickly as he is going to play a major role in the Bolts defensive rotation this year. With the departures of Rutta and McDonagh, Foote will be called upon to become an everyday defenseman, a role in which he is unfamiliar with so far in his NHL career.

At 23 years old, Foote played in 56 regular season games and 13 playoff games last year for the Bolts due to injuries defensively. A guy who many Bolts fans didn’t expect to see be a regular just yet in a playoff blue line, Foote stepped up and averaged around 11 and a half minutes of ice time a game in the postseason.

Now heading into his first full season as a permanent face in the NHL, Foote will be called upon to be a key piece of the Lightning defense and be a guy that can be relied on night in and night out.

3. Vladislav Namestnikov

A name Bolts fans know very well, Namestnikov is back in a Lightning uniform for the first time since the 2017-18 season when he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Rangers. Now back where he started his career in Tampa, Vladdy will be called upon to give the Bolts some offensive output.

While Namestnikov has struggled to find consistency in recent years, he had his two highest point totals while with the Lightning, tallying 44 points in the 2017-18 season and 35 points in the 2015-16 season. Now back with his old team, Namestnikov hopes to get that spark back and provide consistent offensive output for the Bolts.

If the Lightning want to have any chance of getting back to the Stanley Cup Final, guys like Namestnikov are going to have to be major contributors and give them big shifts every night.

4. Nick Paul

Following a huge postseason last playoffs, Paul was rewarded this offseason with a seven-year $22.05 million extension keeping him in Tampa for the foreseeable future. Now that he showed his ability and big-game prowess, Paul will be called upon to be a high-output player on offense as well as a physical presence on the defensive side.

Paul was acquired the day before the trade deadline last year from Ottawa in exchange for Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 4th round pick and was an instant spark for the Bolts. In 44 total games last year for the Lightning, he put up 23 points, including five playoff goals, two of which coming in game 7 of the first round against Toronto on the road.

With the departure of winger Ondrej Palat to New Jersey this offseason, Paul is going to have to continue his offensive production and show that he is worth the money, as he will be a key piece in hopes of a return to the Stanley Cup Final.

5. Brandon Hagel

The final impact player on my list is none other than Brandon Hagel. Hagel, who was acquired from Chicago just before the deadline last season, was another guy who was a key piece to the Bolts run to the Cup Final last year. Like Paul, he will be called upon to provide a good amount of offensive output this year and generate chances on the offensive end.

In 45 total games last year for the Bolts, Hagel recorded 13 points, six of which came in the playoffs. He is a guy who gives you consistency game in and game out and can provide a spark offensively, as well as through a big hit or fight every now and then. For Hagel, this season is going to be a big opportunity to become an even bigger part of a championship caliber team and prove that he is a good NHL forward.

Playing on a line with Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli, Hagel has a lot of chances to rack up assists and generate high-scoring chances in front of the net. Look for him to give the Bolts a lot of that and hopefully even more this year.