Lilleberg continues growth in second full Lightning season as team fights injuries

Emil Lilleberg has played some of his best hockey for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the past several weeks at a time when his team needed it most.

With the Lightning operating without captain Victor Hedman, assistant captain Ryan McDonagh and eight-year staple Erik Cernak on its blue line due to injury, the team has needed other defensemen to step up.

The 24-year-old Lilleberg has been among those up to the task.

“We know those three are the best D we have here, so some new guys have to step up. It’s really fun to play a little bit more too, but it’s been fun,” Lilleberg said of the challenge.

Lilleberg, who completed his first full NHL season in Tampa Bay in 2024-25, has been among the busiest players in that time. He played a career-high 23 minutes, 28 seconds on Nov. 18 against the New Jersey Devils before surpassing the 23-minute mark again in Monday’s shutout win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Norwegian-born defenseman has two assists over his last three games, including a slap shot from the point that opened the scoring on Monday after deflecting in off the body of forward Brandon Hagel late in the first period.

Lilleberg's top focus areas this offseason were strength and skating, and the coaching staff has noticed.

“The number one thing with Lilly is his skating. He's an NHL defenseman,” assistant coach Rob Zettler, who leads the Tampa Bay defense, said Tuesday.

"He skates really well. It's probably his best asset. So, if you watch some of his games, before the puck would land on his stick and it was like stationary looking to make a play. Now when the puck lands on his stick, he's moving, he's skating, and he's got the ability to beat the forecheck just by using his legs. He's starting to do that, and he's starting to have success with it. Plus, he's getting more comfortable in the physical aspect of it. I don't mean fighting, I mean just being hard to play against as well—the hits, stepping up on guys, being aggressive, being hard to play against in front of the net.”

Lilleberg is plus-five in his last five games alone and boasts a career-best plus-six rating in plus/minus through 22 games.

All in all, it’s been a strong stretch of games for Lilleberg, who believes in his game now more than ever.

“100 percent,” Lilleberg said when asked if he feels his game took a step this year. “The more you play, the more confident you are. I feel more comfortable.”

The defenseman who broke onto the NHL scene with 37 games for the Lightning in 2023-24 has grown a reputation as a physical force—he led the team with 105 penalty minutes one season ago and already has multiple fights this season.

His game, though, has noticeably evolved for the Lightning of late—he already has a career-high two goals to go with three assists this season while still bringing some intimidation along the way. His plus/minus is second-best among all Lighting defensemen behind only JJ Moser (+9) and ranks fourth on the entire Lightning roster.

Lilleberg feels more confident in his game, and he feels more stable in his second full NHL season on a team led by some top passers including Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel.

“I’ve tried to skate a little bit more on offense, move the legs. We know we have Kuch, Haggy and Guentz with the perfect passes, so I’ve tried to join more on offense.”

Lilleberg is up to 29 career NHL points in 135 games, all with Tampa Bay since signing as a free agent in June 2023. He is in the first year of a fresh two-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 season.

He has clawed his way into the top three Nowegian-born scorers in NHL history, being the only defenseman among a top-five group led by Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello’s 698 career points. His next goal will be his fourth in the NHL, tying Ole-Kristian Tollefsen for the most by a Norwegian defenseman all-time.

On offense, Zettler nodded to the way Lilleberg has maneuvered the puck this season. Those plays carry an improved look in 2025-26 compared to one year ago.

“When he gets that (puck) on the offensive blue line, he had a habit of just literally rimming it down, like the safe play. But now he's starting to get pucks and actually get his head up and look for plays,” Zettler said, referencing the leadup to the 1-0 goal against Philadelphia on Monday.

“Those things are starting to happen for him, but it just comes from, I think, confidence. Easy thing to say, but the other one is experience. This is a hard league, and it takes some time, especially for young defensemen, who, when they do make a mistake, the guy’s alone on the goalie. So it takes a little while to gain their confidence for those defensemen.”

Lilleberg feels that the Lightning have been more focused on grinding out wins and winning battles over its current four-game win streak, and that playing style fits him. Even with added confidence with the puck, that physical aspect of his game won’t change.

“I think we have more comfort as a team, and we grind actually a little bit more,” he said, “and it’s always really fun to play hockey that way.”