The Tampa Bay Lightning's Best Active Homegrown Player: Brought to You By Upper Deck

The Tampa Bay Lightning have had plenty of success over the last several years, and a significant reason for it has been their incredible drafting. They have selected some spectacular players over the years, like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brayden Point. However, as amazing as this group is, Nikita Kucherov is The Hockey News' pick for the Lightning's Best Active Homegrown Player: Brought to You By Upper Deck.

The Lightning selected Kucherov with the 58th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, he has easily become the best draft selection of their franchise's history.

After posting an 18-point rookie campaign in 2013-14, Kucherov recorded back-to-back seasons with over 60 points. The signs of him becoming a true star were there, and he took a big step forward in 2016-17, recording 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games. This was good enough for him to be named to his first All-Star Game. Since then, Kucherov has also produced at over a point-per-game pace in seven straight regular seasons he has played (missed the 2020-21 regular season).

Since his true breakout season into superstardom in 2017, Kucherov has not slowed down in the slightest. He posted his first 100-point season in 2017-18 and then followed that up with a monstrous 41-goal and 128-point season in 2018-19. This led to Kucherov winning the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Hart Memorial Trophy in 2019.

However, 2019 was a year of heartbreak for Kucherov and the Lightning, as they were swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets after their historic 62-win regular season. This created a huge spark for the Lightning, as they went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. Kucherov played significant roles in both of them, leading all NHL players in playoff points with 34 and then 32.

Without stealing Kucherov in the second round in 2011, it's quite likely that the Lightning wouldn't have had so much success over the years. He has been their most dominant player, which remains the case today. In 2023-24, he had his best regular season to date, posting 44 goals and a league-leading 144 points in 81 games. He also became the first winger in NHL history to hit 100 assists. As a result, he is a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award this year. He also secured the Art Ross again for leading the NHL in points.

Overall, Kucherov has had such a remarkable career, and the five-time All-Star still has time to build on it. It will be intriguing to see what he does from here, as he only seems to keep improving.

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