Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos will undergo core muscle surgery Monday and has been ruled out for the next six to eight weeks, the team announced Saturday. 

Stamkos is part of a Lightning team that appears well-equipped for a deep playoff run and a potential Stanley Cup win thanks primarily to a stacked forward group.

Last season, the Canadian both benefited from and helped those around him, as he scored 45 goals and added 53 assists for a career-high 98 points.

That came after Stamkos posted 27 goals and a career-high 59 assists for 86 points, as well as 16 points in 17 playoff games, in 2017-18.

This season, Stamkos has logged 29 goals and 37 assists for the Lightning, who occupy second place in the Atlantic Division with 85 points. 

While he has long been a key part of Tampa's success, the Bolts have experience playing without him.

In 2016-17, Stamkos was absent for all but 17 regular-season games because of knee surgery. The Lightning missed the playoffs by one point that season, which illustrates how important he is despite the fact that Tampa Bay is stacked with talent elsewhere.

The Lightning have come a long way over the past few years, though, with other players since developing into stars.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the NHL's top goalies, Mikhail Sergachev is a rising star on defense to complement the likes of Victor Hedman, and forwards Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli are progressing nicely.

Even though Tampa Bay may be the NHL's best all-around team and can play winning hockey until he comes back, there will be added pressure on winger Nikita Kucherov to carry the load and get his teammates involved in the meantime.

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Blake Coleman in a trade with the New Jersey Devils in exchange for prospect Nolan Foote and a conditional first-round pick that originally belonged to the Vancouver Canucks, the Devils announced Sunday.

New Jersey will receive a first-round pick in 2021 if Vancouver fails to reach the postseason this year. Should the Canucks reach the playoffs, the Devils will receive a 2020 first-round pick.

Coleman is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his four-year career, totaling 21 goals and 10 assists in 57 appearances. He is tied for third in the NHL with three shorthanded goals on the year. The 28-year-old is also an aggressive player defensively, and his 166 hits on the season are good for 13th in the NHL.

His two-way ability could be valuable for a team that has its eyes on the Stanley Cup. The Lightning rank second in the league with 83 points through 59 games, trailing only a fellow Eastern Conference squad, the Boston Bruins.

With a 10-game winning streak, Tampa Bay has showed it has what it takes to match up with anyone in the sport. Of course, the team is smart to be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline after a disappointing end to 2018-19. The team won the Presidents' Trophy before being swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This trade could bring the Lightning one step closer to competing for a championship.

Meanwhile, it continues a rebuild for New Jersey, which sits in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Though Coleman was under contract for another season, the deal returns valuable assets that will help in the future:

Foote, the son of former Colorado Avalanche star Adam Foote, was a first-round pick in 2019 and could help the team down the line.

After also trading captain Andy Greene to the New York Islanders, per ESPN, the Devils are clearly in sell mode.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy agreed to a massive eight-year contract Monday that will pay him an AAV of $9.5 million, general manager Julien BriseBois announced.

"The Lightning are very proud to extend Andrei for another eight years today," BriseBois said in a statement. "Since joining the organization, Andrei has shown unmatched work ethic and professionalism both on and off the ice. We look forward to him continuing his career in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future." 

The deal makes Vasilevskiy the NHL's third-highest-paid goaltender in terms of AAV, behind only Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky. The 25-year-old posted a 39-10-4 record with a 2.40 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 2018-19, winning his first Vezina Trophy.

"I'm very excited to sign this extension with the Lightning today," Vasilevskiy said. "I'd like to thank the entire organization, including Mr. Vinik, Julien BriseBois and the great Bolts fans, for making this such a great place to play and live for me and my family."

Vasilevskiy has a 124-59-15 career record with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage through five NHL seasons. He's been the team's primary starter for each of the past three seasons, emerging as perhaps the most promising goaltender in the sport.

The 2019-20 season was slated to be the final year of his contract, so the Lightning needed to get an extension done before the team enters camp in the fall. Tampa will start next season among the favorites for the Stanley Cup but are looking to rebound from an embarrassing first-round sweep by the Columbus Blue Jackets after earning the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last term.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Ryan Callahan could be forced to retire because of a back issue.

Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters that doctors have recommended Callahan end his NHL career after being diagnosed with a degenerative back disease. 

The Lightning announced they have placed Callahan on long-term injury reserve as a result of his diagnosis.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday that speculation about the Lightning potentially trading Callahan was uncertain because he "finished the year with back issues so there is some question as to whether he’ll be ready to play next season."

Callahan has had problems getting on the ice over the past three seasons. He missed 64 games during the 2016-17 after having two surgeries on his right hip.

During the 2018-19 campaign, Callahan played just 52 games, and his average ice time of 11:08 was his lowest since his debut season with the New York Rangers in 2006-07.

Callahan, 34, has played 14 combined seasons in the NHL with the Rangers and Lightning. He tied his career high with 54 points in 2014-15 to help the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final.

One year after finishing third in the Vezina Trophy voting, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy took home the award for his outstanding performance during the 2018-19 season.

Vasilevskiy beat out Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders and Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars to be named the NHL's top goaltender Wednesday.

Even though the Lightning's historic regular season didn't result in a Stanley Cup, there's no arguing that Vasilevskiy emerged as a dominant force in net. The 24-year-old led the league with 39 wins, tied for fourth in shutouts (six), tied for sixth in save percentage (92.5) and ranked ninth in goals-against average (2.40).

Vasilevskiy was able to put up those numbers despite missing 16 games with a fractured left foot.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos made his case for Vasilevskiy winning the Vezina Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, via NHL.com's Brian Compton:

"There's not a lot that can be said about [Vasilevskiy] that all of us don't already know. I think he's gotten better as the season's gone on. I thought coming back from that injury, he wanted to get dialed in right away.

"You just see his work ethic in practice. You see his preparation for games, he's just so competitive. He wants to make every single save. It's obviously fun to be part of that because it makes our job easier to go out and just have to get one."

There were a number of factors that contributed to the Lightning tying the NHL record with 62 wins during the regular season. Their offense was fantastic once again, leading the league in goals scored for the second straight year.

Defense and goaltending made the biggest difference for Tampa Bay, though. The team went from 13th in goals allowed in 2017-18 to tied for seventh last season.

Vasilevskiy is the anchor of a Lightning defense that's among the NHL's elite. He was consequently rewarded for those efforts with the league's highest individual honor for a goaltender.

After his team was swept out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said the Bolts' record-setting season played a role in their demise.

According to ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski, Cooper felt that a lack of important games down the stretch left Tampa ill-prepared for the intensity of playoff hockey: 

"When you have the amount of points we had, it's a blessing and a curse, in a way. You don't play any meaningful hockey for a long time. Then all of a sudden, you have to ramp it up. It's not an excuse. It's reality. That's how it goes: You have a historic regular season, and we had a historic playoff."

Tampa Bay fell 7-3 to Columbus on Tuesday after a regular season in which the Lightning tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins in a single campaign with 62.

As Barstool's Jeff Lowe noted, the winningest single-season teams in the history of each of the four major sports in North America have not enjoyed much playoff success:

In addition to tying the wins record, Tampa Bay had the second-highest points percentage over an 82-game campaign in NHL history at .780 behind the 1995-96 Red Wings. Also, the Bolts' 128 points were the fourth-most in a season.

On top of that, the Lightning had the best power play and penalty kill in the NHL, and their 3.89 goals per game were the most since the 1995-96 Red Wings.

Few could have expected the Lightning to get knocked out in the first round, let alone get swept, which led to this tweet from the Bolts' official Twitter account:

Cooper was left looking for answers as well:

"I don't know. It's funny: We're expected to go far this year, and we go nowhere. In 2015, no one expected us to go anywhere, and we went far, with the same core of players.

"It's hard to win in this league. It's tough not to be holding up the Stanley Cup at the end, but how many teams have gone through this? They knock at the door and knock at the door and then ... you look at Washington, for example. They had two remarkable years and got bounced in the second round, and the year no one expected them to do anything, they won the Stanley Cup."

In three of the previous four seasons, Tampa Bay made it to at least the Eastern Conference Final, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015.

This year seemed like the Bolts' best chance to win a Stanley Cup since they accomplished the feat in 2004, but now they will be left to ponder what could have been.

Despite the early exit, the Lightning are still built for success in 2019-20 and beyond. With forwards Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point (restricted free agent), defensemen Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy all likely to be back next season, Tampa Bay will still be a Stanley Cup favorite, and it may have added motivation.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had the best team in the NHL during the regular season, but they are now on the brink of a quick exit in the playoffs. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets earned a 3-1 victory over the Lightning on Sunday, putting them up 3-0 in the first-round series. Sergei Bobrovsky saved 30 of the 31 shots he faced in net, while Cam Atkinson had a goal and an assist in the win.

One more victory sends them to the second round of the playoffs, where the franchise has never been in its 19-year history.

This would obviously be a surprise in and of itself, but the fact the Lightning are on the other end of the upset is the biggest shock. Tampa Bay dominated the NHL over the course of the 2018-19 campaign, winning the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points in 82 games. No one else was within 20 points of the squad that had the best offense in hockey.

The Lightning's 62 wins matched the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most victories in a season.

However, they have struggled over the past three games, scoring only two goals in the last two losses.

Observers had a wide range of reactions to the latest defeat:

Tampa Bay still has another chance to turn things around, but this has been a massive disappointment for the Stanley Cup favorites.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov has been suspended for Sunday's Game 3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets following his boarding penalty Saturday.

With Tampa Bay trailing 5-1 with less than five minutes to play, the referees signaled for a delayed tripping penalty against Kucherov. However, he then received a five-minute boarding major and a 10-minute game misconduct for his hit on Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara, who was in the process of trying to return to his feet.

Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Columbus' Josh Anderson each also received game misconducts as a skirmish broke out following the dirty hit.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Kucherov had a phone hearing Saturday morning.

While the league acknowledged the hit was "not excessively violent or forceful," there were a number of factors that led to a suspension:

• Kucherov was "in control of this play at all times"
• Nutivaara had not fallen to the ice unexpectedly, giving Kucherov time to react
• Kucherov took "advantage" of the situation and placed a "dangerous" hit on a "defenseless" player
• The league ruled the hit falls under the category of "message sending"

As a result, Tampa Bay will be without one of its best players while it attempts to climb out of a 2-0 hole as the series shifts to Columbus.

Kucherov led the NHL in scoring during the regular season with 128 points (41 goals and a league-leading 87 assists). The 2019 Art Ross Trophy winner was one of 11 players with 41-plus goals, and he had 12 more assists than anyone. His 87 assists gave him as many or more points than 15 other players.

His playmaking abilities helped the Lightning (128 points) run away with the Presidents' Trophy and tie the record for most wins (62) in a single season.

As prolific as he was during the regular season, though, the 25-year-old was held in check for the first two games of the series against the Blue Jackets, as he didn't register a point.

Knowing a suspension could be imminent, Tampa Bay practiced without Kucherov on Saturday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen:

Since they seized a 3-0 lead in the first period of Game 1 on Wednesday, the Lightning have been outscored by the Blue Jackets 9-1 over the last five periods. And now, they will have to try to get their offense back on track without their star forward.

The Tampa Bay Lightning finished their incredible regular season in style, tying the all-time NHL wins record with a come-from-behind victory Sunday against the Boston Bruins.

Boston led 2-0 after the first period until six different Lightning players scored goals in the 6-3 win:

The win was the Lightning's 62nd of the year, which tied the record for most wins in a season with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, per the Associated Press (via Sportsnet).

The Red Wings didn't get the advantage of shootouts during their record-setting year with games ending in ties after one overtime session. That team had seven ties on the year to end with 131 points.

Tampa Bay took advantage of the rule change this year, going 6-1 in shootouts, but still ending up with 128 points.

Still, this was a historic year for the Lightning, which clinched the Presidents' Trophy with ease while dominating from start to finish. They are the first squad to even reach 120 points in the past three seasons, and no one else this year will reach 110 points on the season.

Only the Calgary Flames have a chance to finish within 20 points of Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov has blown away the competition with an NHL-best 126 points on the year with 40 goals and 86 assists. Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point also hit 40 goals this season to showcase the incredible scoring depth.

The only question is whether this squad can keep it rolling in the playoffs. The Red Wings lost in the conference finals in 1996, so the Lightning know they can't simply rely on regular-season success to carry them to a Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman is stepping down from his position to shift into an advisory role within the NHL franchise.

Joe Smith of The Athletic reported Yzerman informed the players of his decision Tuesday. Bolts assistant GM Julien BriseBois has filled the void, as the team's official website reported.

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press provided further details:

Yzerman earned enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame for a playing career that featured three Stanley Cup championships and nine All-Star Game appearances across 22 years with the Detroit Red Wings.

The 53-year-old Wings legend joined the team's front office following his retirement in 2006. After working as the Hockey Canada executive director for the 2010 Winter Olympics, he was hired by the Lightning as their general manager in May 2010.

Tampa Bay, which missed the playoffs in each of the three seasons prior to his arrival, reached the postseason five times in his eight years as GM. That included three trips to the Eastern Conference Final and a Stanley Cup berth in 2015, when the Bolts lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.

He's played an instrumental role in building one of the NHL's most talented rosters, led by winger Nikita Kucherov, center Steven Stamkos and defenseman Victor Hedman.

"It's enjoyable," Yzerman told reporters about the job in February. "It's exciting. It is kind of fun, I guess. But we're not doing it to have fun. It's a business for us."

A reason for his decision to step aside wasn't immediately announced.

BriseBois has operated as GM of the Norfolk Admirals and Syracuse Crunch, the organization's AHL affiliates, in addition to his duties as the Bolts assistant since 2010.