How the 2015 Stanley Cup finalist Tampa Bay Lightning were built

Tampa Bay Lightning timeline graphic: the trades, free agents, draft picks and hirings that built the 2015 Stanley Cup finalists.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing in their first Stanley Cup finals since 2004, the year the franchise defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games for its first championship. No players remain from that club, but by scrolling down through our timeline, you can trace the trades, free agent signings, draft picks and hirings that year by year created the team’s current postseason roster.

• Cup finals schedule | series breakdown | How Blackhawks were built

Total personnel

Draft picks: 11
Via trade: 5
Free agents: 8

• C Alex Killorn2007
  Draft: 3rd round (#77)
• C Steven Stamkos2008
  Draft: 1st round (#1)
• D Mark Barberio2008
  Draft: 6th round (#152)
• D Victor Hedman2009
  Draft: 1st round (#2)
• VP/GM Steve Yzerman2010
  Hired: (5/25), ex-VP with Red Wings (2006-10)
• C Tyler Johnson2011
  Free agent: (3/7), WHL Spokane
• C Vladislav Namestnikov2011
  Draft: 1st round (#27)
• RW Nikita Kucherov2011
  Draft: 2nd round (#58)
• D Nikita Nesterov2011
  Draft: 5th round (#148)
• LW Ondrej Palat2011
  Draft: 7th round (#208)
• RW J.T. Brown2012
  Free agent: WCHA Minnesota-Duluth (3/28)
• G Andrei Vasilevskiy2012
  Draft: 1st (#19)
• C Cedric Paquette2012
  Draft: 4th round (#101)
• D Matt Carle2012
  Free agent: Philadelphia (7/4)
• Coach Jon Cooper2013
  Hired: (3/25), ex-coach of Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliates Norfolk (2010-12) and Syracuse (2012-13)
• D Andrej Sustr2013
  Free agent: WCHA Nebraska-Omaha (3/21)
• G Ben Bishop2013
  Trade: from Ottawa for C Cory Conacher, 2013 4th round pick (4/3)
• LW Jonathan Drouin2013
  Draft: 1st round (#3)
• C Valtteri Filppula2013
  Free agent: Detroit (7/5)
• RW Ryan Callahan2014
  Trade: with 2014 2nd round pick, 2015 1st round pick — from NY Rangers for RW Martin St. Louis (3/5)
• C Jonathan Marchessault2014
  Trade: with LW Dalton Smith — from Columbus for F Dana Tyrell, D Matt Taormina (3/5)
• D Jason Garrison2014
  Trade: with rights to F Jeff Costello, 2015 7th round pick — from Vancouver for 2014 2nd round pick (6/27)
• C Brian Boyle2014
  Free agent: NY Rangers (7/1)
• D Anton Stralman2014
  Free agent: NY Rangers (7/1)
• LW Brenden Morrow2014
  Free agent: St. Louis (7/11)
• D Braydon Coburn2015
  Trade: from Philadelphia for D Radko Gudas, 2015 1st round (conditional) and 3rd round picks (3/2)