The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

***

Be sure to check out the Tampa Bay Lightning team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/tampa-bay-lightning/

To view past 32s go here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/

***

This was the first season the Lightning have played without former captain Stamkos since the 2008-09 season. Tampa managed to deliver an impressive but on-par season, finishing second in the Atlantic Division with 102 points and one of the more potent offenses in the league. Kucherov is still elite, and some new faces like Guentzel and McDonagh managed to gel well with the core and have very productive seasons. The regular season success didn’t carry into the playoffs. Matched up against their state rivals and defending champions Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay faltered. Losing the first game in lopsided fashion, the Lightning never regained momentum and were eliminated in five. The Lightning still have top-tier talent and a veteran core, yet they have struggled to make meaningful postseason runs in recent years. With a few prospects getting ready to refill the depth, the elite core still present, the Lightning look to keep their window open and push for another ring in the near future.

***

NHL Draft Recap

Round 2, 56 overall: Ethan Czata (C)
Czata is adept at positioning effectively, defending with patience, and anticipating moves. He picks up his checks, blocks passing lanes, and adapts to the play very quickly. One of the best players in defense for the Niagara IceDogs, Czata shadows opponents well, matching any move and closing space while using his physicality to deny and force opponents wide. His defensive game provides a steady base; it is Czata’s off-puck movement and deceptive playmaking that flash of a player who could do more. He creates offense with smart, quick passes and consistently finds soft spots to support teammates, scanning early and moving to openings before they emerge.

Czata uses a hint of deception in his playmaking to keep defenders guessing and hide what he is aiming for. This deception is best used near the net, where he consistently finds feeds into the slot by shaking or manipulating the defender to give him open lanes. Czata’s size, intelligence, and defensive game make him a likely candidate to play NHL games. If he can develop his offensive game more, he could turn into a dependable third-line centre who can contribute with points too. His defensive game and physicality should get him a fourth-line role if the offense never comes along.

Round 4, 108 overall: Benjamin Rautiainen (C)
Rautiainen has gone undrafted twice already, and this time, he finally heard his name. The Finnish winger is coming off a breakout season in Liiga with Tappara. Rautiainen’s talent in the offensive zone has never been in question. He has consistently proved himself as one of the most dangerous creators in Tappara. His quick hands, ability to control pace, and vision all stand out. What Rautiainen has managed to improve on to get drafted is his effectiveness in transition. He puts himself in a position to receive the puck in motion, takes on the forechecker, and beats his man cleanly, or passes it off to a now open teammate coming in with speed. His skating continues to make progress to the point where it isn’t a liability anymore. He is still a way out from becoming a good play-driver at the NHL level, but the trend is in the right direction. In defense, his game still needs work, still a bit uncertain to what or where in his zone. Rautiainen is improving, but he’ll likely never be more than a sub-par defender in the NHL. Speaking of the NHL, it remains a steep climb for Rautiainen. His archetype requires being placed in offensive roles and situations to be effective. He’s shown extraordinary resilience and perseverance to develop his game as much as he has. The coming season will be Rautiainen’s D+3 season, so a move to the AHL should come sooner rather than later.

Round 4, 127 overall: Aiden Foster (C)
Banger leagues, this one is for you! With 260 penalty minutes in just 134 regular-season games, Foster hits hard, plays hard, and he is going to make sure everyone on the ice fears him. Don’t be too hasty to write him off as an enforcer that can play in today’s game. Foster showcased skills and flashes that he can be an effective player. He goes out of his way to hit, isn’t afraid to fight, and often instigates by being a general pest. As the season went on, he grew in his abilities to use his body for more than checking, shielding, and leaning effectively when carrying the puck. Foster is a very straightforward player; he wants to go to the front of the net and will attempt to go through anyone in his way. There came instances where he deceived the defense with his straightforward nature, as when the defense commits to his drive, he cuts and slips a pass into the slot. Foster’s rather poor handling and subpar acceleration currently limit him. His current level is still far from the NHL, but he did improve as the year went on, and that improvement is what the Lightning are banking on. Foster has the traits to become a decent bottom-six, power-forward, and his physicality and pest-like nature should aid him, as all teams want one or two guys like that in the lineup.

Round 5, 151 overall: Everett Baldwin (D)
The most promising prep-level defender of the draft. Baldwin made appearances with the U.S. National U18 Team. A dynamic attacker who uses his blazing acceleration, great handling, and instincts in all facets of play. It became clear during the season that Baldwin was already too good to be playing in the prep level. He is constantly active roaming around the ice in offense to try and create advantages wherever he can. He has no problems taking on anyone with his speed and hands, driving to the net, and scoring. His skating and footwork are the keys to his defensive game, matching anything the attackers try and closing gaps rapidly. Baldwin is still learning the physical side of his game, with flashes of someone who can step up, but it’s still infrequent. He also needs more time to learn how to process the game off-puck when he isn’t the one dictating play. In the few USHL games he played, he struggled to adjust and couldn’t bring his offensive elements as well. Committed to Providence College for the 2026–27 season, Baldwin is a long project, but what he’s managed to do at the lower level makes him a great long-term investment for Tampa. If everything goes to plan, Baldwin looks to be a second-pairing offensive-defensman.

Round 7, 193 overall: Caleb Heil (G)
Heil is an average-sized goalie with good athleticism and the ability to make some jaw-dropping saves. The big issue with his game is that he does not stop pucks at a high enough rate. He allows too many soft goals due to his lacking abilities in positioning and overall technical game. Goalies are always more voodoo with their development than any other position; they take longer and develop very randomly. The Lightning took Harrison Meneghin last draft in the 7th, and he looks good so far, will Heil repeat that? Committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season.

Round 7, 206 overall: Roman Luttsev (C)
Luttsev was passed last season, but heard his name very late this year. The responsible centre, who was often tasked with taking on the dirty and defensive work for his lines. Luttsev is a complementary player on his line, possessing good speed and a wicked shot, the issue is he isn’t very capable of driving play himself, and his hands are quite slow. Grew two inches this year, and his physical game keeps progressing, which is good news as it’s what he needs to fight for a 4th-line defensive forward role. Luttsev got some KHL action at the end of the year, but very few minutes. It’s going to be a very steep climb for Luttsev, and it starts with cracking the KHL lineup this season.

Round 7, 212 overall: Grant Spada (D)
Big and mean, that is what Spada brings for now. His defensive abilities and shutdown game are what sell his game; he isn’t afraid to step up to keep pucks alive and will splatter players on the boards if given the chance. Spada’s skating is quite bluntly not good enough for the NHL at the moment. At the end of the season, Spada started showing more willingness to join rushes and help more on offense. At his size and aggression, skating and agility are the main keys for Spada, complementary offensive skills will go a long way in helping him earn a third-line or seventh defender role.

Round 7, 215 overall: Marco Mignosa (RW)
The oldest player in the draft, Mignosa, has had to slog his way through four years of OHL to finally hear his name at the very end of the 7th round. He has steadily progressed his game year over year, culminating in a season with 85 points in 58 games. Mignosa will likely jump straight into the AHL next season or could explore an NCAA route. Either way, he has to prove he belongs very quickly as a D+2 draftee entering his D+3 year. Mignosa has had to fight adversity and earn everything himself through his play and progression. He brings the chip on his shoulder that teams want seventh-round picks to have.

***

Off-Season Moves

Incoming (Remaining years, AAV)

Pontus Holmgren – 2 years, 1.5 Million
Harrison Meneghin – 3 years, 872k
Scott Sabourin – 1 year, 775k
Jakob Pelletier – 3 years, 775k
Boris Katchouk – 1 year, 775k
Simon Lundmark – 2 years, 775k
Nicholas Abruzzese – 1 year, 775k
Wojciech Stachowiak – 1 year, 775k
Charle-Edouard D’Astous – 1 year, 775k

Outgoing

Isaac Howard
Matt Tomkins
Cam Atkinson
Nick Perbix
Luke Glendening
Connor Sheary

Re-Signed

Yanni Gourde – 6 years, 2.3 Million
Jonas Johansson – 2 years, 1.2 Million
Gage Goncalves – 2 years, 1.2 Million
Maxwell Crozier – 3 years, 775k
Jack Finley – 3 years, 775k
Tristan Allard – 2 years, 872k
Steven Satini – 2 years, 775k

***

In the System

Risers

Gage Gongalves (LW)
Last year, when I did this article series for Tampa, I pegged Gongalves as the most likely candidate to get called up and earn NHL time, and that prediction came true. His play is now clearly too good for the AHL, and Tampa has noticed.

Spending most of the season with the Lightning, Gongalves’ deployment was all over the place, ranging from low-minute fourth-line games to logging over 20 minutes in the top-six on several occasions. The key here is the trend: as the season progressed, his ice time and deployment improved, finishing the year in the middle six, with many games starting on the second line.

The points followed that progression, twelve in the final 20 regular-season games, plus another four in five playoff games. Gongalves even saw second-line time in the postseason; needless to say, Tampa brass are trusting and investing in him. If he can secure a spot on the second power-play unit, a 40-point season doesn’t seem out of reach. For deeper leagues, if Gongalves is still sitting on the waiver wire, now is the time to grab him and hold to see how the start of the season unfolds, at least if a 20G, 20A player that gets a good amount of hits too would bolster your squad.

Dylan Duke (F)
After scoring 49 points in 41 NCAA games, it isn’t a question of skill for Duke, but rather how he handles the physicality of the higher levels. While this still needs work, Duke’s relentless motor and skill make him an effective and trusted player as soon as he laced up for Syracuse. At 5-10 and 176 lbs, Duke is on the smaller side. It’s a disadvantage that he will never be able to make up for. Bulking up can help mitigate some of the issues, along with his endless motor and willingness to play hard with good puck skills. Considering he immediately became a top forward for Syracuse and was rewarded with two NHL games, scoring his first NHL goal. Duke is trending upward. A future as a bottom-six NHL player seems very possible.

Maxwell Crozier (RHD)
The Lightning are a depth defenseman factory lately. Perbix, Lilleberg, Raddysh, now it seems Crozier might be next on the list. The steady season-over-season progression he’s shown can’t be ignored much longer. Crozier’s skating and aggressive nature work well in his role as the two-way pivot for the Crunch. He loves to activate and help the rush, even if I doubt that aspect will translate much to the NHL, where he won’t be asked to perform the same kind of duties he has in Syracuse. His role looks quite set as a bottom-pairing defensive player, but his offensive instincts will likely help him land the occasional points. In his limited NHL games, he has over two hits per game and one block. Crozier looks like the likely candidate to get called up when the first injury hits the Tampa blueline. 

*

Fallers

Hagens Burrows (F)
There haven’t been any big fallers in the system, but Burrows is one who I certainly hoped could have done more. Playing meager minutes with Denver, the low point totals are not much of a surprise. His skating and pace remain poor and must be addressed if there is any hope for him to break into the NHL.

Maxim Groshev (F/LHD)
I had to double and triple check that I was indeed seeing correctly, at 23 years old, the career winger had been converted to a defenseman. He will need time to adjust to this new position, and such a shift at age 23 raises concerns about his long-term NHL odds. Groshev’s move from forward to defense is extremely rare this late into a career and suggests the organization is trying to salvage his utility in a different role. I would recommend being very reserved with Groshev for now. Once he’s played a full season at his new position in the AHL, there will be enough time to properly rate his new trajectory and upside.

Ethan Hay (C)
Not sure how many realistically roster a 7th round pick, but for anyone who is, Hay is going to need some rocket boosters to get his trajectory to a level where he might have a shot at the NHL. Being a 4th liner in the OHL in your D+1 year is not the kind of trajectory that makes it to the NHL. Even bottom-six players in the NHL tend to have good scoring profiles in juniors and be a top player on their teams. I don’t want to write him off completely, as Hey does possess the energy and grit that you could see clawing his way into a depth role in the NHL, but it’s going to be one hell of a struggle for him.

*

Likely to see NHL action in order of likelihood

Connor Geekie
Gage Goncalves
Dylan Duke
Max Crozier
Jack Finley
Declan Carlile

***

Top 20 Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Tampa prospects whose current trajectory projects them to make the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1: Conor Geekie
2: Gage Goncalves
3: Jakob Pelletier
4: Sam O’Reilly
5: Dylan Duke
6: Ethan Gauthier
7: Niko Huuhtanen
8: Ethan Czata
9: Jason Shaugabay
10: Everett Baldwin
11: Harrison Meneghin
12: Joe Connor
13: Jack Harvey
14: Hagen Burrows
15: Max Crozier
16: Declan Carlile
17: Jan Golicic
18: Dylan Gill
19: Kaden Pitre
20: Benjamin Rautiainen

***

Final thoughts

Being good for so long has a cost, and it’s rather clear with the depth of Tampa’s prospect pool. The top names have fantasy relevance, but rather quickly, it drops off into a mass of long shots and fringe players who don’t stand out at all.

***

Thanks for reading!