NHL Saturday takes a gander at a powerful franchise that has done well for itself in a locale where the population is not great—but the desire to watch hockey is. That’s right: all the retirees in South Florida who came there from the East Coast cities love their ice time, even in muggy Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg. The Lightning were born in 1992, yet they’ve won three Stanley Cups, while losing in the Finals twice as well.

No. 10: Brad Richards, C—46 PS (2000-2008)

A third-round pick, the Lightning got good value here, as he finished second in 2001 Calder vote, won the Lady Byng in 2004, and helped the team win its first Cup ever, too, winning the Conn Smythe vote. He lost a year in his 20s to the canceled season soon thereafter, but in seven overall campaigns, he played pretty well for the franchise. During the 2004 playoffs, he led all skaters in goals, power-play goals, and game winners.

No. 9: Ondřej Palát, LW—47 PS (2012-2022)

Picked in the seventh round, he stuck with the team for a successful decade, which included four trips to the Cup Finals. He, too, finished second in Calder vote (2014) and posted a plus-147 rating in his 10 seasons in a Lightning sweater. He topped all skaters in the 2015 playoffs with four PPGs, and he led his peers in the 2022 playoffs with 11 even-strength goals. Oddly, though, he peaked with with 7.9 Point Shares as a rookie.

No. 8: Alex Killorn, C/LW—48 PS (2012-2023)

The No. 77 overall pick out of Harvard, he played smart hockey in Tampa Bay for 11 seasons, although he was never an All Star or a serious contender for any major trophies. Sometimes, it’s grinders like this that make all the difference, though. For example, he led all players with 42 PIMs in the 2016 playoffs. His best season with the team was his final one, with 6.9 PS overall. Not a star, but he does have two Cup title rings.

No. 7: Brayden Point, C—64 PS (2016-present)

We gave him our Conn Smythe in 2020 as the Lightning won their first of back-to-back Cups. If nothing else, that makes his third-round draft status an overwhelming successful move. He’s never been an All Star, despite topping all skaters in the 2020 and 2021 postseasons with 14 goals in each playoff run. He just seems to show up when the team needed him most, really. Nothing to complain about there at all, is there?

No. 6: Andrei Vasilevskiy, G—94 PS (2014-present)

A first-round pick, he’s been the anchor of the team’s defense for a decade. Five seasons in a row, he led the league in wins (2018-2022), yet he’s only been a two-time All Star (2019, 2021). He won the Conn Smythe in 2021, as the team won its third Cup overall. He also took home the Vezina vote in 2019, as well. He topped his peers in shutouts once (2018) and Goalie Point Shares once (2021), too. Yeah, he’s been pretty darn good.

No. 5: Vincent Lecavalier, C—95 PS (1998-2013)

One of the leaders on the first-ever title team for Tampa Bay, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft—and justified it with our nod for the Hart Trophy in 2007. Oddly, that was his only All-Star season, too, despite posting at least four seasons with 9.3-plus PS (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008). He led all skaters with 7 EVGs in the 2004 postseason, and he also topped the NHL in the same category once as well (2007). Yes, he earned it all.

No. 4: Nikita Kucherov, RW—103 PS (2014-present)

Despite not playing in the 2020-2021 season, he still ranks this high on the list as a late second rounder: a five-time All Star (2017-2020, 2024), the 2019 Hart winner, and our 2024 Hart winner, too. Throw in two assists crowns (2019, 2024) and two scoring titles (2019, 2024), and you see what kind of stud he’s been as the team has won two Cups (2020-2021) and lost in the Finals twice with him skating hard (2015, 2022).

No. 3: Martin St. Louis, RW—107 PS (2000-2014)

A legend for the franchise, he came over from Calgary at age 25 and launched the organization to relevance for a very long time. A five-time All Star (2004, 2007, 2010-2011, 2013), he also lost a season in his prime to the lockout year, but that didn’t stop him from winning the Hart vote in 2004 and two scoring titles (2004, 2013). He also won the assists crowns in those same two seasons as well. He added three Lady Byngs, too.

No. 2: Victor Hedman, D—122 PS (2009-present)

Another cornerstone of four different Cup Finalist squads, he was a No. 2 overall pick who has made six All-Star teams (2017-2022) while somehow never really threatening to win a Norris trophy. That’s very odd! But in posting 24:59 ATOI across 165 playoff games, it’s clear he was just as vital as his teammates also on this list in reaching the Cup Finals four different times. Then again, he did win the 2020 Conn Smythe vote.

No. 1: Steven Stamkos, C—142 PS (2008-2024)

A former No. 1 overall pick, he spent 17 dominant years with the Lightning, winning two goal-scoring crowns (2010, 2012) and making All Star twice (2011-2012), as well. Injuries surely cost him a lot of games over the years, but he still posted 1,137 points in 1,082 regular-season games before leaving this past offseason for Nashville. In 2012 and 2022, he topped all skaters in GWGs, and he’s one of our favorites, too.