Lightning News

EASTERN ATLANTIC

Andrei Vasilevskiy • G • Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy Unavailable Thursday

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) won't play on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonas Johansson will guard the crease, while Brandon Halverson has been called up from the minors to serve as the backup. Fortunately, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that Vasilevskiy isn't dealing with anything serious and is expected to return to action on Saturday against the New York Islanders. The Islanders ended the former Vezina Trophy winner's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. Vasilevskiy holds an 11-6-2 record with a 2.31 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and one shutout. Five of his eight losses came in his first five starts of the campaign.

5 hours ago

Ryan McDonagh • D • Lightning

Lightning Sign Ryan McDonagh to Three-Year Extension

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension on Thursday. The veteran rearguard was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. McDonagh has made close to 400 appearances with the Lightning over two stints at the club, including 15 this season. He has missed nearly a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. After posting back-to-back 30-point campaigns, McDonagh is unlikely to extend the streak. He currently sits on six points (three goals, three assists), and it's unclear when McDonagh can return to action.

5 hours ago

Brayden Point • C • Lightning

Brayden Point Without Timetable for Return

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (undisclosed) doesn't have a timetable for his return, according to Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley. Point has been out for four games with an unspecified health issue. This season, Point has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy hockey, recording only 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 21 contests. With him out, Nicholas Paul has grabbed the second-line center role, while also skating with the top power-play unit. Paul has enjoyed taking on additional responsibilities, putting together a three-game point streak ahead of Tuesday's tilt against the New York Islanders.

2 days ago

Brandon Hagel • LW • Lightning

Brandon Hagel Tallies Three Points Against Flyers

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel contributed two goals and an assist during Monday's 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He opened and finished the scoring, sticking an even-strength assist between his two goals. After a few dull performances, Hagel has exploded for seven points (four goals, three assists) across the past two games. He has struck a good partnership with Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov. The line took care of all Tampa goals on Monday night, scoring a combined eight points. For the season, Hagel has recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 21 games.

Nov 25

Andrei Vasilevskiy • G • Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy Extends Winning Streak With Shutout Performance

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy pushed his winning streak to four games in Monday's 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, recording his first shutout of the season with 20 saves. It was his sixth career shutout against the Flyers, which is tied for his most against a single franchise. Vasilevskiy has also stopped the Dallas Stars from scoring six times. After some early-season jitters, Vasilevskiy has produced a string of strong performances, going 9-2-0 over his last 11 starts. During that stretch, he has allowed two or fewer goals in eight contests. The big improvement in form has allowed Vasilevskiy to take his record for the season to 9-5-2. On average, he has given up 2.36 goals while registering a .913 save percentage.

Nov 25

Brayden Point • C • Lightning

Brayden Point Out Against Flyers

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (undisclosed) will miss Monday's matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. He will sit out his first game of the season due to an undisclosed injury. The team also considers Point questionable for Wednesday's meeting with the Calgary Flames. The injury is another setback for Point during a difficult campaign. The three-time 90-point scorer has been limited to 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 21 outings and has a team-worst minus-11 rating. Point's absence on Monday boosts the fantasy value of Dominic James, who will join the second line. James recently exploded for four points (one goal, three assists) in two games, but he hasn't done any other scoring in 12 appearances this season.

Nov 24

Nikita Kucherov • RW • Lightning

Nikita Kucherov Good to Go Monday

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) will play in Monday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. Due to an undisclosed health issue, Kucherov's night at the office was cut short on Saturday against the Washington Capitals, but he won't miss additional time. Despite logging only 5:18 of ice time against Washington, Kucherov notched three points (one goal, two assists). He has recovered from a slow start to the season, posting a five-game point streak. For the season, Kucherov has managed 10 goals and 22 points in 19 appearances.

Nov 24

Brayden Point • C • Lightning

Brayden Point Makes Early Exit Versus Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (undisclosed) was injured late in the second period in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals. He tried to play through the injury but was able to take only one shift in the third frame. Point boasts a disappointing 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 21 appearances this season, and the injury is an additional setback for him. Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) was also injured on Saturday night, meaning the Tampa attack may have to go through major changes for Monday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. Nicholas Paul, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Yanni Gourde are all candidates to move into the top six.

Nov 23

Nikita Kucherov • RW • Lightning

Nikita Kucherov Hurt on Saturday

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) was limited to a handful of minutes on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals. The former MVP had a monster start in the contest, racking up a goal and two assists, but he was hurt early in the second period. Kucherov exited the action after a hard hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson. On Saturday, Kucherov had at least one point in a fifth consecutive game, taking his overall tally to 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) through 19 outings. He has recovered well from a slow start to the season. However, the Russian superstar may now have to spend some time on the sidelines due to injury.

Nov 23

Victor Hedman • D • Lightning

Victor Hedman Out for "Couple of Weeks"

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) is not expected to return to the lineup before December. Ahead of Thursday's clash against the Edmonton Oilers, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that Hedman is "probably a couple of weeks away still." Tampa's No. 1 defenseman has already missed one week of action, sitting out four games. Darren Raddysh has taken on a massive workload on the Lightning blue line and is expected to have another busy night on Thursday. Since Hedman exited the lineup, Raddysh has notched four points (one goal, three assists) in four games, averaging over 22 minutes of ice time.

Nov 20

Jake Guentzel • LW • Lightning

Jake Guentzel Records Eighth Career Hat Trick

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jake Guentzel put three pucks past Jacob Markstrom in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He had a goal in each period, logging his eighth career hat trick. Two of Guentzel's markers came with the man advantage. Guentzel has upped his game lately and has been particularly productive on home ice. The 31-year-old has lit the lamp in four consecutive home games. After 18 appearances, Guentzel boasts eight goals and 17 points. His numbers have been a bit disappointing so far, considering he has been a point-per-game player for most of his career. However, Guentzel's form has improved in November, and he still has plenty of time to turn his season around.

Nov 19

Anthony Cirelli • C • Lightning

Anthony Cirelli Expected to Return Against Devils

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (upper body) is set to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He has missed four games due to an upper-body injury. Cirelli has averaged nearly a point per game so far this season, posting seven goals and four assists in 14 outings. On Tuesday, he is expected to continue his duties as the second-line center, while Tampa Bay will also use him on the second power-play unit. Tampa's frontline could also have Dominic James (undisclosed) back on Tuesday.

Nov 18

Victor Hedman • D • Lightning

Victor Hedman Questionable for Tuesday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) is considered questionable for Tuesday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils. The former Norris Trophy winner practiced on Monday but may remain sidelined for a fourth consecutive game. With Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) also battling an injury, J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh have taken on extra work on the Tampa blue line. Of the two players, Raddysh has more fantasy appeal, as he receives usage on the top power-play unit. Raddysh has averaged around five minutes of power-play time over the past three games. However, the Lightning's performance with the man advantage has been subpar this season, as the team is converting only 15.3 percent of its opportunities.

Nov 18

Brandon Hagel • LW • Lightning

Brandon Hagel Injured in Wednesday's Loss

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (undisclosed) was limited to only a couple of minutes of action in Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the New York Rangers. He left the game with an undisclosed injury after a hit from Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy. Prior to Wednesday's tilt, Hagel had enjoyed a red-hot scoring stretch with 13 points in eight games. In total, he has tallied seven goals and 14 points in 16 games this season. Tampa's frontline seems to be cursed with injuries, as the team was already without Dominic James (undisclosed), Nicholas Paul (upper body), Pontus Holmberg (undisclosed), and Anthony Cirelli (upper body) on Wednesday night.

Nov 13

Victor Hedman • D • Lightning

Victor Hedman Iffy for Wednesday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) missed a second consecutive practice on Tuesday, leaving his status uncertain for Wednesday's matchup against the New York Rangers. On Saturday against the Washington Capitals, Hedman extended his assists streak to four games. However, he was limited to a season-low 17:51 of ice time and may now have to miss his first game of the season. In 15 outings, Hedman has yet to score with 23 shots, but he leads the Lightning with 12 assists. Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game, so the team must bring in defensive reinforcements from the minors if Max Crozier (undisclosed) isn't ready to go.

Nov 11

Ryan McDonagh • D • Lightning

Ryan McDonagh to Sit Out "a Few Games"

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) will be out for "a few games," head coach Jon Cooper said on Tuesday. McDonagh suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday's win over the Washington Capitals and was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. So far this season, McDonagh has appeared in all 15 games, recording six points (three goals, three assists) and 26 blocks. The Lightning may have to insert several new faces on the blue line for Wednesday's contest against the New York Rangers, as Victor Hedman (undisclosed) may also be unavailable after missing a couple of practices.

Nov 11

Ryan McDonagh • D • Lightning

Ryan McDonagh Exits With Injury Saturday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) left Saturday's tilt against the Washington Capitals after logging only 6:19 of ice time. He had seven shifts in the first period but didn't return for the second. The two-time Stanley Cup champion typically does a little bit of everything for the Lightning, recording three goals, three assists, 15 shots, 25 blocks, and eight hits in 14 contests this season. Tampa Bay played with seven defensemen on Saturday, so a forward might come into the lineup if McDonagh doesn't recover in time for Wednesday's clash against the New York Rangers.

Nov 9

Anthony Cirelli • C • Lightning

Anthony Cirelli Won't Play on Saturday

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (upper body) has been ruled out for Saturday's contest against the Washington Capitals. Cirelli sustained an upper-body injury in Thursday's victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Initially, there was hope that he would be fine for Saturday's action; however, it has now been confirmed that Cirelli will miss his first game of the season. With 14 games played, Cirelli has recorded seven goals and 11 points. Due to his absence, we will see rookie Dominic James center the second line against Washington. He has just collected his first career points, finishing Thursday's 6-3 victory at Vegas with a goal and two assists. On Saturday, James will also be part of the second power-play unit.

Nov 8

Nikita Kucherov • RW • Lightning

Nikita Kucherov Lifts Lightning Past Golden Knights

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov played a pivotal role in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, recording three third-period points. The teams entered the final frame tied at two before Kucherov racked up two goals and one assist. He posted at least three points in a single period for the 27th time in his career, ranking only below Connor McDavid (28) among active players. This season, Kucherov has struggled for consistency, but his scoring rate has still been high. With 12 games played, the Russian superstar has produced seven goals and 14 points. He's had multiple points in almost half of his outings (5).

Nov 7

Anthony Cirelli • C • Lightning

Anthony Cirelli Expected to Be Fine for Saturday

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (upper body) is expected to play in Saturday's matchup against the Washington Capitals, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. Cirelli suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's win over the Vegas Golden Knights, but Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler said postgame that the team is hopeful of having Cirelli available during the weekend. Cirelli is tied for the top spot on the Lightning roster with seven goals and has totaled 11 points in 14 outings. If Cirelli can't play on Saturday night, the Lightning will move either Yanni Gourde or Dominic James into the top six.

Nov 7

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