30 in 30: Tampa Bay Lightning fantasy outlook

As part of NHL.com’s 30 in 30 series, our fantasy hockey staff is breaking down each team’s fantasy landscape. From most valuable assets to underrated options, impact prospects and more, this guide should help fantasy owners prioritize players for drafts.

Starting at the top: Steven Stamkos, C; Nikita Kucherov, RW

Stamkos, when healthy, is one of the best players in the NHL. He’s led the Lightning in goals in six of the past seven seasons; it likely would be seven straight had he not missed 45 games in 2013-14 because of a broken leg (he was tied for second on the Lightning with 25 goals). Stamkos also has finished second or better on the Lightning in points in six of the past seven seasons. He’s a machine on the power play with at least 10 power-play goals in six of seven seasons and has the potential for 250 shots on goal, a number he’s surpassed four times in eight seasons. He’s a top 10 forward bordering on top five and could be a steal if he’s passed on in the first round.

Kucherov had 30 goals, 66 points, nine power-play goals, 25 power-play points and 209 shots on goal last season, all NHL career highs. He was a plus-9, more in line of what to expect than his plus-38 of 2014-15, which tied for the League lead. The 23-year-old is a top 15 forward and should help in all categories except penalty minutes; he had 30 in 77 games last season and has 81 in 211 NHL games. There is no reason to think he won’t put up similar or better offensive numbers compared to the past two seasons.

Undervalued: Jonathan Drouin, LW

If Drouin’s success during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (five goals, nine assists in 17 games) translates to a full regular season, he could be in for a huge fantasy breakout. The No. 3 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft was able to produce in the postseason mostly on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat. Drouin played on the first power-play unit in the absence of Stamkos, and had six playoff power-play points (he has eight power-play points in 91 regular-season games). The biggest question facing Drouin’s value is whether he will mesh with Stamkos or play on the Lightning’s other top even-strength line with Tyler Johnson and Kucherov. Either way, Drouin seems to have put the …

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