This is interesting, without Kuch and Stammer some guys will have to step up.

Let's start with the defense. Losing Coburn won't hurt at all and I expect Foote to make their team out of camp.

At offense, Point, Cirelli and Killorn will have to be very good in order to compensate for Stammer and Kuch not being there, at least to start the year in Stamkos' case.

The x factor for them will be guys like Johnson and Gourde playing at their best potential level.

Here's how I'd build their opening night lineup:
Killorn-Point-Johnson
Coleman-Cirelli-Palat
Goodrow-Gourde-Maroon
Volkov-Stephens-Joseph

Hedman-Schenn
McDonagh-Cernak
Sergachev-Foote

Vasilevskiy
McElhinney

@Hedman4Norris
@Hedman77
@Ledge_And_Dairy

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uhhh isn't Stamkos going to be ready?

Julian Brisebois In his press conference Said Stamkos was healthy and ready to go day one of training camp

well to my knowledge stamkos should be ready go to begin the season but he is injury prone so we have to be prepared for the worst case scenario with such a great player is such a shame. In my opinion the philosophy of of the season will be structure, you cannot make johnson or killorn's celling higher than it actually is so likely 17-20 goal guys, gourde probably can have a decent season if he maintains good icetime and sticks with coleman they can both be very productive and solid as long as they stick. The structure that needs to be maintained is commitment from the forwards to play defensive hockey we'll likely have 3-2 games we won't run up the score if kuch and stammer become vacent at points in the season but if brayden point continues to be the rock star that I know he can be . . . He'll be looked at as a top 5 center in this league. I want to see cernak with sergachev, foote with mcdonagh, and hedman with rutta/schenn. hedman brings out the best of any of his partners, hedman can play with a scarecrow and they'll work out. Cernak and sergachev will likely be the number 2 pairing if the future, mcdonagh and foote will likely be the mentor-ship pair for foote. I believe mcdonagh or johnson will be taken in the expansion draft (mcdonagh because they would need a solid defender if they want to begin competitively or johnson because they would wand a decent seattle born player that can be catnip for the fan base). 1 step at a time though I am not sure if the lightning will lead the division this year but if we do it'll be because of structure and everyone pulling their weight, If i was going to predict somebody having a big year to play over their head in the regular season it would be blake coleman he is due for his big payday and he was no scoring slouch when he was a devil so maybe if he gets some good looks at the net we could see another 20+ goal season from him.

Palat - Point - Johnson
Killorn/Stamkos - Cirelli - Stamkos/Killorn
Goodrow - Gourde - Coleman
Maroon - Stephens - Volkov

Hedman - Rutta
Sergachev - Cernak
McDonagh - Foote

Vasilevskiy
McElhinney