The Tampa Bay Lightning are declining, but not fast enough for the Buffalo Sabres to catch up

Next up in our look through the Atlantic Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who showed signs of decline last season, but are still built to be a playoff team every single season. A group of superstars at the top of the lineup featuring Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is enough to lift up a horrible group of depth players. Can just six great players carry Tampa deep into the playoffs at this age?While Tampa shows signs of decline, Sneaky Joe believes future increases in the salary cap will allow the Lightning to stay above teams like the Buffalo Sabres. Also, why the Lightning should be considered the favorite to land Connor McDavid, should he make it to free agency. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to Indeed.com/LOCKEDON right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.