Lightning's Nick Paul Already Finding Spark With Former MVP

For the first two weeks of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning couldn’t seem to find a pulse. One win in their first seven games left them buried at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, searching for answers that didn't seem like they were coming. It was one of the worst starts in franchise history, the kind that makes a team look lost before the year even really begins.

Then, almost instantly, everything shifted. Over the next month, Tampa Bay didn’t just steady themselves — they surged. A 15–3–0 run over their last 18 games has rocketed them from last place to first in the division, and now riding a season-high seven-game win streak, the Lightning suddenly look every bit like the contender many expected.

A big part of that win streak can be credited to the energy Nick Paul has brought to the lineup in six of those seven games since making his season debut after returning from injury.

Lightning Energized by the Return of Nick Paul

Paul missed the start of the season after undergoing surgery for an upper-body injury that had lingered since last year. It was an issue he tried to battle through, but as general manager Julien BriseBois explained, nothing over the summer brought him back to full strength. With the season approaching, surgery became the only option.

His absence mattered. Paul is a stabilizing presence in Tampa Bay’s lineup — a physical, two-way forward who produced 41 points last season and has been quietly essential since arriving from Ottawa in 2022. Without him, the Lightning struggled to find their rhythm.

His first game back made it clear how much he was missed. In a dramatic matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, Paul scored Tampa’s only goal in regulation, tying the game and sending it to overtime. What followed was one of the wildest finishes of the season (video below): Andrei Vasilevskiy made a flurry of highlight-reel saves, then flipped the play the other way to spring Jake Guentzel for a breakaway winner in his 100th game with the Lightning.

A BIG SAVE ONE WAY, AND A BIG GOAL THE OTHER WAY!! ⚡

Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Guentzel help the @TBLightning win in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/xnQ72ehKiZ
— NHL (@NHL) November 21, 2025

Paul’s Experience Playing Beside an MVP

In a recent postgame scrum after Tampa Bay’s 4–1 win over the New York Rangers — a game in which Paul scored his second goal of the season — he was asked how he read the play that led to his goal. His answer said more about Nikita Kucherov than about himself.

“I had the puck, saw Kuch there, passed to him and you know he’s always gonna find a hole. The one thing I’ve learned playing with Kuch is even if he’s not looking at you — even if it looks like there’s no hole — he’s going to find a way. So I just kinda opened up in front of the net and he made a great pass then he went through his legs and then from there I was in tight so I’m just trying to lift it over the pad six inches and it ended up going in.”

Paul’s first answer said plenty about what it’s like playing with a superstar who sees the game on a different level. And after talking through the play itself, he shifted to the part that teammates always mention when asked about Kucherov: the work ethic behind it.

“I think when I first came to the team it was surprising for sure, but then you see him in the summer, you see how much he works on his game and how much practice and repetition he puts in and you kind of just know he’s gonna do the unexpected. There’s no hole there, he’s gonna find a way. So at this point, it’s just, you know it’s Kuch.”

Tampa Bay Finding Its Identity Again

And the results speak for themselves. Kucherov is back in his MVP form with a nine-game point streak and five straight multi-point nights. With Brayden Point sidelined, Kucherov’s chemistry with Hagel has taken off and pushed the Bolts up the standings.

The Russian superstar now has 18 points in his last nine outings and is closing fast in the race for the Art Ross. After winning the scoring title in back-to-back years, a third straight crown would be a historic achievement for Kuch.

Nick Paul’s return didn’t single-handedly fix Tampa Bay — but it helped unlock the version of this team that looked missing early on. His presence in the lineup gives the entire team energy and stability which is a huge factor considering their recent injury struggles.

With their stars heating up, their depth restored, and their confidence back, Tampa Bay looks like a real Stanley Cup contender again — which is bad news for the rest of the NHL.

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