Some would say that he is irreplaceable. Those who say that would be absolutely right. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is one of the most lethal players in the NHL. He is the ultimate playmaker. Not only is he a wicked sniper, capable of putting the puck in the net from almost any angle,
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With the start of training camp officially underway, the Tampa Bay Lightning begin their quest to become the second team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in the salary cap era. Winning back-to-back Cups is already considered one of the hardest feats in all professional sports and, combined with this year’s shortened season and likely
Whenever a franchise wins the Stanley Cup in the salary cap era, you know that change will soon follow. It’s hard enough to keep great teams together, but with the threat of a cap crunch always looming, it makes retaining a complete team with those talented players borderline impossible. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, this
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that Nikita Kucherov is dealing with a hip injury. What does this mean for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s salary cap issues? Are the Edmonton Oilers ready to add another left-shot defenseman? Who would they be looking for? The Dallas Stars will have fans in the stands to
While the holiday season may be in full swing, it doesn’t feel like a typical December for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Normally by this time of the year, the NHL is discussing plans for the All-Star game, not hammering out the details of what the regular season could look like. Related: Lightning Championship Film Offers
By Eugene Helfrick December 5th, 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Cooper recently discussed how he was feeling optimistic about the start of the 2020-21 season. As he said in the video below, “we have a pretty good gauge about what we are going to be doing here, it’s just a matter of being
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, what is going on in the NHL that not one free agent has been signed in over a month? Is there another wave of deals coming? In Pittsburgh, Jim Rutherford believes that in-season trades could be tricky. What is he concerned about? Is there a trade option that could solve
The Stanley Cup is considered the hardest trophy to win in professional sports and even harder to win in back-to-back seasons. Since the salary cap was instituted ahead of the 2005-06 season, only one team has repeated as champions: the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Only three teams have pulled off the feat in
Since they joined the NHL almost 30 years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been a franchise defined by high-end forwards. Even when the team struggled on ice with bad goaltending or a patchwork defense, they always found a way to keep games entertaining by icing some of the top offensive talents in the league.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed restricted free-agent (RFA) Mikhail Sergachev to a three-year, $14.4 million deal carrying a cap-hit of $4.8 million per season. Since he was acquired by the Lightning back in the 2017 offseason in a deal with the Montreal Canadians, the Nizhnekamsk, Russia native has established himself as one of the
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois still thinks he’ll get Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak under contract. Why is he so confident considering the Lightning’s cap situation? In Edmonton, one scribe looks at how good Connor McDavid is going to be and what that means for a second big contract
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that the Carolina Hurricanes will look to get an extension done with Dougie Hamilton as soon as possible. Meanwhile, forward Bobby Ryan detailed why he chose the Detroit Red Wings in free agency and could a former Montreal Canadiens forward return to the NHL? If he does,
Even under normal circumstances, the Tampa Bay Lightning were going to have a tough time fitting everyone on their Stanley Cup-winning roster under the salary cap for the 2020-21 season. Sure, they have a great team full of veteran talent, but many of these players garner costly contracts. Related: Tampa Bay Lightning “Untouchable” Prospects Due
In a time of uncertainty, social unrest, and growing financial inequality, it seems difficult, if not absurd, to root for the success of a multi-billionaire businessman. Tampa Bay Lightning owner, and most recent Stanley Cup champion, Jeff Vinik is the exception to the rule. Vinik’s likable personality, generosity, passion and authenticity provide a refreshingly positive
After the NHL announced their Return to Play plans, outlining how the playoffs would proceed, a prevailing opinion began to diminish the difficulty of winning the 2020 Stanley Cup. It was referred to by some as the asterisk Cup, as though it would hold less significance. However, by the end of this past postseason, quite
Heading into free agency, many fanbases were rightfully envious of the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they won the 2020 Stanley Cup after years of being a contender but coming up short. Being able to finally reach that ultimate goal is something few franchises will ever experience, so as a Lightning fan, you can’t look for
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the new Stanley Cup champions. Just winning the Cup is hard enough, but Tampa Bay won it in some of the most unusual circumstances in the history of the league. Young teams like the New York Rangers could learn a lot from the new Cup champions. They have a lot
After years of coming up short, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup, finally silencing the doubters while showcasing that they are the best team in the NHL. Sure, this was not a traditional postseason, but that doesn’t mean that the run to the Stanley Cup was any less magical for fans and