Dear Santa: Lightning Fan Letters to the North Pole – The Hockey Writers Tampa Bay Lightning Latest News, Analysis & More

The idea of writing letters to Santa has been credited to illustrator Thomas Nast, who created an iconic image in 1879 depicting Santa Claus at his desk piled high with letters from parents of naughty and nice children, as well as an illustration of a child posting a letter to Santa. The Nast cartoons fueled the nation’s imagination, and the Postal Service soon became the vehicle for children’s most sincere Christmas wishes.

With Christmas just around the corner, many have sent letters to Santa asking questions about the Tampa Bay Lightning and what might happen to the team for the rest of the season. Being busy this time of year, Santa sent these letters to The Hockey Writers and asked if we could answer them.

Guentzel’s Performance

Dear Santa: Jake Guentzel has played very well since joining the Lightning. Can he keep up this good play throughout the entire season? Archer, Liverpool NY.

After some time getting used to linemates Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, Guentzel had performed about as well as the Lightning hoped he would when they signed him as a free agent last summer. Through his first 30 games, he ranks second on the team in goals (18) and fourth in points (33). His 18 goals are tied for eighth in the NHL as of Dec. 20.

Per NHL EDGE, Tampa Bay leads the league in high-danger goals (60), while forwards Brayden Point (12, tied for second behind Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl’s 14), Guentzel (nine), Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel (eight each) have combined for more than half (37) of the Lightning’s total.

Guentzel ranks fourth in the NHL in high-danger shots on goal (46). Last season, despite missing time because of injury and changing teams (traded by Pittsburgh Penguins to Carolina Hurricanes), Guentzel still finished in the top 10 in high-danger SOG (109) – his rights were traded to the Lightning on June 30 before he signed a seven-year contract. Guentzel, whose seven-game goal streak ended Thursday (Nov. 30 to Dec. 17), and Anthony Cirelli, who scored goals in six straight from Nov. 14 to 25, have the two longest goal streaks in the NHL this season.

One of the traits that makes Guentzel successful is his ability to out-position players and outsmart opponents. This, along with other skills, has made the Guentzel-Point-Kucherov trio one of the best in the league, and there is little reason to think they will not continue to perform well.

Vasilevskiy’s Workload

Dear Santa: Andrei Vasilevskiy has played a lot of games so far this season. I am worried that he will get tired and play well at the end of the season. Should the Lightning rest him more? Riley, Lakeland, FL

That has always been the question about the All-Star goaltender. In May 2023, Vasilevskiy also questioned whether or not his heavy workload over the last four seasons was to blame for his poor second-half performance in 2022-23. He then missed the first quarter of last season recovering from back surgery, and when he returned, it was clear he wasn’t quite himself.

He came into training camp fully recovered and healthy and told the media, “I will play 60 to 70 games or whatever the coach will give me. I realized, off the ice, I have to do something a little different now but, on the ice, I am all in. I love to play a lot.”

Related: Lightning’s Options for Replacing JJ Moser

Vasilevskiy is playing a lot. After Monday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, the Vezina Trophy winner has played 26 of the Lightning’s 31 games. That puts him on pace to play 60+ games this season. He has a record of 15-10-0-1 with a 2.41 goals-against average (GAA) and a .911 save percentage (SV%). These are good numbers, but only time will tell if his new off-the-ice training regimen will allow him to play at a high level for the entire season.

Even though Vasilevskiy likes to play a lot, one of the issues that may also contribute to his heavy workload is the lack of a strong backup. Jonas Johansson has appeared in six games with a 3-1-0-1 record but only has a 3.84 GAA and a .882 SV%. It would not be a surprise if the Lightning look to acquire a reliable veteran before the deadline.

The silver lining for Vasilevskiy appearing in so many games is that the 30-year-old will get a break from Feb. 10 to 22 when the NHL shuts down for the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, as Russia is not one of the countries participating. This may be enough of a break to keep him healthy and rested for the rest of the season.

Lightning Depth

Dear Santa: Last season, the Lightning called up a lot of players from the Syracuse Crunch. Who might be like Mitch Chaffee and get called up and remain with the team for the rest of the season? Lainey, St. Petersburg, FL

Yes, Chaffee made quite an impression when he played 30 games for the Lightning after being recalled from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate (AHL) in Syracuse. He continues to play well in a bottom-six role and seems to be a firm fixture for the future.

The Lightning will need to rely on their minor leaguers to fill gaps in the lineup, as they have little room in the salary cap to make trades to fill gaps or bolster their depth. After recovering from an injury earlier in the season, Gage Goncalves was recalled and has played well in six games, including scoring his first career goal on Dec. 19 against the St. Louis Blues. Last season’s leading scorer for the Crunch has a chance for a permanent spot on the Lightning roster.

Other young players who might get a chance include Dylan Duke and Niko Huuhtanen. Duke, the Lightning’s fourth-round pick in 2021, has shown promise in his first full season in the AHL. The Lightning may continue their streak of finding late-round gems in Huuhtanen, a 7th-round selection in 2021. After a slow start to the season, the native of Finland has heated up and shares the team lead in goals with Duke.

The Lightning will play their last game before Christmas on Monday when they travel to Sunrise, FL, and take on the Panthers in the second game of their back-to-back series against the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Despite an up-and-down season, Santa and his elves may provide enough magic to allow the Lightning to make a deep run in the playoffs and possibly win their fourth Stanley Cup title.