Lightning look to build off already great strides

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Not only did the team qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but it advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2004 -- suffering an excruciating 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins in a Game 7 thriller.
In his inaugural season as general manager in Tampa Bay, Steve Yzerman proved to be worth every penny for new owner Jeff Vinik. From his decision to hire coach Guy Boucher prior to the season, to the trade he negotiated with the New York Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson on New Year's Day, Yzerman seemed to push all the right buttons. While he was thrilled to be among the final four teams battling for the Stanley Cup in 2010-11, there's little doubt his club will have a larger bulls-eye on its back entering the 2011-12 campaign.

"I'm going to look back three, four, five years from now and assess whether I think we, as an organization, have done a real good job," Yzerman told the St. Petersburg Times. "Obviously, we're thrilled in year one to be where we are, but again, I want to look back in a few years and say, 'You know what? We've done a real good job. Our team is where we want it to be.' "

Yzerman resolved his biggest offseason priority on July 19 when he re-signed center Steven Stamkos, whose 96 goals over the past two seasons led the League, to a five-year, $37.5 million deal. He also had other personnel decisions to make with regard to several free agents, including goaltenders Roloson and Mike Smith; forwards Teddy Purcell, Simon Gagne, Sean Bergenheim and Adam Hall; and defensemen Eric Brewer, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Randy Jones.

He'd lose four of those players (Smith, Gagne, Bergenheim and Jones), but did re-sign the others. Roloson, who went 10-5 with a 2.51 goals-against average in his first postseason since 2006, inked a one-year deal. Brewer, who led the Lightning in ice time per game (25:42) and blocked shots (51) in the playoffs, signed a four-year contract.