2026-27 Lightning Prospect Pyramid

By Michael Wax

Every year, Lightning fans and pundits go through the team's Prospect pool to see who might be that next great diamond in the rough.  Development camp, the prospect showcase, and the preseason let us see who might make an impact in the future.

Last season, the Lightning only saw two debuts from the prospect pyramid: Maxim Groshev and Dominic James. Only Jack Finley saw more playing time than the prior season, and he was eventually claimed off waivers. Just because you make this pyramid, it doesn’t mean you’re a lock for the NHL. Conversely, being excluded doesn’t mean your NHL dreams are over.

Before we get to the pyramid itself, let’s look at which players are no longer on the prospect pyramid and why:

Niko Huuhtanen - Released 

A prospect I was massively high on, Huuhtanen only played six games between the AHL and ECHL before requesting his release to go back overseas.

Jack Finley - Waived

After consistent injury trouble, Jack Finley finally cracked the big-league roster as the fourth-line center. Though he continued to be shuffled in and out of the press box, Finley appeared in 22 games, scored two goals, and added an assist. Finley mostly struggled in the face-off circle, a major positive in his AHL game, and the Lightning eventually placed him on waivers before the St. Louis Blues claimed him.

Declan Carlile - FA

A regular for the first time in his NHL career, Carlile played 42 games for the Lightning, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Carlile also struggled to stay out of the box, logging 40 penalty minutes. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, Carlile signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Dominic James - Graduated

A late signing last year out of the college free-agent pool, and a tier-five prospect on last year's list, Dominic James surprised many with his brilliant preseason play. He earned a call-up from AHL Syracuse well before anyone expected. James rewarded the Lightning's faith in him by skating in 43 NHL games last year and scoring seven goals and adding 15 points overall. Even after a bad injury, James returned in game one of the playoffs and was arguably the Lightning's best player, scoring two goals and adding an assist, including the only goal in game 7. While he will miss the start of this season with a broken hand, James's future looks very bright, and the Lightning clearly believe in this kid. 

Maxim Groshev - Graduated

Groshev has gone through a lot in the Lightning organization, including a position change, and has succeeded well enough to make his NHL debut last year. The problem is that Groshev will be 25 this season, effectively disqualifying him from this list as a prospect.

Before we get to the pyramid, I want to thank Steve Dangle for coming up with this idea with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2016. That being said, let’s get started:

Tier 1: No one

While the cupboard is more stocked than it has been in a long time, the Lightning still have no “can’t miss” prospects.

Tier 2: Benjamin Rautiainen

The biggest riser from last year's prospect pyramid, Benjamin Rautiainen dominated for Tappara Tampere in SM-liiga in 2025-26. At 20, Rautiainen potted 25 goals and 52 assists for 77 points, leading Tappara in scoring and Liiga as a whole. It wasn’t just a great season; it was historic. Rautiainen became the first Liiga skater in over 20 years to record 70 points, and he did it at just 20 years old:

Rautiainen added a goal in his only game this year with Tappara, and made a strong impression as the last cut during preseason with the Lightning. Another strong showing overseas could give him a shot at a roster spot in 2027-28.

Tier 3 - Sam O'Reilly, Ethan Czata, Ethan Gauthier, Oleg Kulebyakin

Tier 3, once again, has four prospects. Three mainstays and a new addition:

• Sam O'Reilly - For the second straight year, Sam O’Reilly is in tier 3. After being acquired by the Lightning for Isaac Howard, O’Reilly put together another exemplary season in the OHL with both the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers. O’Reilly was so dominant in the playoffs that he put up nearly a goal per game (17 goals in 18 games) as he captured his second straight Memorial Cup, earning MVP in the process. Impressive during pre-season, O’Reilly will likely see his first NHL action this season should there be an injury or he shines in Syracuse.

• Dylan Duke - A third straight year in the third tier isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but this year does feel like a pretty important one for the 23-year-old. In his second full season with Syracuse, Duke led the AHL with 18 power-play goals and finished 4th in the league with 32 overall. His 59 points ranked tied for 2nd on the Crunch. Despite his smaller stature, he’s a great forechecker, and he worked on improving his strength over the offseason as he heads into year 3 with the Crunch.

• Ethan Gauthier - Heading into his second professional season with the Syracuse Crunch, Ethan Gauthier received a bit of a culture shock in his first season with Syracuse last year. A prolific goal scorer in the QMJHL, Gauthier only scored 12 goals and 27 points with Syracuse in year one. Gauthier, to his credit, understood during the prospect showcase that the situation has changed, and he’s got to be ready for it:

“I'm coming into this year with different mindset. I think the last few years I was here to learn more, and this year the mindset is making that roster.” - Gauthier

• Oleg Kulebyakin - A new addition to the prospect pool, Oleg Kulebyakin was drafted in the 2nd round (52nd overall). The Lightning drafted up to select the young Russian, which speaks to how highly they believe in the kid. Last season in his first year in the QMJHL, Kulebyakin scored 29 goals and 73 points in 64 games, leading the Halifax Moosehead in scoring. He struggled in the playoffs, with only two assists in four games and a staggering -9 +/-, but that’s a small sample size. A big fan of Nikita Kucherov, Kulebyakin’s skating stride and processing look very similar to the greatest Bolt of all time. Kulebyakin will be back in the QMJHL for 2026-27, and is committed to the University of Massachusetts for 2027-28.

Tier 4 - Ethan Czata, Daniil Pylenkov, Jack Pridham, Tomas Kralovic, Jayson Shaugabay, Joona Saarelainen

This tier, more than any other, sees a crazy shift from last year:

• Ethan Czata - Now in his second year in the Lightning organization, Ethan Czata is a skilled two-way forward with a bit of a temper. The 19-year-old scored a career-high 25 goals in 63 games with Niagara in the OHL before coming over to the Crunch for a three-game tryout. In his combined 66 games between the OHL and AHL, he racked up 96 penalty minutes. Czata was also suspended twice in the OHL and once in the AHL. A very talented player, Czata will need to keep his temper in check to regain the Lightning’s trust. 

• Daniil Pylenkov - One. More. Season. The 25-year-old is best defensive prospect in the Lightning’s system, only has one more season on his KHL contract, and then could very well make his way to Tampa. After a big jump in numbers last year (34 → 54 points year-over-year), Pylenkov already has five points in nine games so far this season. He’s defensively responsible, with positioning being a big factor. A franchise record holder for Dynamo Moscow, the biggest question now is if he’ll ever suit up for the Bolts.

• Tomas Kralovic - The Lightning's defensive prospect cupboard needed a significant shot in the arm. Enter Tomas Kralovic. A third-round pick out of Slovakia in 2026, Kralovic has already signed his entry-level contract and impressed the Lightning with his offensive upside. While he's good in his own zone, he leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to clearing players away from the net. With professional league experience in his back pocket, the 21-year-old will be tasked with providing top-four minutes for a transitional team in Syracuse. 

• Jack Pridham - Acquired by the Lightning in June, Pridham was a teammate of fellow prospect Sam O’Reilly on the Kitchner Rangers last season. As an overager, Pridham exploded for 90 points in 65 games and averaged nearly a point per game in the playoffs for the Memorial Cup Champions. Pridham is very good in his own end and excellent off the rush. He’s headed to the NCAA with the Denver Pioneers, another organization accustomed to winning. This will be a big year for the soon-to-be 21-year-old.

• Jayson Shaugabay - After a solid first season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Jayson Shaugabay became the leader at UMD in every sense of the word. With over 20 minutes of ice time a night, Shaugabay led all Bulldogs in assists (32), shattering the previous year’s total of 14. Shaugabay isn’t the best defender, but his quick transition game lets him get into the right spot in the offensive zone. Third on the Bulldogs in points for a second consecutive season, the 21-year-old will look to win a national championship and impress the Bolts for an ELC.

• Joona Saarelainen - In his third season in SM liga, Joona Saarelainen showed tremendous promise with eight goals and 24 points in 51 games, including five Points in 11 playoff games. He also turned heads at the World Junior Hockey Championships, where he put up four goals and six points in seven games for Finland. Solid on the back end, his offensive strides over the past year have raised hopes that he could one day make his way to North America and challenge for a roster spot. 

  
  

Tier 5 - Noah Steen, Dyllan Gill, Connor Kurth, Michael Mignosa

• Noah Steen - Another prospect who took a giant leap last season, Noah Steen more than doubled his goal total (5 → 12) and went from one assist to 10 in 52 games last year with Orebro HK in Sweden. Steen finished 6th on the team in scoring, but was the youngest of those six by three years. Already with pro experience under his belt, Steen will look to build upon the five games he played for the Crunch last year and earn a full-time spot in Syracuse to continue his development.

“It was way different for sure. It was really helpful, to be honest, to get those those games in Syracuse, to get to know what what what I'm like coming back to over to training camp now. It's been really helpful, and especially like over the summer, I like knew what I had to work on. It's a lot more plays on the walls, and it's a lot tighter, so you have to make decisions faster. So that's something I've been working on all summer.” - Steen

• Dyllan Gill - In his first full season of professional hockey, Dyllan Gill was relegated to the ECHL for most of the season. While he put up admirable numbers, he was more focused on his defensive game. After some hope for the 7th-round pick in 2024-25, the clock seems to be running out on the 22-year-old.

• Connor Kurth - There's still hope for Connor Kurth, but last year didn't go as planned. After a spectacular collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, Kurth spent his entire 2025-26 season in the ECHL between the Orlando Solar Bears and the Reading Royals. While he definitely looks like he took a step forward this summer and was originally assigned to the crunch following Lightning training camp,  Kurth will need to display above-and-beyond production to regain the Lightning's faith.

• Marco Mignosa - Someone who wasn't on the prospect pyramid last year but was in the honorable mentions, Marco Mignosa Put together another very solid season as an overager in the OHL. 35 goals and 89 points in 65 games put him at the very top of the Soo Greyhounds leaderboard by over 30 points, and he also added seven goals and 17 points in 10 playoff games, by far the most on the team. The jump this year will be very real, as he's projected to be in the top six for Penn State as they look to compete for a national championship.

Tier 6 - Everyone else

Names can come out of nowhere and land on this list. Guys like John Golicic, Tristan Allard, Caleb Hiel, Morgan Anderberg, and Grant Spada all have the opportunity to become the next unheralded gem, much like Brandon Hagel or Dominic James.

That is it for this addition to the Lightning prospect pyramid. Huge thanks to The Athletic, Elite Prospects, and Future Bolts on Twitter for their excellent analysis and coverage of some of these prospects who will hopefully make an impact at the NHL level one day.

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