Raw Charge
The static cling that brings Tampa Bay Lightning fans together.
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2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #12 Noah Steen
Ondrej Palat will forever be the prime example of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s ability to find talent in late rounds. Could Noah Steen be the next example? Name Noah Steen Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 22 Height/Weight 6’1, 194 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2024, 7th (199) Previous Rankings Not Ranked JustinG. Ranking 19 Final Rank 12 Stats: Our Thoughts: Can a career be defined by one play? Especially for a seventh-round pi...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #13 Tomas Kralovic
A right-shot defenseman that has size and is mobile? In the Tampa Bay Lightning system, it might not be long until Tomas Kralovic is making his NHL debut. Name Tomas Kralovic Position Defenseman (Right Shot) Age (as of October 1, 2026) 21 Height/Weight 6’3″, 203 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2026, 3rd (90th) Previous Rankings Not Applicable JustinG. Ranking 9 Final Rank 13 Stats: Our Thoughts: Tomas Kralovic’s summer has been a bit...
Lightning announce promotional schedule for 2026-27 season
We keep getting closer, and closer, and closer to the start of hockey season. As things crawl nearer, little drops of information keep getting released. First it was the opening night game. Then it was the entire schedule. Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning have released their promotional schedule. All of the theme and giveaway nights are now up on the schedule, so go book your seats accordingly! Starting off we have their theme nights, mostly centered around holidays. Like a few other teams, t...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #14 Joona Saarelainen
Could Joona Saarelainen make the leap from Europe to North America this season? A strong 2025-26 has him on that path. Name Joona Saarelainen Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 20 Height/Weight 5’9″, 187 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team KalPa (Liiga) Draft – Year, Round 2024, 5th Round (149) Previous Rankings 19th ( 2024 ), 18th ( 2025 ) JustinG. Ranking 7 Final Rank 14 Stats: Our Thoughts: Unlike his fellow countryman, Benjamin Rautelainen, Joona Saarelainen ...
Joining the Charge: Introducing Myself to Bolts Fans
Allow myself to introduce… myself. Yeah, I know – I just used a 20-year-old Austin Powers reference on a hockey blog. If you’re walking into a new locker room, you might as well do it with a little swagger and some self awareness. I’ve been a diehard hockey fan since I was a kid in western Pennsylvania. I watched Mario Lemieux come back from the dead twice. I watched Jaromir Jagr break my teenage heart by taking his talents to Washington. That heartbreak eventually turned into Marc-A...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #15 Lucas Mercuri
Week two of the countdown kicks off with an intriguing forward who could be in line to make his NHL debut this season. Name Lucas Mercuri Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 24 Height/Weight 6’3″, 223 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2020 6th Round (159) by Carolina Previous Rankings Not Ranked JustinG. Ranking 18 Final Rank 15 Stats: Our Thoughts: In March of 2025 the Tampa Bay Lightning made a move that didn’t rattle a lot ...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #16 Jan Golicic
The first defenseman to crack the countdown, Jan Golicic marks his third appearance in the top prospect list since being drafted. Name Jan Golicic Position Defense – Left Shot Age (as of October 1, 2026) 20 Height/Weight 6’5″, 201 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Quinnipiac University Draft – Year, Round 2024 4th Round (118) Previous Rankings 24 ( 2024 ), 17 ( 2025 ) JustinG. Ranking 15 Final Rank 16 Stats: Our Thoughts: We have our second prospect in a row that chose a...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #17 Marco Mignosa
Name Marco Mignosa Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 21 Height/Weight 6’0″, 172 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Penn State University Draft – Year, Round 2025 Round 7 (215) Previous Rankings Not Ranked JustinG. Ranking 13 Final Rank 17 Stats: Our Thoughts: It seems Marco Mignosa has already made a career out of proving folks wrong. After a strong showing in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, there were expectations that he might go in the top 10 of the CHL draft....
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #18 Gabriel Szturc
Gabriel Szturc makes the final list for the third time in his Tampa Bay Lightning career. Not bad for a kid that wasn’t drafted. Name Gabriel Szturc Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 23 Height/Weight 5’11, 194 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round Undrafted Previous Rankings 19th ( 2025 ), 21st ( 2024 ) JustinG. Ranking Not Ranked Final Rank 18 Stats: Our Thoughts: The progression of Gabriel Szturc’s career has been an interesti...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #19 Morgan Anderberg
Name Morgan Anderberg Position Forward Age (as of October 1, 2026) 18 Height/Weight 5’11”, 174 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Vaxjo Lakers (SHL) Draft – Year, Round 2026, 5th Round (#134) Previous Rankings Not Applicable JustinG. Ranking 14 Final Rank 19 Stats: Our Thoughts: Not much has changed since our draft profile of Anderberg other than he had some reps with the Swedish Under-20 squad at the Summer Showcase. The fact that he was invited bodes well for his potential i...
2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #20 Aiden Foster
It’s back! Everyone’s semi-favorite summer tradition. You’ve done the work and ranked the prospects. Now it’s time to reap the rewards. We kick things off with a 2025 draft pick who is making his Top 20 Under 25 debut. Name Aiden Foster Position Center Age (as of October 1, 2026) 19 Height/Weight 6’2″, 183 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Prince George Cougers Draft – Year, Round 2025, 4th Round (127th overall) Previous Rankings Not Ranked JustinG. Ranking Unranked Final Rank 20 Stats...
Sunday Night Speculation – Patrik Laine
It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter. Players are starting to get ready to head to the cities they play in, and teams are starting to put together their training camp rosters. While the vast majority of free agents have been signed, there are a few out there that still need contracts. For some of those players, the road back to the NHL might lie in a professional try-out contract. One of those players might be Patrik Laine. Could the Tampa Bay Lightning be the team that signs h...
Injury could lead to a solution for the Lightning’s crowded crease
The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t going to carry three goaltenders on the roster this season. That much we can be assured of a month out from training camp. When Julien BriseBois acquired Dennis Hildeby from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was pretty certain that the plan was for the young Swede to backup Andrei Vasilevskiy for the 2026-27 season. The fly in the jelly, the bump in the road, the Skittle in the M&M’s is the fact that Jonas Johansson is still on the roster. Speaking with the media ...
Three rookies who could make their NHL debut for the Lightning this season
The original theme of this article was going to be, “Which Lightning rookie could win the Calder Trophy?” but, to be honest, the chances of that happening are about the same as Frenchy’s restaurant taking over the naming rights to Benchmark Arena. Sure, it could happen, and it would be great, but it’s probably not going to happen. The betting sharps seem to agree considering that as of the time of publication, not a single member of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization has posted odds to win t...
Could the Lightning dip into the college free agent market again?
As a team that uses its higher picks to improve their current roster through trades instead of drafting prospects, the Tampa Bay Lightning often have to find alternative means to adding young talent to the organization. Be it through European free agents or undrafted college and junior players, the Bolts have been able to find a gem or three over the years. Another means, and one that played out pretty well last summer with Dominic James , is to sign a college player whose draft rights have ex...
Lightning Morning News: Lightning prospect showcase announced
After a little bit of an unscheduled break, we are back! A big thank you for everyone who kept things going in the comment section (and with minimal folks getting thrown in jail by the auto-moderators!). Now that we’re back to regular posts (hopefully) we’ll catch up on a few things that have been announced over the last week. Sadly, an extension for Nikita Kucherov wasn’t one of those, but we’re not at the panic stage just yet. Would be nice if he was under contract, sure, but we’re not ...
The 2026 Raw Charge Top 20 Under 25 ranking is now open
It’s one hundred degrees in the shade. The water in the Gulf is only slightly cooler than a nice hot cup of tea. The Rays are fighting for a pennant. That can only mean one thing – it’s time to rank some prospects! That’s right, our annual ranking of the youngsters in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization is upon us. As always, you, the readers have a say in who the top prospects will be. In fact, you have the only say. Much like last summer, you alone will determine the final rankings. As...
With the Celebrini contract question answered, focus shifts to next year’s unrestricted free agents
Poor Kirill Kaprizov. Well, not really. He is the exact opposite of poor. However, the Minnesota Wild forward never truly got to enjoy his reign as the top paid player in the NHL. Despite garnering headline after headline last summer with his then record-setting extension that topped out at $17 million per season, he never actually skated a single game as the highest-paid player in the league. Since then he’s seen Leo Carlsson and now Macklin Celebrini surpass him in the salary game. Before th...
Pending Lightning free agent could be poised for a breakout season
The 2026 NHL Free Agent Season hasn’t even ended yet. Heck, we’re not even a full month into it yet, but that’s not going to stop us from looking ahead to the 2027 NHL Free Agent Season. A lot of focus has been on Nikita Kucherov, which is understandable considering he can lay a legitimate claim to being the best player in the league. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only Tampa Bay Lightning player that can test unrestricted free agency next season. Jonas Johansson, Zemgus Girgensons, Charle-Edouar...
Ethan Czata invited to Team Canada Summer Showcase, joins Sweden’s Morgan Anderberg
On Friday, Team Canada announced their roster for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase. Among the 32 names was Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Czata. For the 19-year-old forward, it’s the first step to making the cut for the World Junior Championship in late December. He’ll join Morgan Anderberg, who was named to the Swedish roster last month , in Windsor for the tournament. Neither the U.S. or Finland will have a representative from the Bolts this season. The international g...
New players = new numbers
Part of the fun of free agency is simply the fact that there are new players on the roster. Especially a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, that has been together, for the most part, for quite a few seasons. Along with the new faces, there are new jersey numbers to learn and get used to on the ice. With the Bolts announcing, in their own creative way, which numbers the latest crop of free agents will be wearing, we also get a chance to remember some players from the past. New numbers in...
Lightning Morning News: Crunch owner comments on the extension of partnership with Tampa Bay
A week ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Syracuse Crunch announced an extension of their affiliation which dates back to 2012. The four-year deal will carry them through the 2029-30 season and continue the longest, and most successful, partnership in Lightning franchise history. On Wednesday, Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon released a statement about the deal on social media: A letter from owner Howard Dolgon about our four-year affiliation extension with the @TBLightning . ⚡️👊 #Tamp...
Delving into a Nikita Kucherov extension
The NHL draft is over. Free agent frenzy is over. For the most part the Tampa Bay Lightning have put their 2026-27 roster together. So, that means everything is crossed off of Julien BriseBois’ to-do list, right? Kind of. There is one highlighted item left on that list, and while it might not be urgent, getting it done sooner than later will prevent a lot of stress down the road. What is that item that is highlighted, underlined, circled, and written in bold? Getting an extension done for...
Lightning Morning News: Stars and Robertson come to an agreement
One of the biggest stories of the off-season came to a resolution. Kind of. The Dallas Stars and restricted free agent Jason Robertson have agreed to a new contract for next season. Just next season. It’s a one-year deal with a $12 million cap hit. When the deal expires on June 30, Robertson will be an unrestricted free agent. He will be eligible for an extension as of January 1, so expect the trade/contract talk to ramp back up right around that time, especially if the Stars are struggling. ...
Lightning Morning News: Milestone watch – Andrei Vasilevskiy
It’s a random Tuesday in July and there isn’t much going on in the hockey world so why not look ahead and see what type of milestones are on the horizon for Tampa Bay Lightning players. First up, The Big Cat, Andrei Vasilevskiy. 600 Games Played Vasilevskiy has appeared in 598 regular season games (588 starts). He should clear this one fairly early in the season which will make him the 56th goalie in NHL history to hit that mark. If he gets into his usual 60-ish games, he’ll be up ar...
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