3. Will Geekie and\/or O’Reilly make an impact this season?<\/p>\n
The Lightning have not picked in the first round of the NHL Draft since 2022, but in Conor Geekie<\/a> and Sam O’Reilly<\/a>\u00a0they have two forwards who were first-round picks for other organizations that could be important forwards this season.<\/p>\n Geekie, the Arizona Coyotes’ No. 11 pick in 2022, has played 66 games with the Lightning across the past two seasons, including 14 last season. He has 17 career points (nine goals, eight assists), including three points (one goal, two assists) last season.<\/p>\n The 22-year-old has been an impact scorer for Syracuse of the American Hockey League the past two seasons with 79 points (28 goals, 51 assists) in 81 games. He could be an important depth scorer in the NHL this season if he has a strong training camp.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay acquired Geekie, defenseman J.J. Moser<\/a>, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (Noah Steen<\/a>) and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in a trade with Utah for Mikhail Sergachev<\/a>\u00a0on June 29, 2024.<\/p>\n O’Reilly, the Edmonton Oilers’ No. 32 pick in 2024, is turning pro at 20 years old after a remarkable junior career that featured two Memorial Cup championships in 2025 and 2026, including being named the most valuable player at the Memorial Cup last season.<\/p>\n The Lightning view O’Reilly as being in the Anthony Cirelli<\/a>\u00a0mold as a center who can drive offense, win important face-offs and shut down the opponent’s top lines.<\/p>\n