Tampa Bay Lightning: What would be the ideal top line in 2023-24?

Jon Cooper likes to mix and match lines for the Tampa Bay Lightning as the season progresses, but the core of the lines tend to stay consistent, barring injuries.

Historically, Cooper has leaned on the line Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Nikita Kucherov when he wants his absolute best unit on the ice, which is what he did in the playoffs against Toronto. But, when you load up the first line, it can lead to weaknesses among other lines.

What grouping would make up the most ideal top pairing for 2023-24?

Tampa Bay Lightning: Mix and match

Alex Killorn departed in the offseason to the West Coast, but five of the six mainstays from Tampa’s top six forward groupings are back (Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli joining the above-mentioned group).

This does leave a slot for a new face to join the top six. Nick Paul, Tanner Jeannot, and Conor Sheary are all going to get looks during training camp to bump up.

Sheary has the most playmaking pedigree of those three, and we anticipate getting the nod to start the season in the top six.

But then it leaves the question of where to slot him among that group. The easiest answer would be to keep Point, Stamkos, and Kucherov as the top line while putting Hagel, Cirelli, and Sheary together, and there will be times this season will probably see that happen.

The concern, though, is whether that pairing of a second line would have enough punch offensively. Hagel would obviously be the featured man, but Sheary has only topped 20 goals once in his career, and Cirelli has never topped 20 goals in a season.

The First Line

Point and Kucherov will for sure be on Tampa’s top line. The pair logged over 1,000 minutes of ice time during 5 v 5 play last season. Only about a third of that was with Stamkos, and the other two-thirds was with Hagel.

But a Stamkos, Cirelli, and Sheary second line leaves the same problem with scoring depth.

If Cooper really wants to maximize his resources and spread out his scoring depth, the following might be his best option:

First Line

• Kucherov
• Point
• Sheary

Second Line

• Hagel
• Stamkos
• Cirelli

Hagel and Stamkos didn’t play much together last season, but it would leave both lines with two 30+ goal scorers. Sheary would have to prove himself alongside Point and Kucherov to stay on the top line, but we would like to see Cooper try it out to start the season.