The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading into this upcoming season with high expectations. They have a lot of star power on their roster and added some solid depth players this off-season, like Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier.
When looking at the Lightning's roster, it's also apparent that they are in a fantastic place when it comes to the center position. This is significant, as contenders need to be strong down the middle if they hope to win the Stanley Cup.
The Lightning are entering this season with Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul, and Yanni Gourde as their best four centers. While it is possible that Paul or Gourde will move to the wing to play in the top nine, having four centers of their calibers is undoubtedly a good thing for the Lightning.
The Lightning also have other players who can play center, like Holmberg, Gage Goncalves, and Conor Geekie. The Lightning having this many players who are capable of playing both center and on the wings will certainly come in handy during the season. If injuries arise at center, they will always have players who can step up in the role due to their strong depth.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see how the Lightning perform in 2025-26, but their strength at the center position should create optimism.