en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Tampa Bay Lightning News https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/news For these veterans, the actual defensive play does not match the reputation. Wed, 13 May 2026 18:30:20 GMT Scott Maxwell https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56608932 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56608932 false false Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly continues to make a name for himself, becoming the first player in Ontario Hockey League history to appear in four straight championship series. He was awarded the Wayne Gretzky ‘99’ Award as the most valuable player of the 2026 OHL playoffs after recording 17 goals and 11 assists in 18 playoff games during the Kitchener Rangers championship run. Wed, 13 May 2026 14:24:49 GMT Diandra Loux https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56605838 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56605838 false false Miller skated in 55 games with the Crunch this season tallying career highs in goals (3) and points (10). Wed, 13 May 2026 13:01:00 GMT Syracuse Crunch https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56604907 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56604907 false false The Tampa Bay Lightning probably weren’t going to go after Charlie Coyle, the 34-year-old forward who finished the season with Columbus. Now, it looks like no one is going to get the chance. The Columbus Blue Jackets are re-signing Coyle to a that carries a $6 million AAV. The new contract will keep him in red, white, and blue until 2032. Welcome to the new salary cap. Coyle was ranked 7th in The Athletic’s and is solid, middle-of-the-lineup center. He had a respectable 58-points in his first season with the Blue Jackets after they acquired him from Colorado for prospect Gavin Brindley and a couple of draft picks. With a fairly young roster he provides a veteran presence. Is it an overpay? Only time will tell this summer. Due to the boosted cap, expect some decent size deals for middle-of-the-line-up forwards. The Lightning are fairly stacked down the middle of the ice, so Coyle probably wasn’t in their summer plans, although he likely would have fit right in with what they want to do. His 40 points at 5v5 were second on the team and he won 52.5% of his draws at even strength. The right-handed shot also hasn’t missed a game in five seasons. So, how does his re-signing affect the Lightning? While they might not have needed a center, they are going to kick the tires on some forwards. If Coyle’s deal sets the market for a middle-six forward, then players like Anthony Mantha, Mason Marchment, or Viktor Arvidsson might cost the Lightning a little bit more money. Hockey News Julien BriseBois appears on Block Party Podcast [] The Lightning general manager stops by and chats with the guys about the season and what is coming up this summer. As Canadiens rise, Vincent Lecavalier finds his place in a familiar Stanley Cup pursuit [] One of the best duos in Lightning history is back at it again, this time behind the scenes and on the bench for the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie McAvoy suspended for six games [] The Bruins’ defenseman will have a slightly longer offseason than his teammates as he will be sitting for the first six games of next season after DoPS suspended him for his slash on Zach Benson in the first round. Sidney Crosby to join Team Canada for World Championships [] Denied a gold at the Olympics, Crosby is heading to Switzerland to put on Team Canada’s sweater one more time (at least). He won’t have the burden of wearing the “C” as that has already been awarded to Macklin Celebrini. It’s the second spring in a row that Crosby will be participating at the World Championships as he had 12 points in 8 games last year. [Series tied at 2] [Vegas leads 3-2] Wed, 13 May 2026 11:13:17 GMT Justin G. https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56604108 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56604108 false false Follow Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas as he records 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, attends morning media availability, and reports throughout the entire broadcast day... Tue, 12 May 2026 18:39:31 GMT NHL https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56596642 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56596642 false false Goncalves and James played on the same line during the playoffs Tue, 12 May 2026 17:06:56 GMT Benjamin Pierce https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56595409 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56595409 false false Tampa Bay Lightning face a pivotal offseason—can they keep their Stanley Cup window open as Atlantic Division rivals surge with hungry young talent? Nick Mor... Tue, 12 May 2026 13:29:39 GMT Locked On Lightning https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56592847 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56592847 false false Much like his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates, Mitchell Chaffee’s season ended in disappointment. Unlike most of them, Chaffee’s year ended in Syracuse instead of Tampa. A season that started with the chance of a bigger role in the NHL ended 1,200 miles away when the Crunch fell to the Cleveland Monsters in their first-round match-up. As an unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old will have to decide if his future remains in Tampa, or if there is another franchise that will give him a chance to stick in the NHL. It was a tale of two seasons for Chaffee. The NHL portion wasn’t that great. While he was on the opening night roster, he was sent to Syracuse at the end of October after failing to record a point in seven games. A late season recall would give him another four games with the Lightning, and he did manage to pick up an assist in the season finale against the New York Rangers. As bad as things went in Tampa, it was the complete opposite in Syracuse. Chaffee posted a career-season as he put up 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 54 games. He also recorded his first career AHL post-season point as he scored in the Crunch’s Game One loss. Unfortunately, he would only appear in two games against the Monsters before being replaced in the line-up by Noah Steen. Chaffee has never had an issue scoring at the AHL level as he has 66 goals and 80 assists in 177 games with the Crunch and Iowa Wild. That level of production has yet to translate to the NHL level where he has 16 goals and 10 assists in 109 games. Part of that is the role he’s been asked to play at both levels. In the AHL he’s played top-six minutes while with the Lightning he’s had more of a defensive role. Despite his limited time with the Bolts this season, he led the team with 18.34 hits/60. During the 2024-25 season he averaged 10.99 hits/60 with Zemgus Girgensons as the only full-time player to make contact with more frequency. If Julien BriseBois is to be taken at his word, there isn’t going to be much change in the Lightning’s roster next season. Even with that being said, there is likely to be a spot open in the bottom-six. Would Chaffee be a fit? Possibly. He has one thing going for him that some other forwards don’t – he’s a right-hand shot. Not only that, but when he uses it, the shot is really good. In his three seasons with the Lightning, his shooting percentage is 15.4%, which is right in line with Brandon Hagel (15.5%), Nikita Kucherov (15.6%), and Steven Stamkos (15.3%) over that same time period. The main problem…he just doesn’t shoot enough. His 5.04 shots/60 is lower than noted shooters like Curtis Douglas (5.89) and Tyler Motte (5.8). The Lightning took a chance on him when they signed him to a one-year contract in the summer of 2023 as the former UMass star was coming off of a big knee injury. He played well in Syracuse and was impressive enough in a 30-game stint with the Bolts to earn a two-year extension. He put up 12 goals in 66 games during the 2024-25 season and seemed locked into a third-line role with the Bolts for the 2025-26 season. His early season struggles and the emergence of Dominic James as an option landed him in Syracuse for the majority of the season. Now he’s at a bit of a career crossroads. With a roster that has only a few spots open, and a host of prospects knocking at the door to fill those holes, the Lightning probably can’t guarantee him a spot in the NHL next season. Has he shown enough that another franchise might be willing to do so? He might have to settle for a one-year deal or even a PTO deal with another franchise. There is a chance that his career could have a similar arc as Cole Koepke. After not seeing a lot of ice time with the Lightning, Koepke signed a one-year deal with Boston which earned him a bigger one-year contract with Winnipeg last season. Chances are that is the route he takes this summer. There are just too many other players already under contract with the Lightning that can fill the needs Tampa Bay has for next season. Hockey News Sam O’Reilly posts three-point night [] The hype train continues for the Lightning prospect as he scored once and added two helpers as Kitchener beat Barrie, 4-3, in double overtime. The Rangers lead the series two-games-to-one. Buy/Sell latest NHL rumors [] Could the Lightning put together a trade package for either San Jose’s 2nd overall pick or Jason Robertson? Sure, they could, but they probably won’t. Why? Because they don’t like fun, that’s why. All 12 Stanley Cup Final Matchups left in play, ranked purely on narratives [] We’re rooting for Anaheim against Montreal. Let the kids have some fun. Czechia releases World Championship roster [] No real ties to the Lightning, but you never know what their scouting staff might find on the roster. Arber Xhekaj fined maximum amount [] The Montreal defenseman is out $3,385.42 after the DoPS slapped him with some supplemental discipline for his actions against Buffalo’s Sam Carrick. He wasn’t the only playe... Tue, 12 May 2026 11:12:58 GMT Justin G. https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56591760 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56591760 false false One of the quickest ways to inject skill into an NHL lineup is to target another team's disgruntled young players via trade. In that vein, it's going to be a tr Tue, 12 May 2026 01:33:43 GMT Franklin Steele https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56589281 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56589281 false false Brayden Point’s season with the Lightning was hampered by injuries and a noticeable dip in production. Was this just a rare off year, or should fans be conce... Mon, 11 May 2026 20:27:59 GMT Locked On Lightning https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56586608 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56586608 false false Furry played in 58 games with the Crunch this season tallying career highs in goals (14) and assists (14). Mon, 11 May 2026 18:26:08 GMT Syracuse Crunch https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56585248 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56585248 false false Nikita Kucherov entered the 2025-26 season as the reigning Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner, and he certainly showed why once again for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mon, 11 May 2026 17:49:01 GMT William Espy https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56584798 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56584798 false false Point aims to “increase the scoring zone” for himself Mon, 11 May 2026 17:37:04 GMT Benjamin Pierce https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56584653 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56584653 false false The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have served as an example of evolution in tactical adaptation for the Montreal Canadiens; more importantly, it has signaled the arrival of Martin St. Louis… Mon, 11 May 2026 16:44:32 GMT Blain Potvin https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56583970 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/articles/56583970 false false