In our last gradebook article, we examined the left defenceman, who all earned solid grades. Now we look at our first forward group, the Left Wingers. In this article, we will take a look at each player's season note some of the good and the bad, and then give them an overall grade for the 2023-24 regular season. Please note that players' positions were chosen based on their most played position for guys who play more than one.
Steven Stamkos
Grade: A-
Starting with a big one. Steven Stamkos, who entered the year on the final year of his contract, got off to a slow start when it came to 5-on-5. However, Stamkos turned it on after the all-star break and finished with an impressive 40-goal season. Stamkos has been the centerpiece of this team since he got the C on his chest. He is not only an elite player but a fantastic captain as well. There's no question Stamkos deserves an A.
Pros and Cons
Con - The one Con has to be Stammers 5-on-5 play. Even though he did turn his game around late, it was still one of the weakest points of his game. Power play goals are still goals, but as we saw in the postseason, you can't always rely on the man advantage.
Pro - While the 5-on-5 was a part of the con, his power play was so good it gets to be in the pro section. Stamkos was a massive threat from his office, and with Kucherov always keeping the defense on their toes, that duo was a huge reason the Lightning had one of their best years on the power play. Not to mention, Stamkos was by far the best player on the ice for the Lightning in the postseason.
Continuing with the pro side, Stamkos's leadership can sometimes get overlooked when focusing on stats. Despite dealing with contract negotiation drama, Stammer did not let any of that distract him from his job. We constantly hear about how much the players love having Stamkos as a Captain. Just look at the interview with returning defenceman Ryan McDonagh, who praised Stamkos and his leadership when asked what Stamkos meant to the Bolts.
Contract
Stamkos is set to become an FA on July 1st, and we have heard plenty about the situation after there seemed to be some drama between the two sides after Stamkos was asked about it before the season. However, Stamkos and GM JBB continued to say they both want the same thing—Stamkos in a Lightning uniform.
The Ryan McDonagh acquisition quickly raised questions about how the Lightning could sign Stamkos with so many free agents and so little cap space and whether other moves would be on the horizon to make space. But JBB maintained that they could still get a good deal done with Stamkos and that contract negotiations are "ongoing."
Brandon Hagel
Grade: A
Brandon Hagel is continuing to push for being one of the best trade acquisitions of all time. Hagel has been a great top six forward has shown captain-like traits at times, and brings unmatched energy to every game. He probably deserves an A just for his celebrations, but his play on the ice is more than enough to do that on its own.
Pros and Cons
Con - There really wasn't too much to complain about when it came to Hagel's play. The one drawback you could find was how many penalties he took. Hagel finished 3rd on the team in penalty minutes and finished with the most minor penalties on the team. If Hagel can lower those numbers even a little it will make him that much better. Because while he is taking a lot of penalties, he is also drawing a lot of penalties, finishing with 30 drawn penalties on the season.
Pro - Hagel is truly a Jack of all trades. He scores goals, makes great plays, draws penalties, is not afraid to throw the body, and has a solid defense. Even though his plus/minus took a hit from last season, Hagel was one of only 13 players on the Lightning this year to finish with a positive goal differential on a team that struggled defensively. Not to mention, he more than made up for his defensive mistakes with 75 points, which was a career-high.
Contract
Hagel's 8-year extension worth 6.5 million yearly will start this upcoming season, so he is here to stay. With how his production has continued to improve, this is looking like another steal of a deal by JBB.
Anthony Duclair
Grade: B
It was a small sample size with Duclair with just 17 GP after the Lightning acquired him at the trade deadline. But he was fantastic in those 17 games played. Ducalir gave the Lightning a much-needed boost to make a big playoff push at the end of the season.
Pros and Cons
Con - There wasn't much to complain about from Anthony Duclair, especially in the limited sample size we saw. Really, the only negative was that he cooled off in the last few games and into the postseason.
Pro- The offense Ducalir brought was a much-needed boost for the Lightning, who had lost a lot of their depth-scoring. Ducalir gave the team a jolt and a presence in front of the net. He was also solid defensively, finishing with a +4 on the Lightning.
Contract
Duclair is now a UFA, and while it is unlike the Lightning to acquire rentals, Ducalir may have priced himself out of Tampa. After the Acquisition of Ryan McDonagh and Stamkos being a UFA with just around 5 million in cap for the Lightning it's hard to see where he fits in.
Ducalir is a solid player who can score and play a solid defensive game and he can likely get a decent payday. Unless other players are moved or Duclair is willing to take a very team freindly deal he will likely be on a diffrent team next season.
Conor Sheary
Grade: D
Conor Sheary had the most disappointing season of any Lightning player. Expecting to play a larger top-six role, Sheary found himself in the bottom-six or not playing at all by the end of the season. Sheary had glimpses of good play but was nowhere near what was expected.
Pros and Cons
Con - Sheary had some big streaks this year, but they were goal droughts. He did find some success when playing with Kucherov (Kucherov was setting up everyone and anyone this year) but again constantly found himself snake-bitten or dealing with injuries. Sheary consistently scored 30+ points in multiple seasons and only reached 15 with the Lightning.
Pro - While Sheary did not have a good season, his defense was decent. He finished as a -3, which isn't great, but he was still one of the higher +/- stats on the Lightning this season.
Contract
Sheary has two years remaining on his deal at two million per year. Sheary is a cheap player, which the Lightning need with their cap situation. He has been a player whose name has been floated around by fans as a possible player to trade to help free up cap space, but there are no current reports to back that up.
If Sheary does indeed return next season, hopefully, he can increase his production and get back to the player he was a season ago.
Tyler Motte
Grade: B
Motte, who was brought in to try and help revitalize a depleted bottom-six, had a very solid year. While he didn't dominate on the stat sheet, there was still a lot to like about his offensive and defensive game.
Pros and Cons
Con - While Motte is not expected to put up a ton of points, you maybe would have liked to see his offensive production be a little higher. It was not bad for the type of player he is, but he has put up higher point totals before. There really isn't much to complain about overall for Motte.
Pro - Motte shined mostly through his defense. He was solid on the penalty kill and finished with an -8 in the year. Again, while an -8 might seem bad, it's not the worst for how bad the Lightning were defensively. He was also solid in the faceoff circle, winning 50% of his draws, something the Lightning have rarely been able to do in the past.
Contract
Motte is a UFA, but it would not be surprising to see him brought back, considering he would likely be on another cheap deal (800k last season) and played well with the Lightning, who will again be up against the cap.
Alex Barré-Boulet
Grade: F
Another season has come and gone, and once again, ABB just could not make the transition at the NHL level. Likely his last shot, at least with the Lightning ABB has so much potential but just can't find a way to score like many hoped that he could.
Pros and Cons
Con - ABB was one of the top scorers in the QMJHL when he originally signed with the Lightning, and we saw that again this year with ABB playing 19 games in the NHL, finishing with 4 goals, 15 assists for a total of 19 points while tallying just 9 points in 36 games played with the Lightning. And while he is not playing top-line minutes in the NHL, there is a significant drop off in production.
Pro - ABB is a fantastic AHL player. When playing full seasons with the Crunch, ABB is more than a point-per-game player, which is always helpful for the guys he is playing around and the team as a whole.
Contract
ABB is set to become a UFA this offseason, and it's hard to see how he fits in with the Lightning. With the team against the cap once again, every penny counts, and ABB's production just hasn't been there. He could return on a league-minimum deal where he plays for the Crunch, but after six years in the Lightning organization, it may be time to move on.
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