The Tampa Bay Lightning (21-13-3) are having another great season in the 2020s. The team ranks seventh in the league in goals per game (3.27) and fourth in the league in goals against per game (2.59), overcoming a slightly substandard power play (17.2%, 22nd). Guys like Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel have been leading the way in scoring, while Andrei Vasilevskiy is performing at a Vezina Trophy-caliber rate in net again.
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However, there is one player who isn’t performing to expectations. Superstar center Brayden Point is having a down season, with just six goals, 14 assists, and 20 points through 30 games, with a minus-6 plus/minus. His 0.66 point-per-game pace is the worst he’s had since his rookie season, and his plus/minus per game (minus-0.24) is the worst in his career.
There are a few culprits for this. Firstly, his shooting percentage is at 9.0%, which is over five points lower than his next lowest shooting percentage (14.7%). He also suffered a lower-body injury that took him out of a few games in December.
He is producing better recently, with three goals, six assists, and nine points in his last eight games. However, he’ll need to continue that pace because it could have implications for his standing for making Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
There are a lot of Canadian centers that could take Point’s place. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid are locks for the national team, but there are several other intriguing centers who will compete with Point for a spot on the Olympic team.
Macklin Celebrini
No one would’ve guessed that San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini would be in the running for Team Canada this early in his career. The 2024 No. 1 pick was projected to turn into a franchise superstar in year three or four, but in 2025, Celebrini has evolved into a superstar already.
The 19-year-old forward has 20 goals and 37 assists in 37 games. Thanks to his elevated play, the Sharks are now in a wild card spot in the Western Conference (39 points), a season after being a lottery team. Celebrini is third in the league in points, behind just MacKinnon (64) and McDavid (68).
Celebrini doesn’t have the two-way prowess of Point, but he’s shown better offensive capabilities. His high assist numbers would be useful for Canada, as he’s more than likely going to be a middle to bottom-six center with Crosby, McDavid, and MacKinnon already on the roster. He’d gel well with players who need the puck.
Anthony Cirelli
This pick would be more on role than offensive skillset. Cirelli is producing at about the same rate as Point right now, with 10 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. However, Point’s offensive ceiling greatly outweighs Cirelli, who’s never come close to a point-per-game season while playing at least 60 games. The closest he’s gotten was last season, with 27 goals and 32 assists in 80 games.
However, Cirelli could make it in due to defensive upside. Cirelli has a plus-20 plus/minus, which is second on the Lightning to J.J. Moser (plus-25), and he was top three in voting for the Selke Trophy last year with a staggering plus-30 plus/minus. Cirelli’s ability to shut down the top centers in the league could be useful for Canada.
Point is solid defensively as well, earning votes for last year’s Selke Trophy, too, but he has never reached a plus-30 plus/minus. If Canada wants a more specialized look at center, they could pivot towards Cirelli, who also has experience with the national team through the 4 Nations Face-Off last season.
Bo Horvat
Bo Horvat could be another intriguing option for Team Canada if they wanted to replace Point. The New York Islanders forward has been the leading scorer for the team, with 19 goals and 12 assists in 33 games, which would be a career-high pace if he kept it up. He’s also a reliable person in the faceoff circle, sporting a 57.8% faceoff percentage, which supersedes Point’s by over 13% (44.4%).
Horvat is great on the power play, with five goals and six assists on the man advantage. He also has lineup flexibility, playing wing in the past. Point has never had a season in the NHL where he played primarily on the wing.
Why Point Should Still Make the Roster
Despite the struggles and speculation, it’s still expected that Point makes the roster. Point has experience with Team Canada, participating in the 2017 World Championship, where Canada won silver, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, where Canada won gold.
Point also has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning, is still with head coach Jon Cooper on the Lightning, and had three straight seasons averaging over a point per game before this season. He still has the talent to be a star, so unless Canada wants to pivot towards more specialization (Cirelli, Horvat) or younger talent (Celebrini), Point should still make the Team Canada roster. However, with the rosters being finalized in three days, it’s fair to wonder what Point’s standing is nationally after a subpar season.
