Tampa Bay Lightning name new captain after cutting ties with franchise legend Steven Stamkos

This off-season has been a whirlwind in Tampa Bay, with the Lightning shockingly allowing franchise icon Steven Stamkos to join the Nashville Predators as a free agent. This will leave a major hole in the organization, as Stamkos has been the long time captain of the team, and with his departure, it opened up the role as leader on this team, with several players capable of stepping into the role.

While it likely came down to Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov, it is the former that has now officially been named the 11th captain in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Hedman has been a consistent force for the Lightning since being drafted back in 2009, with the Lightning taking him at No. 2 overall, and at 33-years of age, he's in the prime position to lead this team forward for years to come. Now only is Hedman a great leader, but he's been very productive in his career with the Lightning, playing in 1,072 games for the team and tallying 156 goals and 728 points over that time.

While the team may not be as loaded as they once were, they remain full of high level talent, and with Hedman leading the way, there's no reason for them not to be a Stanley Cup threat again in 2024/25.