The Tampa Bay Lightning have been battling the injury bug since before the season got underway. However, despite it all, they’ve continued to overcome their slow start and climb back up the standings. Without key players, they sit at 12-7-2 through 21 games.
Let’s take a deep dive into who is out, along with some keys to why this team is able to keep fighting through it all. Then, we’ll look into whether they can keep it up.
Who Is Currently Out for the Lightning?
Some context helps with understanding the situation. They’re currently without two key defensemen, Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. Both are leaders on this team and are absent from the ice. Hedman has moved to the injured reserve, while McDonagh is a couple of weeks away. Forward Pontus Holmberg, who was signed to help bolster depth, is also out and on the injured reserve.
Recent developments indicate they could be without Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point after they had early exits on Saturday. More on them in a bit.
Timing of Health Has Helped
It sounds odd to say there is good timing with injuries, but hear me out. Heading into the Edmonton Oilers game on Thursday, they got Nick Paul back in the lineup. He had been out since training camp, and he got to work out of the gate.
Paul scored the tying goal late in the game, and the Lightning went on to win in overtime. So, the timing of getting him back helped the Lightning get over the top in a game in which the offense was struggling the entire night.
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What is helping is that these injuries aren’t perpetually piling up. They have multiple key players out at once. However, they’re getting guys back in the lineup and contributing while others sit out.
Another Career Pace for Cirelli
Anthony Cirelli is no stranger to stepping up, but he’s turned up the dial again early on this season. He’s on pace for career highs in goals (36) and points (64). His current pace for assists (27) would be his third-best in a season.
He’s missed time himself. This pace is based on if he doesn’t miss another game and gets to 78 games. However, he’s shown when available, and he mostly has, he’s able to make the impact that the team needs.
This is a trend that the Lightning and those who follow the team are no strangers to. Since midway through the 2023-24 season, Cirelli has seen his scoring continue to improve. If he can reach these career-best numbers, it would be the third season in a row that he’s done it.
Depth Is Getting Job Done
Getting contributions across the lineup has gone a long way. After failing to get onto the stat sheet for 10 games, defenseman Darren Raddysh is on a four-game point streak. He has six points in that span, including three from the win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Oliver Bjorkstrand is starting to get going again after a drought. He has five points in his last eight games, including a goal in the win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Even defenseman Emil Lilleberg is starting to get in on the action. He has four points in his last 10 games. He’s managed to stay out of the penalty box as of late (six penalty minutes in his last 10 games compared to 31 in his first 11). He’s finding a way to get his job done in a cleaner fashion, and lo and behold, it’s helping the team.
Whether This Is Sustainable Depends on Who Is Out
While they’ve managed to keep winning despite the injuries, who they lose could change their fortunes. Point and Kucherov are now day-to-day (Where do the Lightning turn if Kucherov, Brayden Point miss time?, Tampa Bay Times, Nov. 23, 2025).
Point has struggled this season, and the Lightning have continued to overcome that. So, there is an argument that they can absorb his absence. However, losing Kucherov could be the straw that breaks that camel’s back.
When Kucherov struggled in the opening games of the season, the Lightning struggled mightily. They were 1-3-2 through six games, and Kucherov mustering just three points in four games (he missed a couple) played a role. This time around, they still have Brandon Hagel contributing, and Jake Guentzel has been on fire for them. It helps, but they’ve yet to prove they can win without their Ted Lindsay winner.
They’ve been getting it done. At some point, there is a limit. If they can overcome a few games without their biggest contributors, it would say more about this team than what they have toughed out so far.