3 biggest questions facing Tampa Bay Lightning after third consecutive first-round exit

It feels like a long time since the Tampa Bay Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

On Wednesday night, the Lightning were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year, losing in five games to the rival Florida Panthers.

After falling to Florida in five games last year, Tampa Bay made big changes to ensure the results would be different in 2024-25. They had a tremendous regular season and earned home ice for a Battle of Florida rematch in the first round. Unfortunately, it all amounted to the same 4-1 series loss and another disappointing playoff exit.

Now that the season is in the books, many analysts and fans are wondering what's next in Tampa Bay. Some want drastic changes to be made, while others believe they're not that far off. Either way, tough questions will have to be answered.

Let's dive into three key questions the Bolts will be facing in the coming months.

3 big questions the Tampa Bay Lightning must answer this offseason

#1. The Isaac Howard situation

Isaac Howard was the Bolts' first-round pick (31st overall) from the 2022 draft. He's become one of the more promising prospects in hockey, especially after lighting it up at Michigan State University this past season. The thought was that Howard could sign with the Lightning and make the jump to the NHL for the 2025-26 season. However, the two sides were unable to agree to a deal, and the 21-year-old is headed back for another year of college.

Howard could play it out and become a free agent after next season, allowing him to choose his own team amid what appears to be a strained relationship with the Lightning. General manager Julian BriseBois needs to decide whether he wants to keep Isaac Howard or trade him this summer. If there is no fit in Tampa Bay, they should be able to get a very good haul back in return.

#2. What is Jon Cooper's future?

The future of Jon Cooper behind the Lightning bench is in question. Cooper has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his 13 years in Tampa Bay, but speculation has come up about a potential parting of ways. We just saw longtime Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan leave the organization he spent the last 10 years with. Could Jon Cooper be up next?

It would be a shock to see the veteran bench boss leave; however, change is inevitable, and it's fair to wonder whether a new voice is needed in that locker room. Reports have already linked Cooper to the Utah Hockey Club, as he has a strong relationship with owner Ryan Smith. It's a situation that bears watching in the coming days and weeks.

#3. Can they still win with this core?

A third straight first-round exit, with the core of the team struggling, leads to this final question. Can the Tampa Bay Lightning return to glory with this same core group of players? That would consist of Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman, while Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and Anthony Cirelli are other integral pieces around them.

Despite Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, Point, and Hedman all struggling in these playoffs, it's extremely difficult to imagine the Lightning moving on from any of them. Although Julian BriseBois is an aggressive general manager, and we saw the Bolts make hard decisions on Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev last offseason. But this core is still very capable of doing great things, and it makes more sense to continue to build around it. The focus should be on adding some more bite and physicality to the lineup to match up with a team like the Florida Panthers.