The Tampa Bay Lightning are more known for their star players than their prospect pool. This is understandable, as they have been one of the NHL's top teams for quite some time now.
Yet, while this is the case, the Lightning still have some interesting young players to watch heading into the 2025-26 season. One of them is Gage Goncalves, as he is a promising forward who has good upside. It is exactly why he has been named the Lightning's top fantasy hockey breakout candidate by NHL.com's Troy Perlowitz.
Perlowitz seeing Goncalves as a breakout candidate heading into the new year is very easy to understand. The 24-year-old took a nice step in the right direction this past season with the Lightning, as he recorded eight goals and 20 points in 60 games. However, he notably improved as the season rolled on once he got more adjusted to the NHL level.
Goncalves' successful 2024-25 season is exactly why he earned a two-year, $2.4 million contract with the Lightning earlier this off-season. With the youngster landing a multi-year contract, it is clear that the Lightning are optimistic about his future.
If Goncalves builds off his strong finish to the season with the Lightning in 2025-26, he should emerge as a strong part of their forward group. The potential for him to be an impactful top-nine forward is there, and it is going to be very intriguing to see what kind of campaign he has this upcoming season from here.
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