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Victor Hedman

Victor Hedman To Undergo Elbow Surgery, Out Six Weeks

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Lightning captain Victor Hedman will undergo elbow surgery next Monday, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters (including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). He’ll miss around six weeks and is expected to return in time to play for Sweden at the Olympics in February.

The procedure will ideally put an end to the lingering effects Hedman has been dealing with for the past month-plus. The 34-year-old initially sustained the previously undisclosed injury on Nov. 8 against the Capitals. He missed nearly a month while trying non-surgical remedies and returned to action on Dec. 6 against the Islanders. He played just three games, never topping the 18-minute mark in ice time, before landing back on injured reserve before yesterday’s 8-4 drubbing of the Devils.

The silver lining is that the Bolts have already gotten used to playing without their top defender, and the results have been awe-inspiring. They’ve gone 10-6-0 since Hedman first left the lineup, and they’ve also been without their second pairing of Erik Černák and Ryan McDonagh for most of that time. Their possession metrics back up their record, controlling 53.2% of shot attempts at 5-on-5.

Hedman, a seven-time All-Star and a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, has been increasingly sheltered at even strength in the past few seasons. That trend continued before his injury, starting a career-high 61.7% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone. Despite that, he produced his worst possession metrics in three years and didn’t score a goal on 25 shots through 18 appearances, although he does still rank second among Lightning defensemen with 12 assists, behind Darren Raddysh’s 16.

Until the Olympic break, the Lightning will look to ride the wave their patchwork top-four has given them. Their temporary top pair of Raddysh and J.J. Moser has controlled a remarkable 62.8% of expected goals at 5-on-5, while 27-year-old rookie Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg have also gelled quite well in second-pairing duties.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

Tampa Bay Lightning Place Victor Hedman On IR, Recall Declan Carlile

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that defenseman Victor Hedman has been placed on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the club has recalled blueliner Declan Carlile from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

Hedman’s placement on IR comes as the latest in a long line of defensive injuries the club has had to contend with so far in 2025-26. Tampa has been forced to utilize a large portion of its defensive depth chart stretching down into Syracuse, and as a result, multiple Crunch blueliners, including Carlile, have received NHL games this season.

Carlile played in his first NHL game of the year on Nov. 18 and was with the Lightning playing games up until earlier this month. His most recent NHL game for the club came on Dec. 4.

Despite a defensive group that has been ravaged by injuries, the Lightning have been extremely successful this season. Relying on a patchwork group of defenders hasn’t slowed them down one bit and the team won seven of the nine NHL games Carlile has played in this season.

A 25-year-old undrafted blueliner, Carlile is a scouting and development success story for the Lightning organization. They plucked him out of the NCAA’s Merrimack College after his third season playing NCAA hockey, and he grew into a reliable top-four AHL defenseman during his time in Syracuse. Carlile got into his first NHL game in 2023-24 and has steadily climbed up the Lightning’s organizational ranks to become a higher-priority call-up option as the years have gone on.

Carlile’s development into a reliable call-up option is coming at a great time for the player. The two-year contract extension Carlile signed in June 2024 is set to expire at the end of this season, and the blueliner has set himself up to potentially receive a hefty AHL guarantee on his next deal. Carlile is currently owed a $350K guarantee for 2025-26, and if he can continue earning call-ups and NHL games, he could make a legitimate push to earn a one-way deal as a free agent this upcoming summer.

As for Hedman, he’s set to be sidelined once again in what has been an injury-plagued 2025-26 season. Hedman missed 12 games with an undisclosed injury, and it is unclear at this time whether Hedman’s IR placement today is related to the injury he was dealing with for most of November.

With that said, it’s hardly a good sign that Hedman, now 34 years old, is dealing with persistent injury issues given how healthy and crucial to the Lightning’s success he’s been throughout his Hall of Fame career.

Lightning’s Victor Hedman Leaves Due To Injury

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced during the second intermission that star defenseman Victor Hedman will not return versus Montreal due to injury. The Swede left after 06:14 of ice time, which was all in the first period. Further details have not been provided at this time on possible severity. 

The hits keep coming for Tampa Bay, already having a defense corps ravaged by injury, to go with Andrei Vasilevskiy landing on IR yesterday. Hedman himself just came back after missing a large chunk of November with an undisclosed ailment, and naturally, it is unclear if today’s injury is related. Regardless, losing their captain when Ryan McDonagh and Erik Černák remain sidelined is a serious blow. Despite facing such adversity, the longtime contenders have mostly continued their winning ways, currently second in the Atlantic Division. J.J. Moser has stepped up and risen to the occasion in his second season as a Bolt, emerging as a highly reliable top four defender, a savvy pickup helping the team extend its contention window. 

Hedman himself, now 34, has been remarkably durable throughout his career. The towering defender is already well above 1,100 career games, not to mention another 170 playoff appearances, leading the team in heavy minutes throughout runs over the past decade. Despite all of it, when healthy, the 2009 draftee remains elite, having 12 points in 17 games this season.

As is symbolic of their season so far, Tampa Bay handled business over the Canadiens tonight even being short on the back-end. However, Hedman’s status will be a huge question, along with how long the team can sustain success with so many key players shaken up for the time being. Tonight’s win ended a four game skid, but things won’t get any easier without Vasilevskiy or Hedman.

Lightning Likely To Activate Victor Hedman

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In what could be the most positive injury update for the team in some time, it appears the Tampa Bay Lightning will welcome back their captain tonight. According to team reporter Benjamin Pierce, defenseman Victor Hedman said he feels “probable” for tonight.

It’s been a long time coming for Hedman. The 17-year veteran has been working his way back from an undisclosed injury for the last month. Having missed 12 games and 28 days, Hedman has satisfied both requirements to be activated from long-term injured reserve.

Notably, the Lightning have not only been able to withstand the absence of their top defenseman but have excelled. Tampa Bay has managed an 8-4-0 record without Hedman and has climbed to the top of the NHL’s Atlantic Division.

Although the team’s offense has been more than respectable throughout that duration, averaging 3.5 GF/G on a 12.4% shooting percentage, the wins have largely been generated by a pieced-together defensive core. Without Hedman, the Lightning have held opposing teams to a 2.5 GF/G average while limiting them to a 9.74% shooting percentage on 26 shots per game on average.

Especially if Tampa Bay’s defense can maintain its high level of play, Hedman’s return to the lineup would provide an even bigger boost than normal. The former Norris Trophy winner has registered 12 assists in 15 games for the Lightning so far this year, managing a 53.9% CorsiFor% and 91.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

The largest impact Hedman will likely have is on the team’s power play. Averaging an 18.0% success rate on the man advantage with Hedman in the lineup, Tampa Bay’s power play has only maintained a 13.8% conversion rate without him.

Regardless, the Lightning have taken advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference, especially as rivals such as the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs work their way out of disappointing starts. Considering the number of injuries Tampa Bay has had to deal with already this year, they could gain even more momentum as they return more players to their active roster.

Lightning Reassign Declan Carlile

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The Lightning announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Declan Carlile to AHL Syracuse. The move leaves them with no extra defensemen and an open roster spot, an indication that they plan on activating captain Victor Hedman from injured reserve before Saturday’s match with the Islanders. He was a full participant in today’s practice, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.

Carlile, 25, was recalled from Syracuse in mid-November in the wake of injuries to Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Černák. The latter two remain on injured reserve, but getting Hedman back to anchor the team’s top pairing with J.J. Moser is nonetheless a significant boon for a club that’s navigated its rash of injuries quite well. Since the Lightning lost both Hedman and McDonagh to injuries in their Nov. 8 game against the Capitals, the club has taken hold of first place in the Atlantic Division with an 8-4-0 record. Their .667 points percentage is sixth-best in the league during that frame.

Carlile, a fourth-year pro, had played in each of Tampa’s nine games since his recall. That set a new career-high in games played for the 6’3″ lefty, who made his NHL debut in 2023-24 and made three appearances last season.

The Lightning signed Carlile as an undrafted free agent out of Merrimack College near the end of a 2021-22 season in which he was a Hobey Baker Award nominee and was named to the Hockey East conference’s Second All-Star Team. The Michigan native has been a stable two-way presence at the minor-league level since making the jump to the pro ranks, but had appeared to find a new gear offensively to begin this season, rattling off two goals, eight assists, and 10 points in 15 games before being added to the Lightning’s roster. That’s already more than half the production he managed in 55 appearances for Syracuse last year.

As with his previous NHL stints, Carlile didn’t look entirely out of place in bottom-pairing duties. He scored his second career goal and managed a +1 rating while averaging 12:53 of ice time per game. He recorded eight blocks and nine hits. Among Lightning defensemen with at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5, only Moser has controlled a higher share of scoring chances than Carlile’s 57.1%. That comes from him playing a stout, low-event defensive game – per 60 minutes, no qualified Lightning skater has been on the ice for fewer scoring chances than Carlile at 17.9.

If Carlile played one more game, he would have needed to clear waivers again to return to Syracuse. With his strong play in bottom-pairing minutes and his offensive improvement in the AHL, that wasn’t a guarantee after he did so already during training camp. If he’s called up again and enters game action or is rostered for 13 days, then he’ll need waivers at the conclusion of that recall.

Lightning Place Victor Hedman On IR, Activate Nick Paul From LTIR

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The Lightning have shifted star defenseman Victor Hedman to injured reserve with the undisclosed injury that’s already kept him out for nearly two weeks, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider. His roster spot is going to forward Nick Paul, who’s been activated from long-term injured reserve and will make his season debut Thursday against the Oilers. Hedman is eligible to be activated at any time but will remain sidelined for “probably a couple [of] more weeks,” head coach Jon Cooper told the beat this morning (including the team’s Benjamin Pierce).

Losing a No. 1 defenseman for any stretch of time is always worrisome, but an extended return timeline for Hedman is especially disappointing because of the Bolts’ other injury woes in their top four. Ryan McDonagh remains on IR with an undisclosed injury, while Erik Černák sat out Tuesday’s game against the Devils with a lower-body injury, although he’s expected back tonight. With all those absences, Emil Martinsen Lilleberg is the only Lightning rearguard to play in all 19 games this season.

Hedman’s current absence is also tracking to be one of the longest ones in his incredibly durable career. If he’s out for another two weeks from today, that would bring him to 12 games missed. He hasn’t missed that much time since various injuries limited him to 70 out of 82 appearances in the 2018-19 campaign. Before the injury, Hedman had been left without a goal through 15 games but had still racked up 12 assists, a figure that still leads Tampa’s blue line in scoring. He’s continued his dominance on the possession front, controlling 53.8% of shot attempts at even strength, and his pairing with J.J. Moser has outscored opponents 7-5 at 5-on-5.

His absence his perhaps most felt on Tampa’s power play, where he had half of his point production. They’re already at an underwhelming 17.7% on the year and have gone 2-for-12 in the four games Hedman’s been out. Darren Raddysh is now quarterbacking the top unit in Hedman’s place, but he’s got just two assists with the man advantage in 13 games.

While the Bolts’ defense group remains in disarray, they’ll trade that for having a fully healthy top-nine forward group for the first time this season. Only depth piece Pontus Holmberg remains on the injured list. Paul missed the first six weeks of the year and comes back a couple of weeks behind schedule after undergoing an upper-body procedure extremely late in the offseason. The versatile 6’4″ forward will make his season debut on the wing on a line with Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point, per Pierce. That unit has been downgraded to Tampa’s de facto second line because of Point’s sluggish start to the year, with only three goals and 11 points through 19 games and a -9 rating.

NHL Announces 2024-25 All-Star Teams

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Shortly after announcing this year’s All-Rookie Team, the NHL shared this year’s First and Second All-Star Teams. There are few surprises, with several of the recipients receiving votes for major awards around the league. The teams are as follows:

First Team

LW Kyle Connor (Jets) – Connor arguably completed the best season of his career, scoring 41 goals and 97 points, barely eclipsing his 93-point campaign in 2021-22 (although he did score 46 goals). Being the offensive leader for the Presidents Trophy-winning team made him a lock for All-Star Team honors, and he beat out Hagel by 100 votes.

C Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche) – In the closest vote, MacKinnon nearly beat out Draisaitl as the league’s top center from the 2024-25 season, with Draisaitl receiving more First Team votes than MacKinnon. Still, the 2023-24 Most Valuable Player scored 10 more points than Draisaitl this year, while arguably being a larger part of his team’s success without having Connor McDavid as a teammate.

RW Nikita Kucherov (Lightning) – The reigning Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner was a near-unanimous selection for First Team honors, with only two voters assessing he wasn’t worthy. Although he couldn’t match his 100-assist output from last year, Kucherov was again dominant for the Bolts, scoring 37 goals and 121 points in 78 games.

D Cale Makar (Avalanche) – This year’s James Norris Trophy winner received the most First Team votes of any player on the 2024-25 All-Star Teams with 189. Makar has been on one of the best offensive runs from a defenseman in recent memory, scoring 51 goals and 182 points in his last 157 games, with another six goals and 20 points in 18 postseason contests.

D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) – As one of the more unheralded members of the All-Star Team, Werenski came into his own during the 2024-25 campaign. He scored 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, averaged 26:45 of ice time per game, and finished with 131 blocked shots. Being one of the prime reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets nearly qualified for the postseason, it’s unsurprising Werenski received so many Norris votes and was named one of the league’s top defensemen.

G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) – Despite tying with Kucherov with the second-most First Team votes, there was no clearer choice for the league’s top netminder than Hellebuyck. The American netminder secured the Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy this season, leading the league in wins (47), GAA (2.00), shutouts(8), Goals Saved Above Average (41.6), and Adjusted Goals Against Average (2.13).

Second Team

LW Brandon Hagel (Lightning) – Hagel narrowly beat out Alex Ovechkin for Second Team honors despite the latter receiving more First Team votes. Regardless of Ovechkin’s impressive season, there’s no question the right decision was made with Hagel. The six-year veteran scored 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games for Tampa Bay this season, besting his career-high last season by 15 points. Additionally, unlike Ovechkin, Hagel finished ninth in Selke Trophy voting as one of the league’s top defensive forwards.

C Leon Draisaitl (Oilers) – As previously mentioned, the vote between Draisaitl and MacKinnon came down to the wire. Draisaitl finished with an equally impressive season, scoring 52 goals and 106 points in 71 games, securing the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer. Furthermore, in a solid argument for Draisaitl, he finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting, far higher than MacKinnon, who placed 29th.

RW David Pastrňák (Bruins) – In another close vote, Pastrňák narrowly bested Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner for the second-best right winger from the 2024-25 campaign. Despite a lackluster year from the Boston Bruins, who finished with the 28th-ranked offense, Pastrňák didn’t notice. The Czech winger scored 43 goals and 106 points in 82 games, and brought up his production over the last three years to 151 goals and 329 points in 246 games.

D Victor Hedman (Lightning) – The captain of the Lightning was also in a close vote, beating Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey by a few votes. There are arguments for both sides, but Hedman finished the year with more goals (15), assists (51), points (66), blocked shots (133), and CorsiFor% at even strength (53.5%) compared to Morrissey.

D Quinn Hughes (Canucks) – Hughes rightfully received the most Second Team votes of his counterparts. As the primary reason the Vancouver Canucks had any sense of competitiveness this year, Hughes scored 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games, averaging 25:44 of ice time a game. Had Hughes remained healthy for the entire 2024-25 campaign, he likely would have presented a bigger challenge to Makar and Werenski as the league’s top blueliner.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) – After a down 2023-24 campaign (comparatively to his career), Vasilevskiy returned to form in 2024-25. The former Vezina Trophy winner finished with a 38-20-5 record in 63 starts, with a .921 SV% and 2.18 GAA. It wasn’t enough to beat out Hellebuyck, but Vasilevskiy easily would have been named the league’s top netminder in any other year.

Lightning Notes: Bjorkstrand, Hagel, Hedman, Other Injuries, Howard, Cooper

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The Lightning played their short-lived 2025 playoff schedule against the Panthers with an extremely banged-up roster (more on that later). One player who wasn’t available at all during the series was trade deadline acquisition Oliver Bjorkstrand. Speaking today during his end-of-season media availability, general manager Julien BriseBois said Bjorkstrand developed compartment syndrome following a game against the Red Wings on April 11 and had emergency surgery early the following morning (via the team’s Benjamin Pierce).

That’s obviously a much more serious ailment than what the Bolts initially let on. He was declared week-to-week with a lower-body injury ahead of their final three regular-season games, but no information was dispensed following that. Acute compartment syndrome occurs due to increased pressure in and around muscles following an injury and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Bjorkstrand is thankfully expected to be ready for training camp in the fall, BriseBois said. He finished the year with 5-4–9 in 18 games after Tampa acquired him from the Kraken, and he has one year left on his deal at a $5.4MM cap hit.

More on the Lightning:

  • Brandon Hagel confirmed he sustained a concussion on the hit from Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad in Game 4 that ended his series, Jay Recher relays. Ekblad was suspended two games for the hit and will miss Game 1 of the second round against Toronto as a result. Hagel, who was limited to a minus-four rating in three games of the series due to his injury and a previous suspension, added that Ekblad didn’t approach him beforehand to discuss a retaliatory fight for Hagel’s suspension-causing hit on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov, nor has Ekblad reached out to Hagel following his concussion. “I would have answered the bell if someone would have said, ’Let’s fight,'” Hagel said. “I don’t care if I would have got my ass kicked. I have to respond to a situation. I understood it was the case” (via Loux).
  • Captain Victor Hedman played the last two games of the series on a broken foot, BriseBois said (via Diandra Loux of The Hockey News). He’ll be ready for camp in the fall after recording three assists and a minus-six rating in the series.
  • Other Bolts playing through injuries were Anthony Cirelli (Grade 2 MCL sprain), Luke Glendening (right shoulder AC joint separation), Nikita Kucherov (left hand extensor), Nick Paul (left wrist tear), and Yanni Gourde (broken finger), Brisebois told reporters. Like Bjorkstrand and Hedman, they’re all expected to be ready for training camp in the fall, although Glendening and Gourde are pending unrestricted free agents and may not be back with the team.
  • BriseBois confirmed a report last month from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that they’re unlikely to sign 2022 first-round pick Isaac Howard to an entry-level contract (via Recher). They’ll focus on trading his signing rights over the next year while he returns to Michigan State for his senior season. If they can’t sign or trade the Hobey Baker winner’s rights by Aug. 15, 2026, and he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Lightning will receive a compensatory 2027 second-round pick (No. 65 overall) for failing to sign a first-round draft choice.
  • Head coach Jon Cooper will serve out the final season of his contract in Tampa despite recent speculation otherwise, BriseBois said (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). “When this contract ends, my expectation is he’s going sign another one and he’s going to be here…So Coop will be back next year, and I expect beyond,” BriseBois said.

Evening Notes: Gavrikov, Marchand, Hedman, Jokiharju

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Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake spoke in-depth about his efforts to extend defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in a post-Trade Deadline media availability. Blake shared that keeping Gavrikov around is a top priority for the team, but finding a new deal could take some time after Gavrikov changed agents in February. But even with the flip, Blake reiterated that both the team and the player are confident a deal can get done.

Gavrikov has been a top defender for the Kings. He has averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time on a nightly basis, good for second on the team behind Drew Doughty’s average of 25:32. Gavrikov has brought a shutdown presence to those premier moments. He leads the team with 117 blocked shots, to go with 21 points, 14 penalty minutes, a plus-eight, and 34 hits in 60 games. He’s averaged north of 20 minutes of ice time in every season since his 2021-22 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets. That season stands as Gavrikov’s career-year, headlined by a career-high 33 points and 68 penalty minutes in 80 games. The 29-year-old defenseman has slowed his scoring since those days, but looks capable of carrying his brick wall style well into his 30s. The Kings will look to bank on that growth on his next extension, which will likely carry Gavrikov to the sunset years of his career.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Boston Bruins offered captain Brad Marchand a three-year extension before opting to trade him to the Florida Panthers, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Kaplan goes on to add that Boston’s original extension offers to the 36-year-old Marchand were stuck at two years, but that the team expanded their offer in the waning minutes to try and secure a deal. Ultimately, the money wasn’t right for Marchand – and he opted to pursue a move to the Panthers instead. Marchand will have a chance to sign a more preferable deal when he enters unrestricted free agency this summer. The Bruins lost their second-highest scorer in dealing away Marchand, who has 21 goals and 47 points in 61 games on the year. He’ll be a major addition for the Florida Panthers, but will first need to overcome a shoulder injury that’s expected to hold him out for a few weeks.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman missed the team’s Saturday night matchup against the Boston Bruins and has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Hedman has made a major impact on the Bolts lineup over his recent stretch, with five points in his last five games and seven points in his last 10 games. J.J. Moser elevates to the top line in Hedman’s absence, while Emil Martinsen Lilleberg draws back onto Tampa Bay’s third pair. Moser has 10 points and a plus-13 in 35 games this season, while Lilleberg has 14 points, 85 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven in 58 games.
  • The newest Boston Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju told reporters that he had requested a trade away from the Buffalo Sabres prior to his deadline-day move. He also clamored about his positive relationships with new Boston teammates Casey Mittelstadt and Joonas Korpisalo. Jokiharju joins the Bruins after six tough seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. He earned top-pair minutes at points during his Sabres tenure, as the team struggled to staff a hardy right-defense corp – but Jokiharju could never make much of his minutes. He set a career-high of 20 points in 74 games last season, but had just six points in 42 games with Buffalo this year. Jokiharju should fill a much more manageable bottom-four role in Boston, playing behind shutdown defender Andrew Peeke at least.

Lightning Recall Declan Carlile, Victor Hedman Likely To Return

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The Lightning announced they’ve recalled defenseman Declan Carlile from AHL Syracuse. He was just sent down to the minors Sunday, along with Steven Santini. As the latter wasn’t recalled today, captain Victor Hedman will probably return tonight against the Blue Jackets after missing two games with a lower-body injury. Head coach Jon Cooper confirmed this to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

Carlile, 24, will play if Hedman can’t go but sit in the press box if he can. The Michigan native is coming off his second career NHL appearance in Saturday’s win over the Kraken, scoring his first NHL goal while logging 11:10 of ice time. An undrafted free agent signing out of Merrimack College in 2022, Carlile is now an alternate captain with Syracuse and has three points with a +1 rating in 21 AHL appearances this season. The “stalwart rush defender,” as described by Elite Prospects, had a career-high 27 points in 61 games with Syracuse last season.

The 6’3″ left-shot defender is in the first season of a two-year, two-way extension he signed in June. He’ll remain waiver-exempt throughout 2024-25 but will require waivers next fall if the Lightning don’t list him on their opening night roster.

Not only did the Bolts manage to win their last two games without Hedman, they did so in rather dominant fashion with an 8-3 victory over Calgary and a 5-1 trouncing of Seattle. Dominant wins and close losses have been the norm for the Lightning this season – they have a division-best +30 goal differential but only a 16-10-2 record, placing them third in the Atlantic based on points percentage (.607).

In his first season as captain following the departure of Steven Stamkos, Hedman, a six-time All-Star, has 25 points and a +4 rating through 26 games. It’s safe to say the soon-to-be 34-year-old is up to his usual tricks, tying for sixth in the league in points by defensemen and ranking fourth in points per game with 0.96. Tampa has dominated possession with him on the ice at even strength, controlling 54.2% of shot attempts and 57.6% of expected goals.

The Bolts’ active roster count stands at 22 after recalling Carlile.

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