tbl-2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #8 Maxim Groshev

Summary

The former forward spent his first full season as a defenseman, know it’s time to crack the Tampa Bay Lightning line-up Name Max Groshev Position Defense (Left Shot) Age (as of October 1, 2026) 24 Height/Weight 6’2″, 198 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2020, 3rd, (85) Previous Rankings 15 (2020), 15 (2021), 15 (2022) 15 (2023), 10 (2024), 10 (2024) JustinG. Ranking 11 Final Rank 8 Stats: Our Thoughts: Max Groshev is the oldest prospect in the countdown. Thanks to a December birthday, he snuck one last appearance in the Top 20. Yet, in a way, it’s really just his second year on the list in his new position. After making the switch to defense at the end of the 2024-25 season, Groshev spent an entire year as a blueliner with the Crunch. In 58 games he put up 3 goals and 18 assists, not far off from the 30 points he put up as a forward in his rookie season. Groshev’s top attribute is his skating. He’s a one-man breakout machine who has the ability to get the puck out of his zone before his opponents can catch their breath. He’s also not shy at joining the rush when he doesn’t have the puck, giving forwards another option down low to feed the puck. With a NHL-caliber shot, he can beat goaltenders clean. While there is no denying his offensive talent, there is still some work to do in the defensive end. There was improvement year-over-year, but there is still some issues when it comes to coverage in the zone and he often relies on his skating to overcome some positioning issues. That should improve with more reps as will his breakout passes. At times he forces plays that aren’t there, and while he doesn’t try to skate out every time he has the puck, he still tries to do it a little too often when the safe play might by flipping the puck out of the zone for a clear. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut last season while the Lightning defensive ranks were decimated with injuries, He was able to pick up an assist (ironically enough by flipping it out of the zone instead of carrying it out). Is there a chance he wins a spot on the Lightning roster in training camp? Well, there is always a chance, but it’s not likely. Tampa Bay’s defense is already pretty jammed at the NHL level so it will be tough for him to leap-frog the players already on the roster. That being said, he won’t be far down the call-up list if the injury bug strikes the blueline again. He’ll likely start the season in Syracuse on the top line generating power play minutes while working on his defensive skills. The fact that he signed a two-year extension early in the off-season is a good indication that the organization likes him and he wants to stay here. It will be a big season for Max Groshev, and despite the new deal, it’ll go a long way to determining his future with the Lightning. Expect him to see a lot of playing time in Syracuse, and while he might not be the best defenseman in the system, he might be the most exciting. Your Thoughts: His top ranking was fourth (11.6% of the votes had him in that spot) but after that he was all over the board. “The Bolts have some really solid prospects at forward who should turn into reliable NHL players, but the defense and goaltending prospects definitely lack quality outside of Groshev.” Highlight Videos: Mitchell Chaffee cashes in 💰 pic.twitter.com/dRJ7WHE3BX — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 25, 2026 Max Groshev is not here to mess around. He is here to shoot the puck. In this instance, it took him a moment to get his feet in the right spot, but once he did, Groshev snapped a nice, long-distance wrister that has some pace on it. Most importantly, he got it on net. Tic-Tac-Goal 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fCoA3JSqae — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 4, 2026 Groshev’s speed allows him to jump up on the rush and provide an extra body for defenders to have to deal with. How often do you see a team enter the zone four-wide? The fact that he is able to carry the puck in the zone pulled the defender out wide which left the Crunch with a three-on-one. A little bit of insurance from Chaffee! pic.twitter.com/xklb6Vgr2L — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) February 8, 2026 The play started in the defensive zone where Groshev used his reach to knock the puck loose. Once the turnover happened, Groshev skated his way into the attack, slowing down just in time to cause a little unintentional intentional obstruction. OH. MY. MAX. GROSHEV. pic.twitter.com/eQqCYE2xZp — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) December 18, 2025 This is quintessential Max Groshev. He pounced on the loose puck, built speed through his own zone, decked the first line of defense, and then snapped it past the goaltender with a NHL-quality shot. This is the dynamic he can bring to the Lightning if he can improve some of the defensive aspects of his game.