Tampa Bay Lightning 2026-27 Position Preview: The Forwards

The Lightning have an interesting mix of youth and veterans up front

May 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (86) skates between Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield (13) and defenseman Mike Matheson (8) during the first period in game seven of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Lightning enter the 2026-27 NHL season hoping to put their fourth consecutive first-round playoff exit behind them. After finishing the regular season with 106 points, the Lightning lost an excruciating seven game series in the opening round of the playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens.

Regular season productivity has not been the issue for Tampa Bay, who has eclipsed 100 points each of the last two campaigns. The Lightning are once again poised to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, but injuries may play a factor as the season begins.

Bolts GM Julien BriseBois announced Yanni Gourde underwent hip surgery this offseason and is expected to be sidelined until December. pic.twitter.com/jtnK4ePdZD

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 16, 2026

The injury to Gourde will impact the third line and could open up more playing time for Conor Geekie and possibly Sam O' Reilly. Gourde was a key piece for Tampa Bay last season, playing in all 82 games and performing admirably as a two-way center and penalty killer.

Tampa Bay will also be without center Dominic James who suffered a broken hand training for the upcoming season. The injuries to Gourde and James will shake up the bottom six forwards, but the Lightning still have plenty of firepower in their top two lines.

Nikita Kucherov may be the most underappreciated superstars in the National Hockey League. Kucherov earned his second Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP, and ended the regular season with 130 points along with a +43 which tied for third overall in the league.

The 33 year-old Kucherov enters his 13th season with Tampa Bay and is still producing at an incredibly high level. He has been incredibly durable over the last four seasons, having only missed 11 games in total over that span.

Brayden Point meanwhile is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season, one in which he appeared in just 63 games due to a right knee injury suffered in January. His 18 goals tied a career low set in his rookie year. After eclipsing 15 power play goals in each of the prior three years, Point finished with just six tallies with the man advantage. Point enters his 11th season at just 30 years old and will need a real uptick in production centering the top line with Kucherov.

The biggest acquisition in the forward corps was undoubtedly winger Ilya Mikheyev, who signed a four year contract with the Lightning in the offseason. Mikheyev adds elite speed to the top six, finishing in the 95th percentile in both max skating speed (23.54 MPH) and 20-22 MPH bursts (182).

Rounding out the top six forwards are Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel. This group gets a lot of ice time and is highly productive, and all three are right in the middle of long-term contracts. After the top six, the remaining forwards are all in their mid to late twenties with the exception of 32 year-old winger Zemgus Girgensons.

Gage Goncavles took a big leap last season going from 60 to 74 games played, while increasing his scoring total from 20 to 33 points. Pontus Holmberg was a nice addition last year as well after spending his first three seasons with Toronto.

The Lightning will rely heavily on their top six forwards, but at some point may need some of the younger guys to take on more prominent roles.