TAMPA, Fla. -- Fresh off their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning's outlook is ambitious as they make plans beyond the current year.
"Our expectation is to get back in this situation again and get it done one way or the other," said Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay's vice president and general manager. "So you just keep trying and get another kick at the can sometime, and you figure out a way to win."
A major act in charting the Lightning's future will take place Friday and Saturday, when the NHL draft will be held at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Tampa Bay owns nine draft picks, with the first one being the 28th overall selection in the first round. The Lightning also will pick at 44th overall in the second, 64th overall in the third, 118th and 120th overall in the fourth, 150th overall in the fifth, 153rd and 180th overall in the sixth and 208th overall in the seventh.
The first 30 picks will be held Friday starting at 7 p.m. The second through seventh rounds will take place Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
At first glance, Tampa Bay's needs appear minimal. The Lightning boast a strong group of top defensemen with Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn and Jason Garrison. Goaltending also stands as a strength with starter Ben Bishop, who went 40-13-5 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in the most recent season, complemented by reserve Andrei Vasilevskiy, a 20-year-old who made 16 appearances with 13 starts as a rookie in the most recent season.
Beyond the roster's makeup, Yzerman said it will be a priority to give young players such as center Vladislav Namestnikov (43 games played) and winger Jonathan Drouin (70) more ice time in the next campaign. Still, the Lightning could benefit from adding versatile forwards to their organization, particularly physical players who can add bite to Tampa Bay's profile.
"I don't see dramatic change to this team, really," Yzerman said. "It's a good group. We're kind of structured with the cap. We're OK. For the next year or two, I think we're OK with that. So (some) of the young guys need experience, need to play more."
The Lightning have been aggressive in collecting draft picks. Six of their nine selections in the coming draft have been acquired from other teams, including the first-round pick, which came from the New York Rangers. Only pick Nos. 120, 150 and 180 stand as Tampa Bay's original selection spots.
Beyond the pick from the Rangers, the Lightning's other non-original selections were acquired from trades with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes.
If the Lightning take nine players this weekend, it would mark their largest draft haul since selecting nine in 2007, when center Alex Killorn was tapped at 77th overall in the third round. Last year, Tampa Bay made seven selections, with defenseman Anthony DeAngelo taken at 19th overall in the first round. In 2013, the Lightning made six picks, with Drouin taken third overall.
Tampa Bay has made a pick in the first round in each of the past seven years. If the Lightning stay at No. 28 overall, it will mark the first time they have picked at the spot in team history.
With the Stanley Cup Final barely in Tampa Bay's rear-view mirror, it's already time to make decisions that may influence future runs for the NHL's ultimate prize.
"You can always improve," Yzerman said.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
