The Lightning are about to get a major boost back on the blue line, and the timing lines up neatly with a key matchup against Winnipeg on Thursday night.
Victor Hedman is set to return for Tampa Bay, and Brandon Hagel will also be available after his status for this game had been uncertain. Hedman, the veteran defenseman and franchise mainstay, has missed time but now rejoins the lineup as the Bolts face the Jets.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft has produced 4 points in 10 games this season and carries a plus-5 rating while averaging 13:35 of ice time per night. With J.J. Moser, Ryan McDonagh, John Carlson and Erik Cernak all in the mix, Tampa Bay has been able to keep Hedman’s workload in check during his age-35 season.
Hagel’s presence helps preserve one of Jon Cooper’s preferred lineup setups, as the Lightning are expected to go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. That also means Zemgus Girgensons will sit out; he is day-to-day.
Tampa Bay has again looked like a team that belongs near the top of the Eastern Conference, but the standings tell a slightly different story because the Lightning have played fewer games than their Atlantic Division rivals. They’re sixth in the division by points, though second by points percentage.
The recent results have not been as clean. The Lightning have lost their last two games heading into Winnipeg’s visit, while the Jets arrive after a rough stretch of their own, having dropped six straight after a strong start to the season.
In Other News...
Lightning Fans Are About To Have A Nostalgia Fueled Uniform Debate
The leagues next uniform rollout is already starting to stir up familiar Lightning nostalgia, with Tampa Bay among the teams set to take part in the NHLs Hometown Remix campaign. It will be the first such leaguewide unveiling since the 2022-23 season, and the idea is built around revisiting local identity in a way that should get fans talking before the new look is even on the ice.
Tampa Bay has already offered a small hint through practice sessions, where the team has worn all-black helmets that are expected to carry over into the official game uniforms. The full reveal is still set for Nov. 2, and for a franchise with a fan base that tends to have strong opinions about its looks, this one figures to invite plenty of debate before the first puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Suddenly Face Another Lineup Test Up Front
The Lightnings forward depth is getting pressed again at a time when every healthy body matters in the stretch of the schedule. Tampa Bay is already dealing with a mix of short-term roster shuffling around the league, including Toronto activating Dakota Joshua after a conditioning stint and moving Miles Wood to LTIR for cap reasons, but the bigger concern for the Bolts is closer to home, where an injury has thinned out the group up front just enough to change the look of the lineup.
Zemgus Girgensons is unavailable after getting hurt against Utah, and Brandon Hagels status will not be settled until game time because of an undisclosed injury. For a team that has leaned on its forwards to drive pace and pressure, the uncertainty leaves Tampa Bay waiting on one more decision before it knows exactly how much it can ask of its top six and how much juggling may be required behind them. [Read more 🡒]