Observations from the 2024 NHL Rookie Showcase

The Lightning beat the Panthers 5-2 on Monday to end their NHL Rookie Showcase on a high note.

It was a breakthrough game for the Bolts’ top young players and an even bigger breakthrough for alliteration. All five goals were scored by last names beginning with the letter G, as Conor Geekie, Jan Golicic, Dyllan Gill, Ethan Gauthier and Max Groshev all found the back of the net to cap off the weekend.

The Bolts will head home from Nashville 1-2 with two points after losses to Carolina and Nashville, tallying 11 goals along the way. But the main objective of Prospect Camp and the showcase is to get a good look at the growth and performance of the organization’s rising players. And a number of them will get their names in the paper thanks to standout showings and a handful of social highlights.

Here’s a few notable observations to come out of the Bolts 2024 NHL Rookie Showcase.

It’s great to be back at the NHL Max Groshev Showcase

For the second consecutive year, Groshev delivered one of the most consistent performances of the weekend, finishing the three-game stretch with 2 goals and 3 assists. He made smart passes, played solid D and skated with deceptive speed throughout the showcase. Enough to make you wonder if the forward might show up on a Lightning line at some point this season.

Ethan Gauthier is successfully representing the Gen Z target market

The 19-year-old, second-round prospect out of the QMJHL finished his showcase strong, grabbing a goal in each of his final two games. If you popped on the Lightning’s live stream over lunch today, you likely caught a glimpse of Gauthier’s deadly shot potential with a top-shelf snipe over 6’10” Cooper Black in the second period. And yes, you read that goaltender’s height correctly.

Sound netminding after that whole seven-goal debacle

Harrison Meneghin saved 25 of 28 shots despite getting the L in the Lightning’s 3-2 OT loss to Nashville. And two of those goals were great shots coming off cross-ice passes. He followed that performance up with a W in the win over the Panthers, in which he split time with Ryan Fanti, each letting up just a goal apiece.

Conor Geekie looked the part in Monday’s win over the Panthers

Tampa Bay’s top prize in the Mikhail Sergachev trade this summer was relatively quiet goal-wise in Nashville. But the 6’4” center looked like the best player on the ice in the first period against the Panthers. Geekie was all over the net for the majority of the opening frame, sending one home 17 minutes in for his lone goal of the showcase. That’s the level of play that persuades some to think that Geekie—who finished the weekend with 1 goal and 4 assists—could find his way to the NHL sooner than expected.