All articles tagged with #tampa bay lightning
The Chicago Blackhawks traded the draft rights to forward prospect Jack Pridham to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2027 third-round pick just before the NHL Draft re-entry deadline; Pridham, a high-scoring OHL standout who helped Kitchener win the Memorial Cup, has committed to a college path to preserve his rights, allowing the Lightning to hold them while he decides his pro future.
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the rights to forward Jack Pridham from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick; the 20-year-old produced 90 points in 65 OHL games with the Kitchener Rangers and is set to play NCAA next season.
Chicago Blackhawks trade 20-year-old forward Jack Pridham to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for the Lightning's third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Lightning captain Victor Hedman disclosed he stepped away from the team to address his mental health, missing time and playoff games since March 19, and returning to practice. He framed the decision as a leadership choice that prioritizes his well-being for the sake of the team, family and teammates, thanking his support network and noting ongoing care as he continues his career.
Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed that his leave of absence began in March to focus on his mental health. He said he’s in a much better place now, credited support from family, teammates, the organization, and his therapist, and expressed the goal of returning to the ice next season.
Lightning captain Victor Hedman announced a March leave of absence to focus on his mental health, ending his season after a limited return from elbow surgery and around the Olympic period. He credited his support network—family, teammates, the organization and his therapist—and said prioritizing well-being is the right leadership move for himself and the team.
Montreal defeated Tampa Bay 2-1 in a controversial Game 7, overcoming being outshot for much of the series as rookie Jakub Dobes outplayed Andrei Vasilevskiy and a late, swinging goal by Alex Newhook decided the outcome, sending the Canadiens to the next round in a series defined by one-goal margins.
Montreal upset Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 7, setting a playoff record by taking only nine shots—the fewest ever in a single playoff win—and going 0-for-0 in the second period. Alex Newhook scored the series winner as Jakub Dobes stopped 28 of 29, sending the Canadiens to the second round to face Buffalo.
Brandon Hagel has become a cornerstone for the Tampa Bay Lightning, posting a career-high 36 goals, delivering elite two-way play, and embracing a feisty, chip-on-his-shoulder persona that fuels Tampa Bay’s playoff push, including a Gordie Howe hat trick against Montreal and key moments in the first-round series.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis, a former Lightning star who helped Tampa Bay win the Cup, says he has zero emotion about facing Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference First Round and remains focused on the present, as Montreal capped a rapid rebuild with a 106-point season; Lightning coach Jon Cooper praised St. Louis' hockey mind and noted the personal history between them, with Game 1 of the series set for Sunday.
Lightning captain Victor Hedman will miss at least one more game while on a temporary personal leave. He has already sat out three straight games after leaving a game against Vancouver with an illness. The injury-plagued season has limited him to 33 appearances and under 20 minutes per game, with 0.52 points per game, a career-low pace. Tampa Bay has gone 27-7-3 without him and remains in strong playoff positioning, with home ice virtually secured and a division-title bid still alive in the cutthroat Atlantic race with the Sabres.
Scott Wheeler ranks the Tampa Bay Lightning 24th in his 2026 NHL prospect pool, noting a thin internal pipeline (two of their best prospects are with other teams) and 11 ranked players with a few intriguing, but overall weak, prospects who could still yield NHL contributors in coming years.
Carolina Hurricanes project Frederik Andersen to start in Tampa Bay against the Lightning, with Mark Jankowski aiming to extend his goal streak and Shayne Gostisbehere out with a lower-body injury; Mike Reilly draws back into the lineup. The projected forwards are Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis, Hall-Stankoven-Blake, Ehlers-Staal-Martinook, Carrier-Jankowski-Robinson, and the defense pairs Slavin-Chatfield, Miller-Walker, Reilly-Nikishin, plus detailed PP1/PP2 units. Scratches: Nicolas Deslauriers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Buffalo outlasted Tampa Bay 8-7 after a back-and-forth affair—erasing a 4-1 lead, falling behind 7-5, and then rallying for the win—fueling a volatile new Sabres–Lightning rivalry.
A chaotic Sabres–Lightning game featured 96 penalties and multiple bouts, with Brandon Hagel dropping gloves on Rasmus Dahlin early in the second after earlier skirmishes, as players from both sides slugged it out and racked up penalties in a playoff-hopeful matchup.