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5 Biggest Tampa Bay Lightning Rumors Heading Into the Offseason

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5 Biggest Tampa Bay Lightning Rumors Heading Into 2015 Offseason

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The Tampa Bay Lightning find themselves one win away from their second Stanley Cup Final, but they will face an intriguing offseason win or lose. While the team faces no real tough choices this summer, next year is an entirely different story, and it would behoove general manager Steve Yzerman to get a head start. Here are five Tampa Bay Lightning rumors entering the summer of 2015.

5. More Youth?

Anthony DeAngelo
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5. More Youth?

Anthony DeAngelo
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The Bolts are one of the youngest teams in the league, and there are more young players in the pipeline who can step in as soon as next year. Could the team look to move veterans to allow youngsters like Anthony DeAngelo to join the team and get more young legs in the lineup?

4. Goalie Carousel?

Ben Bishop
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4. Goalie Carousel?

Ben Bishop
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Bishop has been on another level all postseason and is one of the biggest reasons why the Lighting are where they are. That being said, Tampa has a pair of young potential stars in Andrey Vasilevsky and Kristers Gudlevskis. Could the Lightning look to “sell high” on Bishop and clear cap room as Bishop enters the final year of his contract?

3. Draft Strategy

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3. Draft Strategy

459006454
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Tampa will pick between Nos. 26-30 overall in the draft depending on how the season ends, so they could add yet another impact prospect. I expect the team to ignore position and take the best player available with QMJHL defenseman Jeremy Roy being a possibility.

2. Nikita Kucherov's Future

Buffalo Sabres v Tampa Bay Lightning
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2. Nikita Kucherov's Future

Buffalo Sabres v Tampa Bay Lightning
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The Russian sniper has been one of the best players in the league during the 2015 playoffs and had an amazing regular season to boot. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2016, but look for Steve Yzerman to get a three-year deal worth a total of around $ 9 million done to keep the Moscow native by the Gulf of Mexico for the foreseeable future.

1. Steven Stamkos' Extension

Steven Stamkos
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Steven Stamkos' Extension

Steven Stamkos
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The all-world sniper is a free agent next summer, and teams around the league would be backing up the Brinks truck to pay the Bolts’ superstar. Steve Yzerman will make sure that doesn’t happen by re-signing him ahead of free agency, giving No. 91 in the neighborhood of $ 70 million over eight years to ensure he keeps plying his trade in the Sunshine State for the prime of his career.

PowerPlayCJ is a writer for RantSports.
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