The Lightning open their preseason slate tonight with a veteran-heavy lineup and a clear message from Jon Cooper: this isn’t a night for easing in. Tampa Bay hosts the Nashville Predators at Benchmark International Arena at 5:00 PM EST, and with only four preseason games before the regular season begins, the club is wasting no time rolling out a group that looks a lot like a dress rehearsal.
The morning skate gave the first real glimpse of how the Bolts want to line up. Ilya Mikheyev is slotted on the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, while Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Jake Guentzel make up the next group. Connor Geekie centers a third unit with Mike O’Reilly and Benjamin Rautiainen, and the fourth line features Oleg Kulebiakin, Ethan Czata, and Scott Sabourin.
On defense, the pairings were J.J. Moser with John Carlson, Victor Hedman with Emil Crozier, and Ryan McDonagh with Erik Cernak. According to the Lightning’s daily group report, the expected goaltenders are Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mads Sogaard.
That setup suggests Tampa Bay is treating this one seriously, especially at the top of the lineup. The look up front and on the blue line figures to resemble what the Lightning may roll out on Opening night against the New York Rangers. Cooper appears intent on building chemistry early, and he’s doing it with his best players front and center.
There’s also a real opportunity here for some players on the bubble. Kulebiakin and Sabourin are unlikely to force their way onto the roster unless things go sideways, but they’re getting a chance to show what they can do.
Rautiainen and O’Reilly, both rookies, have seen their odds improve with Yanni Gourde and Dominic James injured. Czata could also get a few games with the big club before heading back to his junior team.
Mikheyev’s placement on the top line is one of the more interesting wrinkles. His speed gives him a chance to keep up with Point and Kucherov, and he could bring enough responsibility away from the puck to fit there. The question is whether he can carve out a role like Ondrej Palat once had, as a two-way winger who adds just enough offense to stay in that spot.
Geekie is starting on the wing as he tries to lock down a permanent place on the roster, and his path got a little clearer with some forwards unavailable early in camp. Like O’Reilly and Rautiainen, he’s benefiting from the opening created by those absences.
The defense could shuffle a bit, but it would not be a surprise to see the Lightning keep Moser on his natural side after last season’s strong showing. The three pairings should all see similar five-on-five usage, while Carlson and Hedman are expected to pick up extra work on the power play.
That special teams setup already took shape at the morning skate. One power-play unit featured Carlson, Point, Kucherov, Hagel, and Guentzel. The other included Hedman, Geekie, Rautiainen, O’Reilly, and Cirelli.
There should be a solid pace to the game, too, with preseason usage rules in mind. NHL veterans can only appear in two preseason games, so the players in action tonight are likely to sit the next one while more Crunch players in camp get their chance.
The roster is already thinning out as camp moves forward. Tampa Bay released Jaxen Adam, Elliot Arnett, and Nathan Mayes from their try-out contracts, bringing the camp total to 64 with eleven days left.
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Kucherov's Next Lightning Deal Just Became A Much Bigger Question
Nikita Kucherovs next contract with the Lightning was already going to be one of the biggest storylines in Tampa Bay, but the market around him just shifted in a way that could change the entire conversation. His current deal runs through the upcoming season, and the new collective bargaining agreement has tightened the range of long-term options teams can use, making this negotiation feel even more consequential for both sides.
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