A strong weekend in Syracuse has Jakob Pelletier pushing his way back into the conversation for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 25-year-old forward recorded his second career AHL hat trick on Saturday, helping the Syracuse Crunch roll past the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7-2. The AHL took notice, naming him the first star of the night.
Saturday’s AHL Three Stars of the Night ⤵️
⭐️ Jakob Pelletier @SyracuseCrunch
⭐️⭐️ Dominik Shine @griffinshockey
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Josh Kotai @hammersahl pic.twitter.com/Q3tU2wqKel
- American Hockey League (@TheAHL) October 25, 2026
That performance pushed Pelletier to four goals and three assists for seven points in nine games. After a quiet start to the season, he’s beginning to settle in again, and that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after what he did a year ago. Last season with Syracuse, he put up 28 goals and 77 points in 66 games and finished with AHL Player of the Year honors.
Pelletier is still just 25, and while his NHL path has not gone smoothly, he’s starting to look like a player who may be finding his footing.
In the NHL, he has appeared in 91 games and produced 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points. He also played five games with the Lightning last season and did not register a point.
At this stage, it would be a stretch to expect him to become a major offensive force in the NHL. He is the 2019 first-round pick, so the idea of him reaching that kind of ceiling is appealing, but the more realistic view is simpler: he can still help.
Pelletier looks like a player who could give Tampa Bay useful minutes in the bottom six later this season. Depth matters, and the Lightning’s Stanley Cup runs were built on it.
The biggest obstacle is his position. The Lightning already have plenty of wingers in the mix. Still, if injuries hit or production dips, Pelletier could be right there when they need him.
There are people who think he belongs in Tampa Bay already, not waiting in the AHL. But the Lightning have been winning, and they are using an 11-forward setup right now. For the moment, Pelletier can keep stacking up games in Syracuse until the opportunity opens up.
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For a team that has often leaned on its top names to carry the load, that kind of contribution changes the texture of the lineup. The encouraging part for Tampa Bay is not just that these players have been useful, but that they have filled different needs at the same time, from secondary scoring to tougher minutes and faceoffs. If this start is going to hold, the Lightning may keep finding that their early-season edge comes from places opponents do not always game-plan for. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets May Have A Bigger Voronkov Decision Than Fans Realize
Dmitri Voronkovs early season in Columbus has already turned into a topic around the league, and not just because of the Blue Jackets uneven start. The 26-year-old winger brings the kind of size, physical edge and scoring upside that still makes him appealing to teams looking for a bigger forward, even after a rough stretch that has left him as a healthy scratch.
For Tampa Bay, the fit is obvious on paper. Voronkov would give the Lightning another heavy, imposing presence up front, but a move like that would not come cheaply or cleanly, and any serious pursuit would require the kind of salary juggling that can complicate deals this time of year. Whether Columbus actually moves him is still an open question, but the interest around him suggests his situation could become one of the more watched ones in the market. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Return With One Big Lineup Issue Fans Will Be Watching
Five days off is a long time in the middle of an NHL season, and the Lightning will get back to work against Winnipeg with the kind of roster check-in that can quickly shape a night. The break gave Tampa Bay its longest stretch between games outside the All-Star pause, but it also left a couple of familiar forward spots unsettled as the team heads into a tougher rhythm again.
Brandon Hagel is still being evaluated, while Zemgus Girgensons is already unavailable, forcing the Lightning to sort through their forward mix before puck drop. There is some encouraging news in Yanni Gourdes recovery from hip surgery, too, with the veteran centerman practicing in a top-six role as he pushes toward a return sooner than originally expected. [Read more 🡒]