When the Lightning acquired Conor Geekie, general manager Julien BriseBois called him the “highest profile prospect we’ve had in years”. One of the least important aspects of having a high-profile prospect is that they start showing up on lists created by prospect writers in the mainstream media. Such was the case when Scott Wheeler of The Athletic released the summer edition of his Top 100 drafted NHL prospects.

In his preamble, Wheeler mentions that Isaac Howard was one of the last cuts from the final list, which would have left the Lightning with zero prospects had they not acquired Geekie. Look, we get it, this is the price the organization pays for three straight Stanley Cup appearances (oh, and two Cups). However, what we’re also seeing is that, for the first time in his tenure, Mr. BriseBois is taking the not-so-immediate future of the Lightning seriously.

He made it through a trade deadline, draft, and free agency with his two top in-house prospects (Howard and Ethan Gauthier) and his 2026 first-round pick still in the fold. He also brought in Geekie, J.J. Moser, and a 29-year-old Jake Guentzel. At 29, the new winger might not be in the first blush of youth, he does dial the clock back five years on the player he’ll be forever known as replacing – Steven Stamkos. Mr. BriseBois is trying his hardest to not only keep the team competitive now, but also bridging the gap until the next wave of top prospects is ready for the prime time.

It’s not often that a team can make the transition from one generation of players to the next without needing a rebuild and some top draft picks, but that’s the needle the GM is trying to thread. Only time will tell if he can pull it off. If he does, he’ll probably finally win a GM of the Year award and raise another Stanley Cup. If he doesn’t we will have to write about him joining the ranks of the unemployed.

As for Geekie, he ranked 74th in Wheeler’s list of prospects (73 spots behind the top-ranked Macklin Celebrini) that are under 23 and not yet established as an every day NHL player. The writer has clear praise for the forward, stating:

“Geekie is a big forward (6-foot-4, about 200 pounds) with clear skill as a handler, passer and shooter. He has a boldness to his game that I admire and that you don’t often see in players his size.”

Wheeler also mentions that, while not slow, Geekie’s skating could use improving and that he tends to try to create plays that might not always be there (the flip side of that boldness he mentioned). One of the biggest adjustments prospects have to make is learning when to take charge and when to defer as the level of the defense they attack gets quantifiably better.

Wheeler has him pegged as a middle-sixer, but with his set of skills and the right linemates, it wouldn’t be out of place to see him bouncing back and forth between the top two lines. He’s good with the puck, has a NHL-level shot, and can set up his teammates, say Isaac Howard, to finish off plays.

There is a chance Geekie can make the Lightning out of camp (after all there is a shiny spot on the second line that is up for grabs), but knowing how the organization likes to handle prospects, there is a good chance he starts in Syracuse. We’ll see how he gels with offensive players like Gage Goncalves and Niko Huuhtanen.

These lists are always fun to read, but in reality they are usually just one person, or one group’s, opinion of how prospects might, and let us stress might, turn out. Still, it’s always nice when they’re writing about prospects in our favorite organization.