Lightning Top Prospect Deserves Big Break

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a move earlier this week, re-signing prospect forward Gage Goncalves to a one-year, two-way contract. The 23-year-old will look to take another big step in his development in 2024-25 because of it.

Goncalves had a fantastic season down in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, posting 13 goals and a team-leading 45 assists and 58 points in 69 games. In addition, the 2020 second-round pick was named to his first career AHL All-Star Game because of his strong play.

Goncalves' impressive play did not go unnoticed, as the Lightning called him up for two games this season in January. In them, he did not get on the scoresheet, but he should receive more chances to change that in 2024-25 with the Lightning.

Given how well Goncalves played this year, there is no question that he is deserving of some serious consideration for a bottom-six spot on the Lightning's roster next season. This is especially so when noting that the Lightning could be making some changes to their roster due to their limited cap space and need to re-sign Steven Stamkos.

Goncalves has displayed at the AHL level that he has the potential to be an impactful playmaker, and it will be intriguing to see if the Lightning give him more opportunities next year because of this.

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