Last off-season, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded star defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Mammoth. With the Lightning needing to free up cap space, they made the tough decision to move on from the left-shot defenseman.

One of the main pieces that the Lightning received from Utah in the Sergachev trade was defenseman J.J. Moser. The hope was that the 25-year-old would prove to be a solid fit in the Lightning's top four following the move, and it is fair to say that he was just that for Tampa Bay in 2024-25.

Moser had a solid first season with the Lightning, as he recorded two goals, 14 points, and a career-high plus-20 rating in 54 games. Due to his steady all-around play, Moser found a home for himself on the Lightning's top pairing with Victor Hedman. Now, after a strong first season with the Lightning, he will be looking to take his game to a whole new level in 2025-26. 

When noting that Moser is still only 25 years old and has shown good promise early on in his career, it would not be surprising if he were to improve next season. He should thrive having a big role on a top team like the Lightning, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of year he can have in 2025-26 from here because of it. 

Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Nearing Major Milestone <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> superstar Nikita Kucherov once again had a fantastic season in 2024-25. In 78 games this past campaign with the Bolts, the 32-year-old winger recorded 37 goals, 84 assists, and a league-leading 121 points. With this, Kucherov won the Ted Lindsay Award and Art Ross Trophy He was also named to the NHL first All-Star team.