2025–26 Tampa Bay Lightning season
National Hockey League season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025–26 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 34th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on December 16, 1991.[1]
| 2025–26 Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd Atlantic |
| Conference | 3rd Eastern |
| 2025–26 record | 50–26–6 |
| Home record | 26–14–1 |
| Road record | 24–12–5 |
| Goals for | 290 |
| Goals against | 231 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Julien BriseBois |
| Coach | Jon Cooper |
| Captain | Victor Hedman |
| Alternate captains | Nikita Kucherov Ryan McDonagh |
| Arena | Benchmark International Arena |
| Minor league affiliates | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Nikita Kucherov (44) |
| Assists | Nikita Kucherov (86) |
| Points | Nikita Kucherov (130) |
| Penalty minutes | Emil Lilleberg (105) |
| Plus/minus | Ryan McDonagh (+43) |
| Wins | Andrei Vasilevskiy (34) |
| Goals against average | Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.33) |
On April 4, 2026, the Lightning clinched a playoff berth for the ninth consecutive season following a loss by the Detroit Red Wings to the New York Rangers.[2] With the Toronto Maple Leafs missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015–16, the Lightning alongside the Colorado Avalanche now hold the longest active playoff streak in the NHL.[3]
Off-season
May
On May 5, 2025, the Lightning signed defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous to a one-year contract for the upcoming season. D'Astous played this past season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Brynäs IF. D'Astous played in 49 games, recording 12 goals and 39 points. D'Astous also was tied for second in goals and points for defensemen in the SHL.[4]
On May 7, 2025, the Lightning re-signed Jonas Johansson to a two-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. Johansson appeared in 19 games last season as backup goaltender to Andrei Vasilevskiy. Johansson also backed-up Vasilevskiy the prior two seasons before signing the extension with the team.[5]
On May 22, 2025, the Chicago Blackhawks hired Lightning assistant coach Jeff Blashill as their 42nd head coach. Blashill spent the past three seasons with the Lightning.[6]
On the same day the Lightning signed free agent forward Wojciech Stachowiak to a one-year contract. Stachowiak played in 52 games this past season with ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Stachowiak recorded 10 goals and 30 points in those 52 appearances[7]
On May 23, 2025, the New York Islanders hired Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche as their general manager. Darche has worked in the Lightning's front office since 2019 and was part of the management group that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.[8]
On May 28, 2025, it was reported that Stacy Roest had left the organization. Roest had spent the prior 12-years with the Lightning. Roest primarily oversaw the Lightning's player development department. Roest also served as an assistant general manager with the team after being promoted.[9]
June
On June 2, 2025, the Lightning re-signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract extension that carries a cap hit of 2.33 million. Gourde was brought back to the Lightning prior to the trade deadline this past season from the Seattle Kraken. Gourde notably was part of the Lightning's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.[10] Gourde also has appeared in 602 games with the Lightning, recording 133 goals and 214 assists (347 points).[11]
On June 3, 2025, the Lightning re-signed defenseman Steve Santini to a two-year contract extension. Santini appeared in 58 games with the Syracuse Crunch this past season, recording 6 goals and 17 points. Santini also appeared in one game this past season with the Lightning.[12]
On June 4, 2025, Nikita Kucherov won his second Ted Lindsay Award. The award is given every season to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted on by the National Hockey League Players' Association. Kucherov captured his second straight Art Ross Trophy after leading the NHL in scoring with 37 goals and 84 assists (121 points). He also led the league in power play points (8 goals, 38 assists, 46 points).[13]
On June 6, 2025, the Lightning re-signed defenseman Max Crozier to a 3-year contract extension. Crozier appeared in 52 games with Syracuse this past season, recording 34 points. Crozier also has appeared in 18 games with the Lightning.[14]
That same day the Lightning announced that it had signed Dan Hinote as its new assistant coach. Hinote previously was an assistant coach in the NHL with the Nashville Predators (2020–24). Hinote spent the past season as an associate coach with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. In addition to his coaching experience, Hinote previously played in 503 regular season games in the NHL and also won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Hinote also is a native of Leesburg, Florida.[15]
On June 8, 2025, the Lightning announced it had re-signed forward Jack Finley to a 3-year contract extension. Finley appeared in 40 games with the Syracuse Crunch, recording 14 goals and 28 points. Finley also made his NHL debut this past season with the Lightning in January.[16]
On June 28, 2025, the Lightning made eight selections on the second day of the 2025 NHL entry draft. The Lightning selected Ethan Czata (#56), Benjamin Rautiainen (#121), Aiden Foster (#127), Everett Baldwin (#151), Caleb Heil (#193), Roman Luttsev (#206), Grant Spada (#212) and Marco Migmosa (#215).[17]
On June 29, 2025, the Lightning place Conor Sheary on unconditional waivers to mutually terminate his contract. Sheary appeared in 5 games this past season with the Lightning and spent the majority of the season with the Syracuse Crunch. Sheary has one year remaining on his 3-year contract with the team at the time of being placed on waivers.[18]
July
The Lightning were involved in following player signings on the first day of free agency (July 1).
The Lightning signed forward Nick Abruzzese to a one-year contract. Abruzzese appeared in 71 games with the Toronto Marlies this past season, recording 15 goals, 28 assists and 43 points. He has totaled 143 points over 211 games with the Marlies. He has also appeared in regular season games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[19]
The lightning signed defenseman Simon Lundmark to a two-year contract. Lundmark spent the past four seasons playing for the Winnipeg Jets' American Hockey League affiliate the Manitoba Moose. He was not issued a qualifying offer by the Jets, so he became a free agent on July 1.[20] With the Moose, he recorded 14 points this past season over 66 games. He also has 62 points over 254 games with the Moose.[21]
The Lightning signed Boris Katchouk to a one-year contract. Katchouk spent the past season playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins' affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Katchouk appeared in 67 games and recorded 21 goals and 49 points. Katchouk also has skated in 176 NHL games between the Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators.[22]
The Lightning signed forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year contract that carries a $1.55 million cap hit. Holmberg appeared in 68 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs the prior season, recording 7 goals and 19 points. Holmberg also has appeared in 159 games with the Leafs, recording 19 goals and 49 points. Holmberg reached free agency to sign with the Lightning after he was not issued a qualifying offer by the Leafs prior to the July 1 deadline.[23]
The Lightning signed forward Tristan Allard to a two-year entry level contract. Allard appeared in 45 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL this past season, recording 7 goals and 9 assists.[24]
The Lightning signed goaltender Ryan Fanti to a one-year contract. Fanti appeared in 7 games this past season with the Syracuse Crunch, recording 3–1–0 record, 1.45 GAA and .946 save percentage. Fanti also appeared in 37 games with the ECHL Orlando Solar Bears, recording a 18–13–5, 2.71 GAA and .907 save percentage.[25]
Finally, the Lightning re-signed Gage Goncalves to a two-year contract extension. Gonclaves appeared in 60 games this past season with the Lightning, recording 8 goals, 12 assists and 20 points. He also appeared in all 5 of the Lightning's playoff games where he was tied for second in playoff scoring with the team.[26]
On July 2, 2025, the Lightning signed forward Jakob Pelletier to a three-year contract. Pelletier split last season between the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. Pelletier appeared in 49 games, recording seven goals and 19 points. Pelletier was originally drafted 26th overall by the Flames in the 2019 NHL draft.[27]
On July 7, 2025, the Lightning hired Jeff Tambellini as the assistant general manager. He will also serve as the general manager of the Lighthing's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. This is also Tambellini's third stint with the organization. He originally played for the Lightning in the 2015–16. He then worked for the team as an NCAA pro scout from 2020 to 2022.[28]
On July 8, 2025, the Lightning traded forward Isaac Howard to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Sam O'Reilly. Howard was a former first-round pick of the Lightning in the 2022 NHL draft. Howard finished up his college career at Michigan State University and capturing the Hobey Baker Award prior to the trade.[29] O'Reilly comes to the Lightning after helping the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League win the OHL championship and the Memorial Cup. O'Reilly appeared in 62 games with the Knights, recording 28 goals and 71 points. He recorded 22 points in the post season for the Knights in winning the OHL championship. He also recorded 2 goals and 5 points in five games in the Knights Memorial Cup win. O'Reilly was also a former first-round pick of the Oilers in the 2024 NHL entry draft.[30]
On July 13, 2025, the Lightning signed forward Scott Sabourin to a one-year contract. Sabourin appeared in 68 games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. Sabourin recorded 10 goals and 25 points over those 68 games. He also appeared in one game with the San Jose Sharks. In his career he also has skated in 47 NHL games with the Sharks, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.[31]
On July 23, 2025, the Lightning signed forward Ethan Czata to a three-year entry level contract. Czata was originally drafted by the Lightning in the 2nd-round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.[32]
Training camp
September
On September 17, 2025, the Lightning announced that forward Nick Paul underwent surgery to repair an upper-body injury. The injury was something he sustained during the prior season. Paul is expected to be out of the lineup until at least until November.[33]
On September 20, 2025, the Lightning signed forward Dominic James to a two-year entry level contract. James became a free agent after not signing with the Chicago Black Hawks after being drafted by them in 2022 NHL entry draft.[34] James appeared in 111 games with Minnesota Duluth University, recording 30 goals and 77 points. James also finished his career with Minnesota as the team's captain.[35]
On September 24, 2025, the Lightning made their first cut to the training roster to reduce it down to 53 players. The Lightning released the following players back to their junior teams: Everett Baldwin, Ethan Czata, Aiden Foster, Jan Golicic, Caleb Heil, Marco Mignosa, Sam O'Reilly, Kaden Pitre and Grant Spada.[36]
On September 28, 2025, the Lightning made their second round of roster cuts to reduce their training came roster down to 32 players. The following players were assigned to the Syracuse Crunch: Tristan Allard, Cooper Flinton, Brendan Furry, Ethan Gauthier, Niko Huuhtanen, Spencer Kersten, Connor Kurth, Lucas Mercuri, Reece Newkirk, Milo Roelens, Gabriel Szturc, Charle-Edouard D'Astous, Dyllan Gill, Maxim Groshev, Chris Harpur, Tommy Miller, Matteo Pietroniro and Harrison Meneghin. Also, the following players were placed on waivers: Ryan Fanti, Simon Lundmark, Scott Sabourin and Steven Santini. These players will also be assigned to Syracuse for the start of its training camp if they clear waivers.[37]
October
On October 1, 2025, the Lightning made another set of training camp cuts. The lightning assigned Dylan Duke, Scott Sabourin and Wojciech Stachowiak to the Syracuse Crunch. The Lightning also placed Nick Abruzzese, Boris Katchouk and Jakob Pelletier on waivers to be assigned to the Syracuse Crunch.[38]
On October 2, 2025, the Lightning claimed goaltender Pheonix Copley off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.[39] Copley has appeared in 77 NHL games in his career, recording 44-wins, a .898 save percentage and a 2.84 GAA.[40]
On October 6, 2025, the Lightning claimed Curtis Douglas off waivers from the Utah Mammoth. Douglas has played in 261 games in the American Hockey League, recording 37 goals, 60 assists, 97 points and 508 penalty minutes.[41]
That same day the Lightning announced their opening night roster for the 2025–26 season.
Forwards
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Mitchell Chaffee, Anthony Cirelli, Curtis Douglas, Jack Finley, Conor Geekie, Zemgus Girgensons, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Pontus Holmberg, Nikita Kucherov, Nick Paul and Brayden Point.
Defense
Erik Cernak, Max Crozier, Victor Hedman, Emil Lilleberg, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh.
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonas Johansson and Pheonix Copley
The team also announced that Zemgus Girgensons, Niko Huuhtanen and Nick Paul would start thee season on the team's injured reserve list due to injury.[42]
Standings
Divisional standings
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 42 | 288 | 241 | +47 | 109 |
| 2 | x – Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 40 | 290 | 231 | +59 | 106 |
| 3 | x – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 34 | 283 | 256 | +27 | 106 |
| 4 | x – Boston Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 33 | 272 | 250 | +22 | 100 |
| 5 | x – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 38 | 278 | 246 | +32 | 99 |
| 6 | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 30 | 241 | 258 | −17 | 92 |
| 7 | Florida Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 32 | 251 | 276 | −25 | 84 |
| 8 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 23 | 253 | 299 | −46 | 78 |
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division
Conference standings
| Pos | Div | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AT | x – Boston Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 33 | 272 | 250 | +22 | 100 |
| 2 | AT | x – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 38 | 278 | 246 | +32 | 99 |
| 3 | ME | Washington Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 37 | 263 | 244 | +19 | 95 |
| 4 | AT | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 30 | 241 | 258 | −17 | 92 |
| 5 | ME | Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 28 | 253 | 253 | 0 | 92 |
| 6 | ME | New York Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 29 | 233 | 241 | −8 | 91 |
| 7 | ME | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 29 | 230 | 254 | −24 | 87 |
| 8 | AT | Florida Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 32 | 251 | 276 | −25 | 84 |
| 9 | AT | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 23 | 253 | 299 | −46 | 78 |
| 10 | ME | New York Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 25 | 238 | 250 | −12 | 77 |
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot
Schedule and results
Preseason
2025 preseason game log: 6–1–0 (Home: 4–0–0; Road: 2–1–0)
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Regular season
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October: 5–4–2, 12 points (Home: 3–3–0; Road: 2–1–2)
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November: 11–3–0, 22 points (Home: 5–2–0; Road: 6–1–0)
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December: 7–6–1, 15 points (Home: 3–4–0; Road: 4–2–1)
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January: 11–1–1, 23 points (Home: 4–0–0; Road: 7–1–1)
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February: 4–2–0, 8 points (Home: 4–1–0; Road: 0–1–0)
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March: 8–6–2, 18 points (Home: 4–3–1; Road: 4–3–1)
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April: 4–4–0, 8 points (Home: 3–1–0; Road: 1–3–0)
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| Lightning score listed first;
Win Loss Overtime/shootout loss |
Playoffs
| 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference first round vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens – Montreal won 4–3
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Win Loss |
Player stats
May 1, 2026[134]
Skaters
Goaltenders
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 58 | 58 | 3430:45 | 39 | 15 | 4 | 132 | 2.31 | 1483 | .912 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| Jonas Johansson | 25 | 23 | 1423:31 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 78 | 3.29 | 670 | .884 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Halverson | 2 | 1 | 56:53 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.22 | 21 | .810 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 6 | 6 | 382:15 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 2.20 | 147 | .905 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Tampa Bay. Stats reflect time with Tampa Bay only.
‡Traded from Tampa Bay mid-season.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record
Roster
Updated April 26, 2026[139][140]
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 |  |
Oliver Bjorkstrand | RW | R | 31 | 2025 | Herning, Denmark |
| 67 |  |
Declan Carlile | D | L | 25 | 2022 | Flint, Michigan |
| 81 |  |
Erik Cernak | D | R | 28 | 2017 | Košice, Slovakia |
| 41 | |
Mitchell Chaffee | RW | R | 28 | 2023 | Rockford, Michigan |
| 71 |  |
Anthony Cirelli | C | L | 28 | 2015 | Woodbridge, Ontario |
| 24 | |
Max Crozier | D | R | 26 | 2019 | North Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 51 | |
Charle-Edouard D'Astous  |
D | L | 28 | 2025 | Rimouski, Quebec |
| 28 |  |
Zemgus Girgensons | LW | L | 32 | 2024 | Riga, Latvia |
| 93 | |
Gage Goncalves | C | R | 25 | 2020 | Mission, British Columbia |
| 37 | |
Yanni Gourde | C | L | 34 | 2025 | Saint-Narcisse, Quebec |
| 59 | |
Jake Guentzel | LW | L | 31 | 2024 | Omaha, Nebraska |
| 38 | |
Brandon Hagel | LW | L | 27 | 2022 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| 77 |  |
Victor Hedman (C) |
D | L | 35 | 2009 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden |
| 29 | |
Pontus Holmberg | RW | L | 27 | 2025 | Västerås, Sweden |
| 17 | |
Dominic James | C | L | 23 | 2025 | Plymouth, Michigan |
| 31 | |
Jonas Johansson | G | L | 30 | 2023 | Gävle, Sweden |
| 86 |  |
Nikita Kucherov (A) | RW | L | 32 | 2011 | Maykop, Russia |
| 78 |  |
Emil Lilleberg | D | L | 25 | 2023 | Sarpsborg, Norway |
| 27 | |
Ryan McDonagh (A) | D | L | 36 | 2024 | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 90 |  |
J. J. Moser | D | L | 25 | 2024 | Biel, Switzerland |
| 20 | |
Nick Paul | LW | L | 31 | 2022 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 10 | |
Corey Perry | RW | R | 40 | 2026 | Peterborough, Ontario |
| 21 | |
Brayden Point | C | R | 30 | 2014 | Calgary, Alberta |
| 43 | |
Darren Raddysh | D | R | 30 | 2021 | Caledon, Ontario |
| 46 | |
Scott Sabourin | RW | R | 33 | 2025 | Orleans, Ontario |
| 88 | |
Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | L | 31 | 2012 | Tyumen, Russia |
Suspensions/fines
| Player | Explanation | Length | Salary | Date issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Schmidt | Fined for a severe cross-check against Carter Verhaeghe during a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | – | $2,098.52 | October 5, 2025[141] |
| Gage Goncalves | Fined for a severe cross-check against Evan Rodrigues during a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | – | $3,125.00 | October 5, 2025[141] |
| Scott Sabourin | Suspended for four games for roughing Aaron Ekblad during a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | 4 games | – | October 6, 2025[142] |
| J.J. Moser | Suspended for two games for roughing Jesper Boqvist during a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | 2 games | – | October 6, 2025[143] |
| Team | Actions culminating in the events of a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | – | $100,000 | October 6, 2025[144] |
| Jon Cooper (head coach) | Actions culminating in the events of a preseason game against the Florida Panthers on October 4, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | – | $25,000 | October 6, 2025[144] |
| Scott Sabourin | Fined for slashing Niko Mikkola in a regular season game against the Florida panthers on December 28, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena. | – | $2,018.23 | December 29, 2025[145] |
| Curtis Douglas | Fined for being the aggressor in an altercation with Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola in a regular season game against the Florida Panthers on February 5, 2026, at Benchmark International Arena. | – | $2,018.23 | February 6, 2026[146] |
| Brandon Hagel | Fined for being the aggressor in an altercation with Buffalo Sabres defensemen Rasmus Dahlin in a regular season game against the Buffalo Sabres on March 8, 2026, at KeyBank Center. | – | $5,000 | March 8, 2026[147] |
Awards and honours
Awards
| Player | Award | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Hagel | NHL Second Star of the Week[148] | December 1, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL First Star of the Week[149] | December 29, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL First Star of the Week[150] | January 5, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL Second Star of the Week[151] | January 26, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL Fist Start of the Month for January[152] | February 1, 2026 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | NHL Second Star of the Week[153] | February 2, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL Second Star of the Week[154] | March 23, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL First Star of the Month of March[155] | April 1, 2026 |
Milestones
|
|
Records
| Player | Record | Reached |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Hedman | Most seasons played in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Hedman passed Steven Stamkos (16 seasons). | October 9, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Fourth most powerplay goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Martin St. Louis (96). | October 9, 2025 |
| Brayden Point | Seventh most games played in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Point passed Pavel Kubina (662). | October 19, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 1,000 points with the franchise. Kucherov was the fourth fast player born outside of North America to score 1,000 points (809 games) and 17th fastest in NHL history. Kucherov was also the 101st player in NHL history to record 1,000 points. | October 25, 2025 |
| Victor Hedman | First defenseman and fifth player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 800 points with the franchise. Hedman was also the 19th defenseman to reach 800 points in NHL history. | October 25, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Third most goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Martin St. Louis (365). | November 19, 2025 |
| Anthony Cirelli | Third most shorthanded points in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Cirelli passed Vincent Lecavalier (23). | November 22, 2025 |
| Brayden Point | Sixth most assists in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Point passed Brad Richards (339). | December 13, 2025 |
| Darren Raddysh | Second fastest defenseman to reach 100 career points in Tampa Bay Lightning history (206 games). | December 22, 2025 |
| Anthony Cirelli | Second most shorthanded points in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Cirelli tied Rob Zamuner (25). | December 27, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 500 career points on the road. Kucherov joined Steve Stamkos as the only players to do so in team history. | December 27, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Fourth most game winning goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Vincent Lecavalier (60). | December 27, 2025 |
| Jon Cooper | First coach in Tampa Bay Lightning history to coach 1,000 games with the franchise. Cooper was also the 5th coach in NHL history to coach in 1,000 games with a single franchise, and the 32nd coach to reach 1,000 games coached. | December 31, 2025 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Third most 20 goal seasons in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Martin St. Louis (10). | January 3, 2026 |
| Darren Raddysh | Third defenseman in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record a hattrick. Raddysh joined Dan Boyle and Doug Crossman as the only defensemen in team history to record the feat. | January 3, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 300 career multipoint games. Kucherov joined Steven Stamkos as the only players to do so. | January 6, 2026 |
| Jon Cooper | First coach in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 600 career wins with the franchise. Cooper did so in 1,006 games. Cooper was also the second fastest coach to record 600 wins in NHL history behind Scotty Bowman (1,002 games). | January 12, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Tied for most consecutive multipoint games in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov joined Steven Stamkos as the only players to record the feat (9 games). | January 12, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second most goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Vincent Lecavalier (383). | January 29, 2026 |
| Brandon Hagel | Tied for fastest goal in Tampa Bay Lightning history (11 seconds). Hagel tied Dino Ciccarelli (Feb. 15, 1997, vs. Washington) and Ruslan Fedotenko (Feb. 4, 2006, vs. Washington). Hagel also set the record for the fastest goal in an NHL outdoor game and Tampa Bay Lighting outdoor game. | February 1, 2026 |
| Darren Raddysh | Longest goal streak by a defensman in Tampa Bay Lightning history (4 games). | February 1, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | First player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 700 career assists with the franchise. Kucherov was the second fastest player born outside North America to record 700 assists. Kucherov also was only the third Russian born player to record 700 asssts. | February 25, 2026 |
| Brayden Point | Seventh player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to play in 700 games with the franchise. | March 7, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 1,100 points. Kucherov joined Steven Stamkos as the only players in team history. | March 13, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Third most hattricks in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov passed Vincent Lecavalier (6). | March 17, 2026 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tenth most games played in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Vasilevskiy passed Tyler Johnson (589). | March 26, 2026 |
| Anthony Cirelli | Tenth most goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Cirelli passed Fredrik Modin (145). | April 2, 2026 |
| Darren Raddysh | Most goals in a single season by a defensemen in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Raddysh passed Victor Hedman and Dan Boyle (20). | April 4, 2026 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 400 regular season goals. Kucherov joined Steven Stamkos as the only players in franchise history to do so. | April 6, 2026 |
| Brandon Hagel | First player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record a Gordie Howe hat trick in a playoff game. | April 21, 2026 |
| Brandon Hagel | Tied for longest goal streak to start a playoff series Tampa Bay Lightning history. Hagel tied Steven Stamkos for the longest goal streak (4 games). | April 26, 2026 |
Transactions
The Lightning have been involved in the following transactions during the 2025–26 season.
Trades
| Date | Details | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2025 | To Boston Bruins 4nd-round pick in 2026 |
To Tampa Bay Lightning 2nd-round pick in 2025 |
[156] |
| July 8, 2025 | To Edmonton Oilers Isaac Howard |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Sam O'Reilly |
[157] |
| October 16, 2025 | To Los Angeles Kings Pheonix Copley |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Future Considerations |
[158] |
| December 8, 2025 | To Philadelphia Flyers Ethan Samson |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Roman Schmidt |
[159] |
| December 28, 2025 | To Minnesota Wild Boris Katchouk |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Michael Milne |
[160] |
| March 6, 2026 | To Los Angeles Kings 2nd-round pick in 2028 |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Corey Perry*[a] |
[161] |
| March 12, 2026 | To Detroit Red Wings Michael Milne Wojciech Stachowiak |
To Tampa Bay Lightning Ian Mitchell |
[162] |
Notes
- Los Angeles retained 50% of Perry's contract.
Free agents
| Date | Player | Team | Contract term | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Nick Abruzzese | from Toronto Maple Leafs | 1-year | [163] |
| July 1, 2025 | Simon Lundmark | from Winnipeg Jets | 2-year | [164] |
| July 1, 2025 | Boris Katchouk | from Pittsburgh Penguins | 1-year | [165] |
| July 1, 2025 | Pontus Holmberg | from Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-year | [166] |
| July 1, 2025 | Nick Perbix | to Nashville Predators | 2-year | [167] |
| July 1, 2025 | Matt Tomkins | to Edmonton Oilers | 2-year | [168] |
| July 2, 2025 | Jakob Pelletier | from Philadelphia Flyers | 3-year | [169] |
| July 13, 2025 | Scott Sabourin | from San Jose Sharks | 1-year | [170] |
Waivers
| Date | Player | Team | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2025 | Pheonix Copley | from Los Angeles Kings | [171] |
| October 6, 2025 | Curtis Douglas | from Utah Mammoth | [172] |
| February 7, 2026 | Jack Finley | to St. Louis Blues | [173] |
| March 6, 2026 | Curtis Douglas | to Vancouver Canucks | [174] |
Contract terminations
|
Retirement
|
Signings
Key:
† Contract is entry-level.
| Date | Player | Contract term | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Gage Goncalves | 2-year | [177] |
| July 1, 2025 | Ryan Fanti | 1-year | [178] |
| July 1, 2025 | Tristan Allard | 2-year† | [179] |
| September 20, 2025 | Dominic James | 2-year† | [35] |
| December 4, 2025 | Ryan McDonagh | 3-year | [180] |
| December 27, 2025 | J. J. Moser | 8-year | [181] |
| January 2, 2026 | Charle-Edouard D'Astous | 1-year | [182] |
Draft picks
Below are the Tampa Bay Lightning's selections at the 2025 NHL entry draft, which was held on June 27 and 28, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 56[A] | Ethan Czata | C | Canada |
Niagara IceDogs (OHL) |
| 4 | 108[B] | Benjamin Rautiainen | C |  Finland |
Tappara (Liiga) |
| 127[C] | Aiden Foster | C | Canada |
Prince George Cougars (WHL) | |
| 5 | 151 | Everett Baldwin | D | United States |
U.S. NTDP (USHL) |
| 7 | 193[D] | Caleb Heil | G | United States |
Madison Capitals (USHL) |
| 206[E] | Roman Luttsev | C | Russia |
Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) | |
| 212[F] | Grant Spada | D | Canada |
Guelph Storm (OHL) | |
| 215 | Marco Mignosa | RW | Canada |
Soo Greyhounds (OHL) |
Notes
- The Los Angeles Kings' second-round pick went to the Tampa Bay Lightning as the result of a trade on June 29, 2024, that sent Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2024 and this pick.[183]
- The Detroit Red Wings' fourth-round pick went to the Lightning as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent a fourth-round pick in 2026 to Boston in exchange for this pick.
- The Edmonton Oilers' fourth-round pick went to the Lightning as the result of a trade on March 6, 2024, that sent Adam Henrique to Edmonton in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[184] The condition – Tampa Bay will receive a fourth-round pick in 2025 if Edmonton does not win the Stanley Cup in 2024[184] – was converted when the Oilers lost the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 24, 2024.[185]
- The San Jose Sharksꞌ seventh-round pick went to the Lightning as the result of a trade on March 7, 2024, that sent Jack Thompson and a third-round pick in 2024 to San Jose in exchange for Anthony Duclair and this pick.[186]
- The Utah Mammothꞌs seventh-round pick went to the Lightning as the result of a trade on March 8, 2024, that sent a fifth-round pick in 2027 to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Matt Dumba and this pick.[187]
- The Minnesota Wild's seventh-round pick went to the Lightning as the result of a trade on November 8, 2023, that sent Zach Bogosian to Minnesota in exchange for this pick.[188]