Focusing on the backup goalie might seem weird given the contract status of franchise icon Steven Stamkos, but hear me out on this.
If the Lightning want to keep Stamkos, they will find a way.
I also suspect if they truly wanted to they would have done it by now, so it is possible they have already decided to move on.
Whatever they do there, though, the Lightning are still going to have a strong offense with a number of star players who can carry the scoring.
They also already addressed defensive depth by reacquiring Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators. That is a big need already addressed.
The reason I'm suggesting goalie depth is because they need to give Andrei Vasilevskiy more of a break throughout the season. He has played a ton of hockey over the past five years given all of Tampa Bay's deep playoff runs, as well as the fact that he has been one of the most durable goalies in the league.
But that workload is going to take its toll, especially as he gets older each season. If the Lightning have a more competent backup goalie who can spell him a little more often during the regular season, he might be fresher for the playoffs and not be as worn down.
He had two of the worst playoff showings of his career the past two postseasons, and fatigue might have played a role in that.
Give him some help. Give him a bit of a break.
