Tampa Bay Lightning’s top draft picks of each round the past decade

The past decade of drafts for the Tampa Bay Lightning came after a quick succession of impactful drafts — from 2007 to 2012 — that yielded many of the core players that propelled the Lightning to their run of success beginning with the Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2015. Starting with Alex Killorn in 2007, to Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2012, those draft years are directly linked to the success the team has enjoyed.

Since then, there have been holes in the roster that needed filling, and Lightning drafted players to fill them.

However, not all these players have stuck around in Tampa for a variety of reasons. Some have been casualties of there being a lack of opportunities to progress with an already established core, while others were included in trades. So, we will look at each player’s overall career since being drafted — whether with the Lightning or not, as well as how they currently project to finish out the remainder of their careers.

Here are the top picks of each draft round since 2013 by the Lightning.

7th Round — Sammy Walker

Draft year: 2017
Career stats: 9GP | 1G | 1A | 2P

While Walker has only just begun his NHL career this season, he already has a list of accolades built up since being drafted. That list includes winning the 2018 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award, serving as the University of Minnesota’s captain for three seasons, and a Frozen Four appearance in 2022.

However, after four successful seasons with Minnesota, the Lightning were reportedly only able to offer Walker an AHL contract, and thus he ended up signing with the Minnesota Wild.

With the Wild experiencing a severe cap squeeze next season due to a nearly $15 million dead cap hit, due to buyouts, the opportunity for Walker on a cheap deal to make an impact will be present and needed by the team if they are to be competitive as center remains one of their weakest position groups.

Honorable mention: Joel Vermin (2013)

Vermin played 24 games with the Lightning between the 2016 and 2017 seasons before signing in Switzerland, where he’s since consistently scored 25-35 points per season.

6th Round — Nick Perbix

Draft year: 2017
Career stats: 69GP | 5G | 15A | 20P

While the Lightning had trouble signing Walker and Guttman (below) after four college seasons, there was no such issue with Perbix, who also ended his college career after the 2022 season.

Only requiring 14 AHL games, it was not long before Perbix got the call-up to the NHL. As the season progressed, it became apparent that Perbix was setting himself up to be Victor Hedman’s partner going forward — a key role that needs to provide good puck movement while being sound defensively so that Hedman can have free rein on offense.

With a two-year extension already signed, Perbix is set to continue providing reliable two-way play for the Lightning on defense.

Honorable mention: Cole Guttman (2017)

Guttman, like Walker, had a successful NCAA career before not signing with the Lightning last summer as he won the 2022 NCAA Championship playing for the University of Denver.

This season, after a strong start in AHL Rockford, Guttman was called up by the Chicago Blackhawks towards the end of the season and posted 6 points in 14 games, and even centered a line of former Lightning players consisting of Taylor Raddysh and Tyler Johnson.

Even with the Blackhawks set to draft Connor Bedard this year, who should become their franchise No .1 centerman, Guttman has the opportunity and talent to become the team’s second-line center and be a key piece in their rebuild.

In my opinion, the argument to have him above Perbix could be made based off future expectations, but for now they are neck and neck as Perbix has had more time to prove that he is a legit NHLer.

5th Round — Kristers Gudlevskis

Draft year: 2013
Career stats: 3GP | 1.37 GAA | .959SV%

Gudlevskis’ NHL career only consists of the three games he played with the Lightning between 2014-16, but overall he has still had a successful playing career.

Perhaps the most memorable performance of his career, to-date, came less than a year after being drafted in the 2014 Olympic quarterfinal against Canada in which he stopped 55 of 57 shots faced, giving the Latvians a chance of pulling off a historic upset before ultimately losing 2-1.

After his time in Tampa, he was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for Carter Verhaeghe in 2017. But after posting sub .900 save percentage numbers in AHL Bridgeport, he returned to Europe where he has since played in multiple pro leagues across several countries.

Most recently, he backstopped MODO Hockey’s successful effort to rejoin Sweden’s top league (the SHL) after being on the outside looking in since 2016. And fun fact, Victor Hedman played for MODO Hockey’s junior teams before being drafted by the Lightning in 2009, and are based in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden — Hedman’s hometown.

Honorable mention: Magnus Chrona (2018)

Chrona was dealt to the San Jose Sharks at the 2021 trade deadline for Fredrik Claesson. He is yet to make his professional debut but had a successful NCAA career winning the 2022 NCAA Championship alongside Cole Guttman. With San Jose currently lacking a long-term starter in net, Chrona will have the opportunity to see NHL action with the Sharks — an opportunity he may have never got with Tampa as Vasilevskiy is locked-in long-term and Hugo Alnefelt getting closer to being the full-time backup.

4th Round — Ross Colton

Draft year: 2016
Career stats: 190GP | 47G | 36A | 83P

The fourth round is where we find Colton, our first draftee to have been a member of the Lightning’s run of Stanley Cup appearances from 2020-22. From bursting onto the scene with a goal in his NHL debut, to scoring the series-winning goal in 2021 Final, Colton’s presence has been felt in his relatively short career to-date.

As of now though, Colton’s future with the franchise is up in the air as the Lightning are navigating their remaining limited salary cap space with Alex Killorn, Tanner Jeannot, and Colton all unsigned. Colton’s name in particular has been rumored in trade talks to make salary cap room so that one of the others can fit for next season.

Should the Lightning part with Colton, it would be a major blow to their third line. But Colton will still have made an impact in his time with the team, with more to come wherever his next destination may be.

Honorable mention: Mathieu Joseph (2015)

In his four seasons with the Lightning, Joseph became a fan favorite as his high speed, high effort style of play was infectious to watch. Perhaps his biggest achievement with the team was filling in for an injured Killorn in the 2021 Final, helping to secure the team’s back-to-back championship title. Ultimately, his time in Tampa would come to an end at the 2022 trade deadline when he was included in the Nick Paul trade with the Ottawa Senators.

3rd Round — Brayden Point

Draft year: 2014
Career stats: 499GP | 218G | 245A | 463P

No surprises here. For those that knew Point was a third-round pick, this was never in doubt.

Point, the Lightning’s best draft pick over the past decade has been everything the team needed him to be and more. From cementing his spot as the top line center, to scoring clutch playoff goals, Point has arguably been the biggest driver of the team’s success since making his debut in 2016.

Signed through the 2030 season, Point will not be leaving the Lightning anytime soon. By the time his career in Tampa comes to a close, it is not hard to imagine that No. 21 will be hanging from the rafters of Amalie Arena one day.

Honorable mention: Anthony Cirelli (2015)

Tough luck for Cirelli here as he had to compete with Point, but in his own right he has been an irreplaceable piece to the Lightning’s recent success. He is trusted with the toughest assignments of any forward on the team and has had the biggest impact on the Lightning of any player drafted in the past decade, besides Point.

1st Round — Tony DeAngelo

Draft year: 2014
Career stats: 340GP | 45G | 154A | 199P

DeAngelo’s time in the Lightning organization did not last long as questions about his character and defensive ability clouded his future. He spent one season with AHL Syracuse — which was successful offensively as he scored 43 points in 69 games, but his -18 rating was tied for worst on the team — before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes during the 2016 draft for a second-round draft pick that would subsequently be used on Libor Hájek.

These same issues would persist at successive stops, with the character troubles becoming most apparent in a mix-up with then New York Rangers teammate Alexandar Georgiev. Teammates had to step in, and DeAngelo’s 4-season tenure with the Rangers was over.

A one-year stint with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022 helped rebuild DeAngelo’s reputation as he scored 51 points in 64 games with a +30 rating.

He signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers before this past season. And now, entering the final year of that deal, there has not been any talk of character issues — perhaps a result of now playing for John Tortorella — but his +/- rating regressed to -30 as the team as a whole struggled.

Looking ahead, DeAngelo’s usage is the highest it has ever been, and his offensive talent is unquestionable, but it is hard to see him ever fully getting a handle over the defensive troubles that have plagued his career. If he stays out of trouble, he looks set to be the Lightning’s top first-round pick from 2013-22.

Honorable mention: Jonathan Drouin (2013)

Drouin’s rise to stardom in Tampa was electric as he scored 95 points in 164 games before the age of 23. But after a trade request, and an ensuing back-and-forth between his agent and GM Steve Yzerman, Drouin was sent to Montreal for Mikhail Sergachev.

With the Canadiens, he initially matched his previous scoring numbers, but has largely not lived up to expectations in Montreal. Having admittedly worked through anxiety and insomnia health troubles, the potential is still there for Drouin to find his early career form under Habs head coach Martin St. Louis as he is only 28 years old.