Andrei Vasilevskiy is heading into the 2026-27 season with a major milestone sitting right in front of him. The Lightning goaltender is 30 wins away from 400 for his career, putting him on pace to become the fastest netminder in NHL history to get there.
That chase comes after another standout year for the 31-year-old. Vasilevskiy won the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, the second time he’s taken home the league’s top goaltender honor after first doing it following the 2018-19 season. He’s now been a Vezina finalist six times, a run that matches the level of consistency Tampa Bay has come to expect from him.
His play last season helped the Lightning reach the postseason for the ninth straight year, which is tied for the longest active playoff streak in the NHL. But the year ended in frustration after Tampa Bay dropped a seven-game first-round series to a young Montreal Canadiens team.
“Our big players should be our best players on the ice,” he said during his end-of-season media availability.
Once the offseason began, Vasilevskiy shifted into preparation mode.
“I went back home for a few weeks and saw family and friends,” he said. “I came back to Tampa about a month ago, and since then I’ve been skating and working out. Nothing too crazy this time.”
The road to 400 begins when the Lightning open the regular season on Oct. 1 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Before that, Tampa Bay will get four preseason games starting Sept. 20, with two against the Nashville Predators and two against the Florida Panthers.
In Other News...
Lightning Prospect Joona Saarelainen Is Becoming Harder To Ignore
Joona Saarelainen is starting to look like more than a name buried in the Lightning prospect pool. The 20-year-old forward handled a solid season with KalPa in Finlands Liiga, showing the kind of all-around game that tends to get NHL clubs paying closer attention. He has built his reputation on playmaking, a willingness to get to the front of the net and the kind of defensive responsibility Tampa Bay likes to see from young forwards trying to earn trust.
Saarelainens role should expand next season, which only adds to the intrigue around where his development goes from here. For now, the plan is for him to stay in Finland a while longer, but his path eventually could lead to an entry-level contract and a move to North America if the Lightning decide the timing is right. For a prospect who is still early in his climb, that makes his next step one the organization will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Hagel Is Forcing A Massive Lightning Top-Line Debate
Brandon Hagel has spent the past two seasons turning himself into much more than a useful winger for Tampa Bay. After a 90-point breakout in 2024-25, he followed it with a career year in 2025-26, giving the Lightning another high-end offensive threat at a time when the top of the lineup has never looked more crowded. At this stage, the question is no longer whether Hagel belongs in the teams core plans. It is how far the Lightning want to push him up the lineup as he settles into his prime.
Nikita Kucherov remains the name that changes the whole conversation, because more time with Tampa Bays star playmaker could unlock an even bigger season for Hagel. The upside is obvious enough to make this a real top-line debate rather than a theoretical one, especially with Hagels production climbing so quickly. If the Lightning are serious about maximizing their best forwards, the next step may be figuring out just how aggressive they want to be with that pairing. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Fans Have Plenty To Circle On This Home Schedule
The Lightning have already given fans a reason to start mapping out the 2026-27 home slate, with the team unveiling its theme nights and arena giveaway plans for Benchmark International Arena. It is the kind of release that tends to turn a routine schedule drop into a season-long checklist, especially when the mix includes familiar game-night staples and a few fresh ideas designed to give different parts of the fan base something to look forward to.
Among the most eye-catching additions are the first-time Bolts & Boots Night and Margaritaville Night, two themed dates that should stand out on a calendar full of divisional matchups and premium opponent visits. The giveaway lineup also has plenty of collector appeal, with featured items tied to Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy, leaving Lightning fans with a lot to sort through before the puck even drops on the new season. [Read more 🡒]