4 unheralded players who deserve credit for Lightning's hot start

This might come as a surprise to some, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are more than just Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.

Sure the two are setting the league ablaze, having each recorded at least a point in each of their team's first 10 games of the season - combining for 37 points - but the fact is a number of their teammates are having fantastic starts of their own.

The Lightning have jumped out to a league-best 8-1-1 record, and while Stamkos and Kucherov have been leading the way four other players deserve credit for the team's red-hot start.

Vladislav Namestnikov

Namestnikov does have the benefit of playing alongside Stamkos and Kucherov, but he is doing more than just picking up the garbage left by his linemates.

The 24-year-old has tallied four goals and 11 points in 10 games and has proved that he has some silky hands of his own. He's gone pointless just once this season, played over 3:30 a night more than his career average, shares the team lead in power-play goals, and sits tied for third on the team with 23 shots.

He's been the perfect complement to Stamkos and Kucherov and deserves credit for being as such.

Brayden Point

Point's impressive rookie campaign last season flew under the radar of many, but it shouldn't have.

The 2014 third-round pick tallied 18 goals and 40 points in 68 games - good enough for eighth in rookie scoring. This year he looks to be on his way to shattering those numbers. Point - like Namestnikov - has tallied four goals and 11 points to begin the year, while centering the team's second line.

Point also features on the club's power-play and penalty-kill units that rank first and 12th in the league, respectively, proving he is helping more than just on the scoreboard.

Mikhail Sergachev

The Lightning aren't missing Jonathan Drouin these days and Sergachev is the reason why.

The 19-year-old sits a point being Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller in the rookie scoring list with nine points in 10 games.

Related: Keller, Sergachev look like early favorites for Calder Trophy

Despite averaging just 12:46 of ice time per game - the 15th-highest mark on the team and sixth among defensemen - Sergachev is making the most of his opportunities. He's put together a three-game goal-scoring streak and a four-game point streak wherein he's tallied seven points.

As he continues to get used to the NHL game and gains more confidence, it's scary to think what the future could hold for this budding star.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Sure the Lighting are scoring the second-most goals per game in the league (4.1), but on the flip side they have given up just the fourth-fewest goals as well (2.4 per game).

Vasilevskiy has been everything the Lightning have needed in net, having gone 8-1-0, posting the best save percentage and fifth-best GAA among goalies who have played at least five games - with .936 and 2.22 marks, respectively. He's also posted a shutout, while facing a league-high 314 shots.

The 23-year-old got off to a rough start this season, giving up 15 goals in the team's first four games, but has allowed just five in his last five games.

Offense is great, but without Vasilevskiy back there kicking out pucks the way he has, the team might not be off to such a roaring start.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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