30 in 30: Inside look at Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 30 teams throughout August. Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The biggest question the Tampa Bay Lightning faced entering the offseason was if they would be able to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos before the free agent market opened July 1.

On June 29, the Lightning signed Stamkos to an eight-year, $68 million contract (average annual value of $8.5 million), which could keep him in Tampa Bay through the 2023-24 season.

The signing keeps the Lightning in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Stamkos, who was selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, scored 36 goals last season and has 312 in 569 games in his NHL career. He missed the first 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season after having surgery to remove a blood clot near his right collarbone. He returned for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“This team is on the verge of hopefully competing for Stanley Cups for years to come,” Stamkos said after re-signing. “I felt in my heart that Tampa was always the place I wanted to stay. It was just following my heart and being loyal to the organization that brought me up.”

With Stamkos signed, general manager Steve Yzerman was able to address other contract situations.

On July 1, Tampa Bay signed top defenseman Victor Hedman to an eight-year, $63 million contract extension (AAV of $7.875 million), which prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season. On July 17, the Lightning …

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