The Tampa Bay Lightning have become a familiar face in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 10 playoff appearances. However, in the past three postseasons, they haven’t made it past the first round. If they don’t advance to the second round this upcoming postseason, could it be the end of the Jon Cooper era in Tampa?
The head coach has been with the Lightning since March 2013 and has become a force within the organization. Cooper led them to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, with the only season they did not make the playoffs being 2016-17. Cooper has also been nominated twice for the Jack Adams Award, which is awarded to the coach of the year, during the 2013-14 and 2018-19 seasons.
What Does Jon Cooper Need to Do to Stay In Tampa
Cooper is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL (12 seasons). Despite his success within and loyalty to the organization, he needs to simply win a playoff series to stay in Tampa. During the 2023 and 2024 Playoffs, the Florida Panthers’ speed and impressive forecheck were too much for the Lightning to handle. Cooper needs to find ways to manage the chaos and match up against top teams like the Panthers, especially during must-win games. In the playoffs, we see time and time again how teams adjust their game plan based on what is happening in the game, and teams able to do so are the ones who advance far in the playoffs. Cooper also has the habit of waiting too long to make changes. Changes could be to the lineup, benching players who aren’t producing the way they should, and recalling players from the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch, such as Gage Goncalves and Conor Geekie, who are notable players with the Crunch.
Cooper needs to rest core players such as Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Brayden Point, and rely on players such as Nick Paul, Darren Raddysh, and Dylan Duke. Relying more on Paul would allow Kucherov to rest before the playoffs; fresh legs make a difference in the postseason. Giving Raddysh more ice time leading up to the playoffs would allow him to work on his improved ability to perform while under pressure. Playing Raddysh while Hedman sits would be beneficial as it would give the latter, a top defenseman, time to rest and Raddysh time to perfect his reps. Recalling Duke would give the Lightning the chance to rest Point; the Lightning would benefit from Duke’s ability to recover rebounds and defend the front of the net during critical moments, such as the penalty kill.
Lightning’s Young Talent Needs More Opportunity
Hedman, Kucherov, Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy are slowly aging out. In order to keep the Lightning relevant in the playoff category, Cooper needs to focus on the young talent, especially during the regular season. Allowing young players such as Goncalves and Geekie to contribute will not only allow the Lightning to think about the future, creating a new core for the team, but also give Goncalves and Geekie the chance to get their reps in. Geekie had the opportunity to play during the regular season and playoffs, suiting up for 52 regular-season and four playoff games and recording a combined 15 points.
Cooper is a notable NHL coach, but there are critical changes that need to be made in order for the Lightning to advance in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and for him to keep his role secure.
