Lightning News

EASTERN ATLANTIC
Jake Guentzel  • LW  •  Lightning

Lightning Make Huge Splash By Signing Jake Guentzel

The Tampa Bay Lightning made one of the biggest free agency acquisitions by signing winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $9 Million AAV contract on July 1. The Lightning weren't playing around in their pursuit of Guentzel, as they traded stud defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and lowballed longtime captain Steven Stamkos in order to gain the cap space needed to sign Guentzel. The 29-year-old had 77 points in 67 games last year and has topped a point-per-game in four of his last five seasons, making it easy to see why Tampa coveted him. He will slot into their lethal top six and first powerplay unit, making him a target in the second or third round of fantasy drafts.
Jul 6   
Cam Atkinson  • RW  •  Lightning

Sharks Interested In Adding Cam Atkinson

Philadelphia Flyers right wing Cam Atkinson might have played his last game for the team. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the veteran is drawing interest from the San Jose Sharks. However, Atkinson himself reportedly isn't keen on the move. Dreger added that a buyout is also an option with Atkinson, as is keeping him on the team. After missing the entire 2022-23 campaign due to back surgery, Atkinson returned to action this season but was a shadow of his former self. In 70 games, the 35-year-old was able to contribute only 13 goals and 15 assists. Atkinson has one more year left on his current contract, which carries a $5.875 million cap hit.
Jun 22   
Matt Dumba  • D  •  Lightning

Matt Dumba To Leave Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba will not re-sign with the team and is hitting the open market this offseason. After inking a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes last summer, Dumba finished the 2023-24 campaign with the Lightning, playing in 23 contests. However, the Lightning have just re-acquired Ryan McDonagh, who carries a $6.75 million cap hit, and the team can't afford to extend Dumba with Steven Stamkos still unsigned. After breaking out for a 50-point campaign in 2017-18, Dumba's offensive numbers have steadily declined. He recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 72 regular-season games this term, with 86 shots on goal, 108 blocks, and 202 hits.
May 31   
Steven Stamkos  • C  •  Lightning

Steven Stamkos Begins Contract Talks With Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Steven Stamkos have begun preliminary discussions on his next contract. The veteran of 16 NHL seasons, all with the Lightning, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if a new deal is not hammered out. "I had a short conversation with [Lightning general manager Julien Brisebois] after [Game 5]; he reached out to my agent," Stamkos said at Tampa Bay's locker cleanout on Wednesday. "That's all that we have right now, but for sure hopefully there's some discussions and you have to start somewhere, so I'm looking forward to that." The 34-year-old tallied 40 goals and 81 points on 262 shots on goal across 79 regular-season games before tallying five goals in five first-round games against the Florida Panthers.
May 2   
Steven Stamkos  • C  •  Lightning

Steven Stamkos Scores Third Postseason Goal

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos continued his good start to the 2024 postseason with another goal in Thursday's 5-3 loss to Florida. The Lightning captain put his team on the board early in the second period, becoming the third player in franchise history to start a playoff campaign with a three-game goal streak. Thursday's strike marks Stamkos' first even-strength goal of the series. Sitting on four points overall, the Lightning captain has put in a big effort to make the series competitive, but Tampa Bay is facing a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday.
Apr 26   
Victor Hedman  • D  •  Lightning

Victor Hedman Posts Two Assists In Game 2

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman finished Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to Florida with two assists. Hedman's good eye for a pass helped the Lightning erase a two-goal deficit in the game, but the team couldn't escape a second loss in the series. With the effort, Hedman tied Bobby Orr for the 10th most multi-point playoff games in NHL history by a defenseman. It was his 26th such outing. The former Norris Trophy winner will now have a bit of momentum ahead of Game 3 after going scoreless with a minus-two rating in the series opener.
Apr 24   
Mikhail Sergachev  • D  •  Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev Practices In Regular Jersey Saturday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev practiced in a regular jersey for the first time on Saturday after suffering a gruesome leg injury on Feb. 7 against the New York Rangers. The Russian blueliner underwent surgery the following day to stabilize fractures in his left tibia and fibula and resumed skating on March 18. He has been practicing in a noncontact jersey since April 8. However, he is not expected to play in the team's first-round series against the rival Florida Panthers. For the season, Sergachev notched two goals and 19 points across 34 games on the campaign after tallying a career-high 64 points in 79 games last season.
Apr 20   
Nikita Kucherov  • RW  •  Lightning

Nikita Kucherov Reaches 100 Assists

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov was able to notch his 100th assist of the season on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, matching Connor McDavid, who did it this season while he became the fifth player in NHL history to reach the milestone. Kucherov's assist came on a Tampa Bay power play in which he sent a pass to teammate Brayden Point, who fired a slot shot past Leafs goaltender Martin Jones. The Russian's season will end with 44 goals and 144 points across 81 games on the season as he embarks upon a first-round series against the cross-state Florida Panthers in Round 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.
Apr 18   
Matt Tomkins  • G  •  Lightning

Matt Tomkins Starting Regular Season Finale Wednesday

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Matt Tomkins will be between the pipes for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. It's just the sixth appearance of the season for the 29-year-old who has turned in a 3.19 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage across his first five appearances in the NHL, all coming this season. Lightning backup Jonas Johansson is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury while the teams will rest Andrei Vasilevskiy for the series opener against the rival Florida Panthers on the weekend. The Lightning took home the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-29-8 record on the season,
Apr 17   
Matt Tomkins  • G  •  Lightning

Matt Tomkins Getting Rare Start Thursday

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Matt Tomkins is getting a rare start between the pipes for the team on Thursday against the visiting Ottawa Senators. It's just the fifth NHL appearance for the 29-year-old in his NHL career and the first on home ice. He has struggled in his brief NHL tenure, posting a 3.56 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage across his first four appearances in The Show. He has been better with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, posting a 2.53 GAA and a .904 Sv% across 29 appearances on the season. Jonas Johansson is currently injured, paving the way for Tomkins to spell starter Andrei Vasilevskiy on Thursday.
Apr 11   
Steven Stamkos  • C  •  Lightning

Steven Stamkos Has Historic Outing Versus Columbus

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos was unstoppable for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, finishing a 5-2 victory with three goals and an assist. He became the first player in franchise history to score multiple goals in three consecutive games. Stamkos' 13th career hat trick consisted of a power-play goal, an even-strength tally, and an empty-netter. Playing without a contract for next season, the Lighting captain has picked up 77 points (39 goals, 38 assists) in 75 games. He's had a point in six consecutive outings, scoring at least once in each game.
Apr 10   
Mikhail Sergachev  • D  •  Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev Skates In Non-Contact Jersey Monday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (leg) skated with the team in a non-contact jersey at practice on Monday. It was the first time the Russian has skated with his teammates after suffering a gruesome leg injury on Feb. 8 against the New York Rangers. Sergachev's leg got caught underneath him in an awkward fall, leaving him with fractures to his left tibia and fibula that required surgery. He will miss the remainder of the regular season, and his playoff availability is unclear at this time. The two-time Stanley Cup champion recorded two goals and 19 points across 34 games this season while averaging 22:33 of ice time per game.
Apr 8   
Brandon Hagel  • LW  •  Lightning

Brandon Hagel Exits Early Thursday

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (undisclosed) made an early exit against Montreal on Thursday. He skipped the end of the game after logging 15:47 of ice time. Before exiting, Hagel was involved in a collision with teammate Steven Stamkos in the third period. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper hinted postgame that Hagel's exit might have been for precautionary reasons. The 25-year-old scored his 24th goal of the campaign in Thursday's 7-4 win to reach 70 points with 76 games played. He's had a fantastic year and has been in great form near the end of the regular season as well, going on a four-game point streak that includes one goal and five assists.
Apr 5   
Anthony Cirelli  • C  •  Lightning

Anthony Cirelli Suffers Undisclosed Injury

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday's 7-4 victory over Montreal. He grabbed a pair of assists before getting hurt and finishing with 8:51 of ice time. The 26-year-old has saved some of his best performances of the season for the crucial part of the year, and Cirelli would be badly missed by the team if he needs to take some time off to recover. In the past six games, Cirelli has recorded four goals and three assists. He needs only a couple of more points to set his new scoring record, having posted 19 goals and 24 assists through 75 games.
Apr 5   
Nikita Kucherov  • RW  •  Lightning

Nikita Kucherov Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov set a new career high with his 42nd goal of the season in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Boston. He had the honor of icing the game with an empty-netter. Kucherov's previous best of 41 goals had stood since his MVP campaign in 2018-19. Tampa's star could very well add another Hart Memorial Trophy to his collection this season as he leads the league in scoring with 124 points in 71 games. He has 10 games remaining to also break his current overall scoring record of 128 points.
Mar 28   
Mikhail Sergachev  • D  •  Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev Skates On Monday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev skated for the first time since suffering a season-ending leg injury on Monday. The 25-year-old suffered his injury in a Feb. 8 contest against the New York Rangers and will not return this season. Sergachev skated in a track suit. "Great to be back on the ice," the Russian said in an Instagram post on Monday. He has tallied two goals and 19 points across 34 games on the season, one year after breaking out with 10 goals and a career-high 64 points across 79 games in the 2022-23 campaign. The Lightning currently sit in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 36-25-6 record on the season.
Mar 18   
Steven Stamkos  • C  •  Lightning

Steven Stamkos Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos stretched his point streak to five games with a big effort on Saturday, finishing a 5-3 victory over Florida with two goals and two assists. Stamkos opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the game and had a power-play goal in the second period. The Lightning captain matched his season high with the four-point effort. After slumping in February and collecting only four points in 12 games, Stamkos has kicked into gear again and is chasing his third consecutive 30-goal season. He'd had 27 goals and 60 points in 64 games.
Mar 17   
Brayden Point  • C  •  Lightning

Brayden Point Ties Lightning Record With Six-Point Outing

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point had an extraordinary game against the Rangers on Thursday, tying a franchise record with six points in a 6-3 win. He notched his fourth career hat trick and dished out three assists, with four of the points coming in the third period when Tampa Bay had fallen 3-2 behind. it's the second time this season a Lightning player has matched Doug Crossman's franchise record from 1992, with Nikita Kucherov producing a six-point outing in November. With this being his third three-goal game of the season, Point now also shares the Lightning record for most hat tricks in a single season. Point is heading toward his third season with at least 40 goals and 40 assists. 11 of his 36 goals have come in his past 12 outings, and he's had 73 points across 66 games in 2023-24.
Mar 15   
Erik Cernak  • D  •  Lightning

Erik Cernak Suffers New Injury Blow

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday's meeting with Philadelphia. He had a busy day at the office with three blocks and two hits in 12:31 of ice time before exiting. The 26-year-old could now face another absence after already missing 12 contests in 2023-24. Cernak has totaled only nine points (one goal, eight assists) but is third on the team with 83 blocks and second with 141 hits. Newly-acquired Matt Dumba should move up in the lineup without Cernak, with Calvin de Haan slotting back into the lineup.
Mar 10   
Anthony Duclair  • LW  •  Lightning

Lightning Acquires Anthony Duclair

Winger Anthony Duclair has been traded by the San Jose Sharks to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The former Panthers player returns to Florida in a deal that saw the Lightning giving up a 2024 third-round draft pick and defensive prospect Jack Thompson, who was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft. Tampa Bay also received a 2025 seventh-round pick as part of the trade. Duclair will add speed and good scoring ability to the Lightning lineup. He was one of the top players on a struggling Sharks team, registering 16 goals and 11 assists in 58 appearances. The 28-year-old boasts 138 goals and 288 points in 546 games for his career.
Mar 8   
LEGEND
✕