Lightning season preview: Balanced scoring key to contending in Atlantic Division

The 2025-26 NHL regular season begins Oct. 7. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last season: 47-27-8; second in Atlantic Division, lost to Florida Panthers in Eastern Conference First Round

Coach: Jon Cooper (14th season)

Biggest challenge

The easy answer is the Florida Panthers. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have eliminated them in the Eastern Conference First Round each of the past two seasons. Tampa Bay had home-ice advantage last season but was banged up at a time when Florida was getting healthy. So yes, the Lightning's biggest challenge might very well be getting past their in-state rival, just as the Panthers' biggest challenge a few years ago was getting past theirs. But ask Cooper, the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, and he will tell you his team's biggest challenge is to stay hungry through the entire regular season, not get complacent, not think they're good enough and it's all about what happens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. When that happens, teams lose their edge. The Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres are itching to jump into the top three of the Atlantic Division, looking to knock out one or all of the Panthers, Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. The challenge for Tampa Bay is to stay ahead of the teams behind it.

How they make playoffs

The Lightning have arguably the best balance of offense and defense in the League. Last season, they led the NHL with 292 goals and allowed the fourth fewest (216). They had three of the 12 first- and second-team NHL All-Stars at the end of the season, including forward Nikita Kucherov, a first-team All-Star who won the Art Ross Trophy as the League's leading scorer for the second straight season. Forward Brandon Hagel, defenseman Victor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy were second-team All-Stars. There have been only minor changes to the lineup; the only two regulars from last season who are no longer with Tampa Bay are defenseman Nick Perbix (74 games played) and center Luke Glendening (77 games). The core is intact and the expectation for the Lightning is to remain consistently strong through all three zones, once again at or near the top of the League in goals for and goals-against. Just stay the course and stay healthy, and they'll be in the playoffs.

Most intriguing addition

It was a quiet offseason, but sometimes it's the smaller moves that make the big difference in the end. To that point, Pontus Holmberg has a chance to be a solid depth forward after signing a two-year contract July 1. Holmberg should be in the bottom-six forward group. There's a third-line position available for him to grab because forward Nick Paul is out until November following surgery last month for an upper-body injury. Holmberg, 26, had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 68 games for the Maple Leafs last season and one assist in 12 playoff games.

Biggest potential surprise

Jack Finley has a chance to be an impact bottom-six forward. The 23-year-old is 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, meaning he could bring a massive physical presence to a third or fourth line. Think Brian Boyle, meaning a player who can use his size to win puck battles and face-offs, kill penalties, be a strong defensive presence and chip in some offense. Injuries have stalled his progress a bit, but the Lightning think the time is now for Finley after three seasons with Syracuse in the American Hockey League. He had 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 40 AHL games last season. Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said if not for injuries over the past few seasons, Finley might already be an established NHL forward. He'll get his chance.

Ready to contribute

In addition to Finley, the Lightning hope forward Conor Geekie and defenseman Max Crozier make an impact this season. Geekie had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 52 games last season. He played 49 before he was sent to Syracuse on Feb. 4 and stayed there until a late-season callup because of injuries. He scored two goals in the last three games of the regular season and had an assist in four playoff games. Geekie likely would be the Lightning's top prospect if not for his 52 games played last season. Crozier played 18 NHL games over the past two seasons and 101 with Syracuse. He's competing for a bottom-pair defense role.

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Oliver Bjorkstrand, F: The wing had nine points (five goals, four assists), four on the power play, in 18 games with the Lightning after being acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on March 5. Though Bjorkstrand was unable to skate in the playoffs because of a thigh injury, he is expected to remain in a middle-six, second power-play role for Tampa Bay, which led the NHL in goals per game (3.56) last season. Bjorkstrand is a six-time 20-goal scorer from his time with the Kraken and Columbus Blue Jackets, and, per NHL EDGE stats, ranked among the forward leaders in long-range shots on goal (27; 95th percentile), average shot speed (62.44 mph; 88th percentile) and high-danger goals (13; 84th percentile) last season. -- Troy Perlowitz

Projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov

Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Gage Goncalves

Oliver Bjorkstrand -- Yanni Gourde -- Conor Geekie

Zemgus Girgensons -- Jack Finley -- Pontus Holmberg

Victor Hedman -- J.J. Moser

Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak

Emil Lilleberg -- Darren Raddysh

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Jonas Johansson