The Tampa Bay Lightning are reeling after a third consecutive Round 1 postseason exit, and the roster could look a bit different in 2025-26.
It can't be a very enjoyable offseason for the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. Not only did the Bolts lose in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive year, they're watching as their interstate rival and the defending champion Florida Panthers sit on the verge of a third straight trip to the Finals. It doesn't help that the Panthers have knocked the Lightning out of the postseason two years running.
That was this team's blueprint not so long ago; Tampa Bay advanced to back-to-back-to-back title series in the National Hockey League from 2020-22, winning it all twice before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. Florida bowed out to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, but captured the franchise's inaugural championship last year in a thrilling Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers. And they look destined for a rematch with the Oil in 2025.
It's great for the State of Florida, but not so much for a Lightning team that had aspirations of returning to hockey glory this spring. Instead, they were quickly dispatched by their Atlantic Division rivals in Round 1, being sent packing in five games. And that has the front office looking for answers after another truly disappointing postseason.
While most of the core will be returning in 2025-26, general manager Julien BriseBois has a couple of decisions to make this summer — most notably on a few pending unrestricted free agents in Yanni Gourde, Luke Glendening and Nick Perbix, along with RFA Gage Goncalves, who was one of the roster's best players against Florida.
The front office also has to make a decision on top prospect Isaac Howard, who is not planning to sign with Tampa Bay. Here are three players who could be on the move between now and training camp.
Zemgus Girgensons struggled mightily in 2024-25
Probably the most obvious trade candidate on the roster right now is Zemgus Girgensons. A career defensive specialist, the Latvian forward spent most of his career with the Buffalo Sabres after being selected 14th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. After spending a decade in Western New York, he was a free agent for the first time in July of 2024 and signed a three-year deal with the Lightning.
Although he's only making $850,000 per season in Tampa, the 31-year-old is fresh off the worst season of his offensive career. He's never been much of an offensive play driver, with a career-high of 30 points set back in 2014-15. But even last year, he was able to chip in 14 points in 63 games. But over a full 82-game slate in 2024-25, Girgensons somehow contributed only two goals and six points.
Those are ghastly numbers for a player who never missed a game, and with two years left on his deal, it wouldn't be surprising if BriseBois gauged the market for the former 15-goal scorer. Although his defensive game remains solid, that money could better be utilized on one of the pending UFAs — especially Gourde, who the front office would be smart to keep around.
Girgensons didn't record a point in any of his first five playoff games either, and if he isn't traded, he could also be bought out this summer.
Conor Sheary's salary would be better utilized elsewhere
Conor Sheary is in a similar boat to Girgensons, although he is making more money. The 32-year-old won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 before joining the Bolts organization on July 1, 2023. He's making $2 million per season, which isn't ideal considering he spent most of the 2024-25 campaign with the Syracuse Crunch.
Sheary played only five games for the Lightning and didn't suit up in the playoffs at all. It's pretty obvious that he will not be getting retained when he tests free agency next summer, and it would be prudent to offload his contract. The veteran forward could probably still crack an NHL roster, but it looks like that won't be with Tampa Bay. For that reason, BriseBois should try to get some type of draft capital in exchange for the Winchester, Massachusetts native's contract.
Lightning need to trade top prospect Isaac Howard
While BriseBois and the front office will probably strongly consider trading a few ineffective veteran forwards in Girgensons and Sheary, the organization also has a tough decision to make on a player who has never suited up for a National Hockey League game. Isaac Howard was drafted 31st overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, and the 21-year-old was expected to be a big part of this franchise's future.
Howard won the Hobey Baker Award in his junior season in 2024-25 with Michigan State, and also won both a gold medal with the United States at the World Juniors in 2024, and gold at the World Championship just a few days ago. But BriseBois said that the star forward was unlikely to sign with the team a couple of weeks ago, shortly after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that he had decided to return to school for his senior season.
Friedman said that “they just didn't see eye to eye. … Whatever the path Howard saw and the path the Lightning saw, it didn't line up.”
Howard can become an unrestricted free agent next August, and obviously, BriseBois needs to move him if he isn't going to re-sign. Either that or lose the NCAA's highest scorer (52 points) for nothing. It's brutal considering Howard is the only first round pick the Lightning have drafted in the past five years, mainly because the team has been aggressive on the trade market to keep their Stanley Cup window open.
Although there's no guarantee that Girgensons and Sheary are traded, it would be quite surprising if BriseBois and the front office didn't find a suitor for Howard this summer. He projects to be a star at the NHL level, and it's imperative that the organization gets a decent return.
