Top 10 Best Tampa Bay Lightning Players of All Time

Though the Tampa Bay Lightning have only been around for 30 seasons, they have overtaken the hockey world by storm. With three Stanley Cup wins, the Tampa Bay Lightning have made quite a mark on the NHL. Listed below are the ten best players in Tampa Bay history.

Who Are the Best Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Players of All Time?

1. Steven Stamkos
2. Martin St. Louis
3. Victor Hedman
4. Vincent Lecavalier
5. Nikita Kucherov
6. Andrei Vasilevskiy
7. Brayden Point
8. Alex Killorn
9. Brad Richards
10. Ben Bishop

1. Steven Stamkos

• Two-time NHL Second Team All-Star
• Seven-time All-Star Game selection
• Two-time Richard Trophy winner
• Two-time Stanley Cup Champion

Steven Stamkos was drafted number one overall in 2008 by the Tampa Bay Lightning as a forward. He has played with the Lightning for his entire career and continues to play for them today. He holds Lightning franchise records in goals, points, goals created, even strength goals, power play goals, game-winning goals, hat tricks, goals per game, goals created per game, adjusted goals, adjusted points, adjusted goals created, total goals on-ice for, power play goals on-ice for, offensive point shares, and point shares. Stamkos holds the number one slot in Tampa Bay franchise records for nearly every offensive stat.

Furthermore, Stamkos led the Lightning to back-to-back NHL championship wins in 2020 and 2021 as a team captain. He has been the Lightning’s team captain since 2014, only six years after being drafted. Any other Lightning player has never matched his dominance on offense.

2. Martin St. Louis

• 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
• 2017 Tampa Bay Lightning Retired Number (26)
• Six-time All-Star Game selections
• Five-time NHL First and Second Team All-Star
• 2004 Stanley Cup Champion

Martin St. Louis played 972 games with the Lightning with 365 goals, 588 assists, and 953 overall points. He averaged 0.376 goals per game, 0.605 assists per game, and 0.980 points per game over his 13-season stint from 2000 to 2014 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. St. Louis holds Lightning franchise records in assists (588), short-handed goals (28), and adjusted assists (662).        

The Canadian-born right-wing forward’s expert ability to create assists set him apart from other Lightning players. Furthermore, St. Louis was with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won their first Stanley Cup in 2004, beating out the Calgary Flames 4-3. Therefore, St. Louis was part of the first Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Champion team. He briefly served as a captain for the Lightning from 2013-2014 until he left for the New York Rangers.

3. Victor Hedman

• Six-time NHL First and Second Team All-Star
• Four-time All-Star Game selection
• Two-time Stanley Cup Champion

Drafted as the second overall pick in 2009, Victor Hedman has made quite the mark on the NHL. The defenseman has 143 goals, 509 assists, and 652 total points over 974 games played with the Tampa Bay Lighting. Over those 974 games, Hedman averaged 0.147 goals, 0.523 assists, and 0.669 points: excellent numbers for a defenseman. Hedman holds Lightning franchise records in plus/minus (157), total goals on-ice against (1101), and defensive point shares (55.0).

As the franchise record holder in plus/minus, Hedman has proved his effectiveness at working short-handed. A greater plus/minus score means a player can make goals when their team has fewer players than the opposing team (due to injuries or penalties). This shows Hedman’s ability to adapt. Therefore, while Hedman is arguably one of the greatest Tampa Bay defenders of all time (he has the most defensive point shares), he also has the unique ability to shine on offense when needed.

4. Vincent Lecavalier

• 2004 Stanley Cup Champion
• 2018 Tampa Bay Lightning Retired Number (4)
• Four-time All-Star Game selection
• 2006-2007 Richard Trophy winner 

Like Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier was a Canadian center who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Lecavalier was on the Lightning much earlier, playing from 1998 to 2013. Lecavalier played in 1037 games, scoring 383 goals and making 491 assists for a total of 874 points. He averaged a respectable 0.369 goals, 0.473 assists, and 0.843 points per game over his long career.

Lecavalier holds a Tampa Bay franchise record in games played (1037) and shots (3166). Lecavalier deserves all the credit he gets due to his longevity. His persistence in playing games and taking shots set him apart from other Lightning players. Furthermore, Lecavalier was a member of the first Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lighting team, as he was on the team when they beat the Flames to win in 2004.

5. Nikita Kucherov

• 2018-2019 Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• Four-time NHL First and Second Team All-Star
• Four-time All-Star Game selection
• Two-time Stanley Cup Champion

Nikita Kucherov was a Russian forward who has played for the Lightning since 2013. He has made 276 goals, 453 assists, and 729 points over 644 games played, averaging an astonishing 0.429 goals, 0.703 assists, and 1.132 points per game. Additionally, he holds a franchise record in points per game (1.13) and assists per game (0.70).

Since most of Kucherov’s records involve per-game stats, Kucherov could be considered one of the most (if not the most) effective Tampa Bay Lighting players on offense of all time. Furthermore, he has won the Stanley Cup twice in 2020 and 2021. Finally, Kucherov’s inhuman 2018-2019 season sets him apart from other Lightning players. In the 2018-2019 season, Kucherov won the Art Ross Trophy (regular season scoring champion), the Hart Memorial Trophy (regular season MVP), and set a Lightning franchise record for most points in a season with 128.

6. Andrei Vasilevskiy

• 2020-2021 Conn Smythe Trophy winner
• 2018-2019 Vezina Trophy winner
• Two-time NHL First Team All-Star
• Five-time All-Star Game selection
• Two-time Stanley Cup Champion

Andrei Vasilevskiy is a goaltender who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning drafted him in the first round in 2012 as the 19th overall pick. Since then, Vasilevskiy has been the Lightning’s last line of defense: a role he undoubtedly shines at. Vasilevskiy holds Tampa Bay franchise records in power play goals on-ice against, games played (goalie), wins, losses, ties, goals against, shots against, saves, shutouts, minutes, goals saved above average, goals allowed against, and goalie point shares.

Though some may argue that Ben Bishop was a better goalie, quoting his record 0.921 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy holds records in many other important categories and is only losing to Bishop in save percentage by 0.002 (Vasilevskiy’s save percentage is 0.919). Andrei Vasilevskiy’s incredible win and shutout counts set him apart from other Lightning players. Furthermore, Vasilevskiy was the MVP of the playoffs the second year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup.

7. Brayden Point

• 2018 All-Star Game selection
• #1 in Shooting Percentage for the Tampa Bay Franchise
• Four-time Stanley Cup Champion

Brayden Point is a Canadian forward who has played for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2016. In that short time, he has played 499 games, scored 218 goals, made 245 assists, and has 463 overall points. His averages stand at 0.437 goals per game, 0.491 assists per game, and 0.928 points per game.

Though relatively new to the Lightning, Point has been an invaluable asset. He averages nearly one point per game and has one of the highest goals-per-game averages of any other Lightning player (Stamkos is the only other Lightning player all-time with a higher goal-per-game average). Additionally, Point has an impressive 18.0% shooting percentage, the highest of any other Tampa Bay player. Thus, Point is the most accurate shooter of all time for the Lightning and has scored the most goals per game besides Stamkos.

8. Alex Killorn

• Two-time Stanley Cup Champion
• Won Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals in Three Separate IIHF World Championships
• #8 in Offensive Point Shares in the Lightning Franchise

Alex Killorn is a Canadian forward who has played for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2012. In 805 games, Killron has scored 198 goals, made 268 assists, and has 466 total points. His averages stand at 0.246 goals per game, 0.333 assists per game, and 0.579 points per game.

Killorn has won bronze, silver, and gold medals for Team Canada in three IIHF World Championships in 2014, 2015, and 2017. He won each of those medals before he was 22 years old. As of 2023, Killorn is eighth for overall offensive point shares in Lightning history with 30.5. Furthermore, Killorn was an important asset to the Lightning when they won their back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He was part of one of eight teams that have ever won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

9. Brad Richards

• 2004 Stanley Cup Champion
• 2003-2004 Conn Smythe Trophy winner
• 2000-2001 NHL All-Rookie Team

Brad Richards played with the Lightning from 2000 to 2008 as a forward. He and the rest of the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning team won the Stanley Cup for the franchise’s first time. Over his 552 games played with the Lightning, Richards scored 150 goals, made 339 assists, and scored 489 points. 

Though he was not with the Lightning for long, his averages speak for themselves. He averaged 0.272 goals per game, 0.614 assists per game, and 0.886 points per game. His points per game is impressive because it proves he was the means for his team scoring a point in nearly every game he participated in. Additionally, he comes in second in Tampa Bay’s franchise for assists per game at 0.614. The only other player with a higher assist average than this is Kucherov, with 0.70.

10. Ben Bishop

• 2016 All-Star Game selection
• 2015-2016 NHL Second Team All-Star
• #1 in Save Percentage for the Lightning Franchise

Ben Bishop was a goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2013-2017. He entered the NHL in 2005, drafted by St. Louis in the third round. He holds Tampa Bay franchise records in save percentage (0.921), goals against average (2.28), and adjusted goals against average (2.69). He is second in the Lightning franchise for goalie point shares (42.0), goals allowed adjusted (92), goals saved above average (42), minutes (13005), shutouts (17), and saves (5728).

Although Bishop was outshined in many ways by Vasilevskiy, he put up impressive numbers and has played fewer seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his short tenure with Tampa Bay, he was named an All-Star and even made the All-Star NHL Second Team.

Honorable Mentions

• Ondrej Palat
• Brian Bradley
• Tyler Johnson
• Václav Prospal
• Dan Boyle
• Chris Gratton
• Fredrik Modin
• Pavel Kubina
• Mikhail Sergachyov
• Teddy Purcell

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