"During the 2025-26 season, when Dominic James was in the lineup, the Lightning went 32-9-2 (.744). Without James in the lineup, the Bolts went 18-17-4 (.462)."

I wrote a player spotlight on Dominic James! He's an intriguing player, and he shattered every expectation last season. Where does Bolts Nation stand on him? Will he take another step this year? Have we found another Lightning legend? Would love to hear your thoughts!

You can read the full article here.

It is free, of course! Hope you enjoy. Send to a friend for me! Go Bolts.

This is for all the die-hard Lightning fans out there who are bored waiting for hockey to return...

For this week's Bolts Breakdown article, I wrote a comprehensive guide of every single-game Lightning record. Hope you enjoy! Here's the link.

[screenshots] And, here are a few sneak peaks to understand what I mean:

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The Complete 2026 Lightning Offseason Guide

As of July 6th, 2026, fourteen players have joined the Tampa Bay Lightning organization & six players have left.

Since the offseason can be so challenging to follow, I thought it'd be beneficial to create a one-stop-shop for Bolts Nation to follow the offseason moves.

The article includes a lot of information I found useful! Bio/Profile, highlights, quotes, etc. for each player, including the six draft selections.

Hope you find it useful! If you do, please pass it along to another Lightning fan who may enjoy it.

Go Bolts! Can't wait for the season to start.

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Where Jon Cooper goes, success follows.

Coaching was once an agreement to secure a job…now it’s turned into one of the greatest hockey success stories this world has even known.

Former lacrosse player.
Former defense attorney.

Jon Cooper might literally be the most interesting man in hockey.

Hope you enjoy this story about Jon Cooper & his journey to where he is now. Let me know what you think!

Read The Article Here

The Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect Pipeline

Subscribe For Free

​Understanding a NHL team’s prospect pipeline can be a daunting task. My goal with today's newsletter is to simplify it.

In this article, you can find information on every prospect in the Lightning’s system (all thirty-one of them).

I’ve separated them into tiers (A-tier, B-tier, C-tier) to hopefully help you narrow your focus on the “better” prospects. I’ll also list the prospects that don’t even reach my C-tier, prospects that are likely on their way out from the organization.

But, as a reminder, never count any of these guys out. Yanni Gourde was undrafted & spent two seasons battling just to play in the AHL; now he's a stud in the NHL.

Last season,

• 7 players played college hockey,
• 10 players played in the AHL/ECHL,
• 8 players played in the CHL,
• 5 players played in leagues outside of North America, and
• 1 player played in the USHL.

13 prospects have already signed their entry-level contract; 9 of those expire after this upcoming season.

The article details all 31 prospects. Here is a sneak peak of the first 10.

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A-TIER PROSPECTS:

** These are the prospects who I believe have the best chance of reaching the NHL. **

Sam O’Reilly:

‘25-26 League (Team): OHL (Kitchener Rangers)
Drafted: 32nd overall, 2024 (EDM)
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6’1 190 lbs
Shooting Hand: Right
Position: Center

2025-26 Stats: 56 GP || 71 points (21st in OHL)

Sam O’Reilly is easily the most exciting prospect within the Lightning’s organization. Only four players have ever won MVP in the OHL, MVP in the OHL playoffs, & MVP in the Memorial Cup in the same season: Brad Richards, Corey Perry, Mitch Marner, and now Sam O’Reilly.

Next season, Sam O’Reilly will begin year one of his three-year entry-level contract. He’ll either play for the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL or he’ll play for the Bolts on the NHL roster. Some experts project O’Reilly to make the NHL; others say he’ll need a year to grow in the AHL. I think it will be a mix of the two.

Benjamin Rautiainen:

‘25-26 League (Team): Liiga (Tappara)
Drafted: 108th overall, 2025 (TBL)
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6’0 168 lbs
Shooting Hand: Left
Position: Wing

2025-26 Stats: 58 GP || 77 points (1st in Liiga)

Benjamin Rautiainen played his 2025-26 season in Finland’s highest professional league, Liiga. He led the league in scoring, and he became the first player in 20 years to score more than 70 points. No active Finnish NHLer scored more in any single Liiga season than Rautiainen.

He signed his entry-level contract this summer, which will carry through the 2028-29 season. If he does not play in the NHL this season, he will be loaned back to Finland to finish his professional contract with Tappara.

Conor Geekie:

‘25-26 League (Team): AHL (Syracuse Crunch)
Drafted: 11th overall, 2022 (ARI)
Age: 22
Height/Weight: 6’4 207 lbs
Shooting Hand: Left
Position: Center/RW

2025-26 Stats: 57 GP || 59 points (t-21st in AHL)

Conor Geekie is still a top prospect within the Lightning organization. He was drafted 11th overall in 2022, so expectations were high. Understandably, two years of growth in the AHL has led many people to give up on Geekie, but his journey is only beginning. Geekie scored 59 points in the AHL last year (21st in the league), and he was named an AHL All-Star.

Next season, I expect Geekie to play with the Lightning in the NHL, but that remains to be seen.

B-TIER PROSPECTS:

** These are the middle of the ground prospects. They’re exciting & certainly have the chance to become great NHLers, but they’re still far away from that goal. They are ranked in order of most exciting to least exciting. **

Dylan Duke:

‘25-26 League (Team): AHL (Syracuse Crunch)
Drafted: 126th overall, 2021 (TBL)
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 5’10 176 lbs
Shooting Hand: Left
Position: Forward

2025-26 Stats: 72 GP || 59 points (t-21st in AHL)

Next season, Dylan Duke will be on the third & final year of his entry-level contract. He will likely play most of the season in the AHL, but he is someone who could make the jump to the NHL. He’s a fringe A-tier prospect.

Ethan Czata:

‘25-26 League (Team): OHL (Niagara IceDogs)
Drafted: 26th overall, 2025 (TBL)
Age: 19
Height/Weight: 6’2 179 lbs
Shooting Hand: Left
Position: Center

2025-26 Stats: 63 GP || 53 points (54th in OHL)

Next season, Ethan Czata will likely play another season in the OHL for the Niagara IceDogs as a 19 year-old. There is a possibility Czata joins the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL this year, but the Lightning would have to make that decision. Either way, he has signed his entry-level (three-year) contract with the Bolts; his first year won’t start till he joins either the Crunch (AHL) or the Bolts (NHL).

Jayson Shaugabay:

‘25-26 League (Team): NCAA (University Minnesota-Duluth)
Drafted: 115th overall, 2023 (TBL)
Age: 21
Height/Weight: 5’9 165 lbs
Shooting Hand: Right
Position: Center

2025-26 Stats: 40 GP || 43 points (5th in NCHC)

Next season, Jayson Shaugabay will be playing in as a junior in NCAA hockey for theMinnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The Lightning hold his rights & have up until August 15th, 2028 to sign Shaugabay.

Jack Pridham:

‘25-26 League (Team): OHL (Kitchener Rangers)
Drafted: 92nd overall, 2024 (CHI)
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6’2 185 lbs
Shooting Hand: Right
Position: RW

2025-26 Stats: 65 GP || 90 points (5th in OHL)

Next season, Jack Pridham will play his freshman year of NCAA hockey at the University of Denver. The Lightning will have his rights till August 15th, 2030.

Hagen Burrows:

‘25-26 League (Team): NCAA (University of Denver)
Drafted: 128th overall, 2024 (TBL)
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6’3 176 lbs
Shooting Hand: Right
Position: Forward

2025-26 Stats: 43 GP || 16 points (t-76 in NCHC)

Next season, Hagen Burrows will play his junior year of NCAA hockey with the Denver Pioneers. The Lightning have Burrows’ rights until August 15th, 2028.

Ethan Gauthier:

‘25-26 League (Team): AHL (Syracuse Crunch)
Drafted: 37th overall, 2023 (TBL)
Age: 21
Height/Weight: 6’0 183 lbs
Shooting Hand: Right
Position: RW

2025-26 Stats: 56 GP || 27 points (t-260th in AHL)

Next season will be Ethan Gauthier’s second season playing within the Lightning organization. He’ll likely play for the Syracuse Crunch as he continues to push for NHL ice time. He is signed on his entry-level contract through the 2027-28 season.

Noah Steen:

‘25-26 League (Team): Swedish Hockey League (Orebro HK)
Drafted: 199th overall, 2024 (TBL)
Age: 21
Height/Weight: 6’1 194 lbs
Shooting Hand: Left
Position: Wing

2025-26 Stats: 52 GP || 22 points (tied for 84th in SHL)

Next season, Noah Steen is expected to begin his entry-level contract within the Lightning organization, likely playing in the AHL as he pushes to become a full-time NHLer. His entry-level contract extends through the 2027-28 season.

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Hey, Bolts Nation!

This week's newsletter is all about the 18 goals that have clinched series victories for the Bolts since 2015! Check it out if you want...let me know which of the 18 is your favorite!

Hard to pick between Filet Mignon & Prime Rib...too many good goals!

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Hey, Bolts Nation! Every Monday I send out a newsletter for Lightning fans...here's a little sneak peak of today's issue: Tampa Bay Lightning Player Spotlight: Erik Cernak

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Bolts Breakdown:

Erik Cernak has built a reputation for himself in the NHL. He’s known as a strong, powerful defenseman who plays a steady, simple game. He blocks shots. He lays hits. He gets himself in the right position, and he makes the simple play.

He’s played over five-hundred games in the NHL over an eight-year career, yet he’s already laid the 61st most hits in NHL history — for perspective, 618 defensemen have played more NHL games than Cernak.

His journey to this point, his success, has been built from an unrelenting desire to improve & a champion’s work-ethic. Let’s start at the beginning.

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Erik Cernak was born in Kosice, Slovakia on May 28th, 1997 (28 years old). He’s a right-handed defenseman built like a giant: 6’4” 230lbs.

He grew up with two siblings, one brother & one sister. Family is an integral part of who Cernak is. As tough as his on-ice presence is, off the ice, Cernak is all about spending time with family & providing in whatever ways he can.

In Erik Cernak’s Bolts Beginnings Episode on the Lightning’s YouTube, he displayed how important his family is, how important his hometown is, often speaking about how he enjoys returning home to Slovakia over the Summer to spend time with his loved ones.

His siblings & mother, his grandparents, his best friend David & his former coach Mojmir Bozik are all sources of motivation for Cernak. He says his drive to succeed, his work ethic, comes from a desire to be that good son, that good grandson, that good friend, etc.

He credits his success in the NHL to his family & friends, or his “village” as he calls it,

“Without them…I’d never have made it to the NHL…you need a small little village to make it somewhere. I was lucky enough to have a good village with good people.”
- Erik Cernak During Bolts Beginnings

The opportunities to develop in hockey were minimal in Slovakia, but Cernak always found a way to improve his game & work his way up. At 17 years old, Erik Cernak was playing in Slovakia’s professional hockey men’s league, often battling players twice his age. In fact, his own defense partner was a 40 year-old former NHLer, Martin Strbak.

Erik Cernak wore #14 while playing in Slovakia.

Strbak recalls meeting Cernak for the first time, noting his size & strength. Strbak says he considers himself a big man, but it still felt odd when Erik Cernak shook his hand & called him sir (TheAthletic).

Playing up against older, tougher competition was one way Cernak helped himself develop. He acknowledges the growth he found through playing with Strbak:

“I was playing against men…but I was actually pretty good. I was still big; I could handle it. So I played a lot of minutes, and it helped me a ton.”
- Erik Cernak on playing for HC Kosice in Slovakia (TheAthletic)

He was very hard working on and off the ice. What I liked about Erik is he would ask me questions…He was coachable, and he learned things really fast. He barely made the same mistake twice. After 10-15 games, he was the best defenseman on our team.”
- Martin Strbak On Erik Cernak (TheAthletic)

On June 27th, 2015, Erik Cernak was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2nd Round, 43rd overall.

The following season (the 2015-16 season), Cernak began his North American hockey career with the OHL Erie Otters. He played two seasons in the OHL (15-16 & 16-17). Erik Cernak wore #14 in during his time in the OHL as well.

Fun fact, Anthony Cirelli & Darren Raddysh also played for the Otters during that 16-17 season (Darren’s brother, Taylor, also played there). Cirelli & Taylor Raddysh were Lightning prospects at the time, and Darren Raddysh was undrafted.

Cernak was accustomed to playing against 40 year-old Slovakians, so playing teenagers in the OHL was quite an adjustment. Anthony Cirelli said Cernak in the OHL was a man amongst boys. Cirelli called him “a beast” (TheAthletic).

Then, on February 26th, 2017, the Los Angeles Kings traded Erik Cernak to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for goaltender Ben Bishop. Click here to revisit the full trade.

“I was pretty happy when they traded me,” Cernak said. “I was with Cirelli and [Taylor] Raddysh already. I came to development camp and everyone was friendly to me. It was much different than LA.”
- Erik Cernak on being traded to Tampa Bay (TheAthletic)

Cernak helped the Otters become OHL Champions in his second year, then began his professional career the following season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL (2017-18). He switched his jersey number to #44 while playing with the Crunch.

...

Click here to read the full thing.

Click here to subscribe for free (always free!) to the weekly Lightning newsletters.

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Tampa Bay Lightning Roster Overview: Every 2025-26 Lightning Player’s Contract Situation & More.

This week’s newsletter breaks down the Lightning roster: contracts, trade clauses, salary cap room, & more.

Here are a few standout details:

• Nine players are eligible for contract extensions come July 1st (Kucherov, Goncalves, James, Holmberg, Geekie, Lilleberg, D’Astous, Girgensons, Johansson)

• Eight players have full trade/no movement clauses for the 2026-27 season (Cirelli, Gourde, Cernak, Hagel, Hedman, McDonagh, Point, & Guentzel).

• Four players are set to become free agents unless re-signed by the Bolts before July 1st (Raddysh, Bjorkstrand, Perry, Carlile).

• Point, Cirelli, Guentzel, Cernak, Gourde, Hagel, & Moser all have four-plus seasons left on their current contract.

• The Lightning currently have 13M+ in available cap space to work with for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Subscribe For Free Weekly Lightning Newsletters

Here's the final newsletter of the 2025-26 NHL season. This has been a blast, Bolts Nation.

As always, you can subscribe for free here: https://boltsbreakdown.substack.com/embed

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The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2025-26 season has officially come to a close. In stunning, history-making fashion, the Lightning dropped game seven to the Montreal Canadiens despite outshooting them 29-9. It is the first time in NHL history a team has won game seven with less than 10 shots on net.

There are countless questions & endless emotions.

Every loss stings, yes; but, this one may sting a little extra.

It’s because the expectation was there; the standard was there. This Tampa Bay Lightning team was battle-tested & hungrier than ever…they believed they would prevail. They had their eyes on another Stanley Cup championship, and the path was set.

It’s also because of the way they lost. Two unfortunate, unlucky bounces ended in the back of the Lightning’s net to wash away an otherwise brilliant performance. The Lightning held the Canadiens without a shot in the second period of game seven…but none of it mattered.

The Lightning lost. They’re out. And it sucks.

"This team was different; it was different. They deserve better than what has happened to them. It's too bad because of how hard they've worked and committed and just did everything we asked and, then, to go out…they gave everything they possibly could and we just came up short."

- Jon Cooper

"You give up zero shots in the second period, three shots in the third period, and you lose a hockey game. Like, you can't look at one guy in the room and say you didn't do your thing…It's a tough feeling, but that's the reality of hockey. It's game 7. You lose. You're out."

- Brandon Hagel

Now, as fans, our attention turns to the offseason. This week, we’ll hear from the players & coaching staff as they clean out the dressing room & officially close the season. Then, we have about 150 days without Lightning hockey—the 2026-27 NHL season is set to begin in late September.

Don’t worry, Bolts Breakdown will be active over these next 150 days to help Bolts Nation stay involved with Lightning hockey. There will be lots to cover over the coming days & weeks, but when the offseason lull creeps in, be on the lookout for player spotlights, history of the team, & more.

As we move along, I’ll share more about what you can expect. For now, stay tuned for continued weekly newsletters.

Let’s put a bow on it…here’s the final stats & recaps on the 2025-26 season:

Random Findings:

Jake Guentzel scored his 43rd career playoff goal on Wednesday, which places him in 11th place in NHL history among U.S.-born players. Since joining the Bolts, Guentzel has 14 playoff points; that is the most of any Lightning skaters in that span.

Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his 2nd career shutout in an elimination game on Friday; the only other goaltender in Lightning history to accomplish that feat is Dwayne Roloson (shutouts in R1 GM7 2015 & SCF GM7 2015).

Gage Goncalves scored the overtime game winner on Friday. He is the third player in franchise history to score an overtime goal to stave off elimination (Brayden Point R1 GM6 2022 & Martin St. Louis SCF GM6 2004). Goncalves is also just the sixth player since 1944 to evade elimination in Montreal by scoring an overtime goal.

Dominic James is the first Lightning rookie in franchise history to score a goal in a GM7. He is the fifth Lightning rookie to score multiple goals in a single series (Ross Colton had 2 goals in R1 2021, Cedric Paquette had 2 in SCF 2015, Ondrej Palat had 2 in R1 2014, & Paul Ranger had 2 in R2 2006).

Team Statistics:

This Past Week:

Power Play: 11.1% (7th)

Penalty Kill: 100% (t-1st)

FOW%: 43.3% (12th)

SF/GP: 34.0 (1st)

SA/GP: 21.0 (2nd)

GF/GP: 1.33 (12th)

GA/GP: 1.67 (5th)

Hits/60: 28.88 (10th)

Blocked Shots/60: 14.60 (7th)

Postseason Rankings:

Power Play: 17.2% (7th)

Penalty Kill: 80.8% (12th)

FOW%: 44.4% (14th)

SF/GP: 28.0 (9th)

SA/GP: 22.3 (1st)

GF/GP: 2.14 (12th)

GA/GP: 2.29 (6th)

Hits/60: 30.72 (14th)

Blocked Shots/60: 13.33 (13th)

Season Rankings:

Power Play: 20.7% (17th)

Penalty Kill: 82.6% (3rd)

FOW%: 47.4% (28th)

SF/GP: 28.1 (14th)

SA/GP: 26.7 (8th)

GF/GP: 3.54 (4th)

GA/GP: 2.71 (3rd)

Hits/60: 19.82 (16th)

Blocked Shots/60: 12.14 (29th)

Player Statistics:

This Week:

Goals:

Dominic James (2)

Jake Guentzel (1)

Gage Goncalves (1)

Assists:

Gage Goncalves (2)

Gourde & Hagel (1)

D’Astous & James (1)

Points:

Gage Goncalves (3)

Dominic James (3)

Gourde, Guentzel, Hagel, & D’Astous (1)

Shots:

Nikita Kucherov (17)

Darren Raddysh (14)

Guentzel & Hagel (11)

Plus/Minus:

Yanni Gourde (+1)

Jake Guentzel (+1)

Point & Moser (+1)

Hits:

Zemgus Girgensons (15)

Nick Paul (8)

Raddysh, Hagel, & Lilleberg (7)

Blocked Shots:

Ryan McDonagh (8)

JJ Moser (6)

Oliver Bjorkstrand (5)

Faceoff Wins:

Anthony Cirelli (30)

Nick Paul (15)

Brayden Point (12)

Postseason Leaders:

Goals:

Brandon Hagel (6)

Guentzel & James (2)

Kucherov, Point, Raddysh, Goncalves, Moser (1)

Assists:

Jake Guentzel (6)

Nikita Kucherov (5)

Cirelli, Goncalves, & Moser (2)

Points:

Jake Guentzel (8)

Brandon Hagel (8)

Nikita Kucherov (6)

Shots:

Nikita Kucherov (31)

Darren Raddysh (28)

Jake Guentzel (21)

Plus/Minus:

Brandon Hagel (+6)

Anthony Cirelli (+5)

Guentzel & Moser (+3)

Hits:

Zemgus Girgensons (27)

Nick Paul (21)

Emil Lilleberg (18)

Blocked Shots:

Ryan McDonagh (14)

JJ Moser (14)

Erik Cernak (11)

Faceoff Wins:

Anthony Cirelli (83)

Nick Paul (36)

Brayden Point (24)

Regular Season Leaders:

Goals:

Nikita Kucherov (44)

Jake Guentzel (38)

Brandon Hagel (36)

Assists:

Nikita Kucherov (86)

Jake Guentzel (50)

Darren Raddysh (48)

Points:

Nikita Kucherov (130)

Jake Guentzel (88)

Brandon Hagel (74)

Shots:

Nikita Kucherov (231)

Jake Guentzel (220)

Brandon Hagel (214)

Plus/Minus:

Nikita Kucherov (+43)

JJ Moser (+41)

Anthony Cirelli (+38)

Hits:

Zemgus Girgensons (195)

Yanni Gourde (115)

Erik Cernak (112)

Blocked Shots:

Erik Cernak (99)

JJ Moser (91)

Ryan McDonagh (76)

Faceoff Wins:

Anthony Cirelli (518)

Yanni Gourde (396)

Nick Paul (300)

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Read the full newsletter for more (game recaps, trivia, etc.): https://boltsbreakdown.substack.com/p/the-lightnings-season-ends

GoBolts!