Lightning roster at a glance for Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Tampa Bay Lightning enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference after a season that saw them go 50-26-6 and finish second in the Atlantic Division. They have not won a playoff round in the past three seasons, losing in two straight to the Florida Panthers, who did not qualify this season. They went to three straight Stanley Cup Finals (2020, 2021, 2022), winning in 2020, 2021. Eight members of those Cup teams are on the roster. 

Here is the Lightning roster at a glance:

FORWARDS

Oliver Bjorkstrand (6-foot, 175 pounds), Herning, Denmark: Second-line wing was traded to the Lightning by the Seattle Kraken on March 5, 2025. The 30-year-old played for Team Denmark in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 80 games. 

Anthony Cirelli (6-1, 193), Etobicoke, Ontario: The second-line center has been a major force for the Lightning since his rookie season of 2017-18. Selected by Tampa Bay in the third round (No. 72) of the 2015 NHL Draft, the 28-year-old had 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games. He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021 and was selected to play for Team Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics but missed it because of injury. 

Zemgus Girgensons (6-3, 197), Riga, Latvia: Third-line wing is in his second season with the Lightning after signing as a free agent July 1, 2024. The 32-year-old, who played his first 10 NHL seasons for the Buffalo Sabres and for Team Latvia at the 2026 Olympics, has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 74 games. 

Gage Goncalves (6-1, 189), Mission, British Columbia: Has played a top-six role in just his second full season in the NHL. The 25-year-old had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games. 

Yanni Gourde (5-9, 173), Saint-Narcisse, Quebec City: Also a two-time Cup champion with the Lightning, the 34-year-old third-line center is in his second stint with Tampa Bay. He was selected by Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft then came back to the Lightning in a three-team trade with Seattle and the Detroit Red Wings on March 5, 2025. He has 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 82 games. 

Jake Guentzel (5-11, 176), Omaha, Nebraska: The 31-year old signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with Tampa Bay on June 30, 2024, after he was traded there by the Carolina Hurricanes. A top-six forward, Guentzel won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17. He finished second on the Lightning in goals (38), assists (50) and points (88) to Nikita Kucherov.

Brandon Hagel (6-2, 186), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Came to the Lightning in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 18, 2022, and has 371 points (161 goals, 210 assists) in 446 games. The top-six forward has 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists) in 71 games this season. 

Pontus Holmberg (6-0, 201), Vasteras, Sweden: Fourth-line forward was injured in a 4-2 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on April 6 and didn’t play the rest of the regular season. Holmberg is his first season with the Lightning after playing his first three for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 27-year-old had 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 70 games this season. Played for Team Sweden at the Olympics. 

Nikita Kucherov (6-0, 173), Maykop, Russia: Arguably, the greatest offensive player in the history of the Lightning, the 32-year-old put together his fourth straight season with at least 110 points and his sixth with at least 100 in the past eight. The first line wing, selected by Tampa Bay in the second round (No. 58) of the 2011 NHL Draft, has won the Stanley Cup twice (2020, 2021), the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top points-getter three times (2019, 2024, 2025) and the 2019 Hart Trophy voted as the NHL most valuable player. The 32-year-old had 130 points (44 goals, 86 assists) in 76 games, second in the NHL.

Nick Paul (6-4, 234), Mississauga, Ontario: A gritty fourth-line center, Paul is in his fourth full season in Tampa Bay after arriving in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on March 20, 2022. He had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 51 games this season. 

Corey Perry (6-3, 210), Peterborough, Ontario: The hard-hitting, hard-nosed veteran is in his second stint with the Lightning, coming to Tampa Bay ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline from the Los Angeles Kings on March 6. He's been to the Cup Final five of the past seven seasons, but his only Cup win came with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Won the Hart Trophy and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the leading goal-scorer (50) in 2011 with the Ducks. Had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 22 games for the Lightning this season. 

Brayden Point (5-11, 177), Calgary, Alberta: The heart-and-soul of the Lightning and the center on either the first or second line, Point is a two-time Cup winner with Tampa Bay (2020, 2021). Selected by the Lightning in the third round (No. 79) of the 2014 NHL Draft, the 30-year-old had 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) in 63 games this season. He selected to play for Team Canada at the Olympics but missed because of injury. 

Scott Sabourin (6-3, 205), Orleans, Ontario: The journeyman right wing is on his fifth NHL team in six seasons but may have found a home in Tampa Bay. The 33-year-old had five points (one goal, four assists) in 26 games this season.

DEFENSEMEN

Erik Cernak (6-4, 230), Kosice, Slovakia: Taken by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (No. 43) of the 2015 NHL Draft but has played his entire NHL career with Lightning after being part of the trade that sent Ben Bishop to the Kings on Feb. 26, 2017. Member of the 2020 and 2021 Cup-winning teams, the 28-year-old played for Team Slovakia at the Olympics. He had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 61 games. 

Charle-Edouard D'Astous (6-2, 211), Rimouski, Quebec: The 27-year-old made a huge impact in his first NHL season with 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 70 games, tied for second most among Tampa Bay defensemen. The Lightning signed him to a one-year contract out of the Swedish Hockey League on May 5, 2025, and then signed him to a one-year contract for next season Jan. 2.

Victor Hedman (6-7, 244), Ornskodsvik, Sweden: Named captain before the start of last season, the hulking defenseman is the face of the Lightning. Won the 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy voted as playoff MVP and the 2018 Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL. Selected No. 2 by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Draft, the 35-year-old has played 1,164 games, most in team history at his position. A member of the Team Sweden at the Olympics, Hedman, who did not play in the regular season since March 16, was limited to 33 games this season and had 17 points (one goal, 16 assists). 

Emil Lilleberg (6-3, 215), Sarpsborg, Norway: The only defenseman from Norway to ever appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs prior to this season, the 25-year-old signed a two-year contract with Tampa Bay on June 5, 2023, after he played for IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League that season. Playing on the third defense pair, had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 50 games. 

Ryan McDonagh (6-1, 216), St. Paul, Minnesota: A member of the 2020 and 2021 Cup teams, the 36-year-old is in his second stint with the Lightning, returning before last season after two seasons with the Nashville Predators. A defensive stalwart on the second pair with Cernak, McDonagh brings tremendous leadership to Tampa, having been captain of the New York Rangers for four seasons (2014-18). He had 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 46 games. 

J.J. Moser (6-2, 183), Biel, Czechia: Sent to the Lightning from the Utah Mammoth on June 29, 2024, as part of the Mikhail Sergachev trade, the 25-year-old has found a home with Tampa Bay and had 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 79 games. 

Darren Raddysh (6-1, 202), Toronto: His fourth full season with Tampa Bay has been a breakout one. The 30-year-old had 70 points (22 goals, 48 assists), all NHL career highs, and the 21 goals are the most ever in a season by a Lightning defenseman, passing Hedman (20 in 2021-22) and Dan Boyle (20 in 2006-07).

GOALIES

Jonas Johansson (6-5, 220), Gavie, Sweden: In his third season as the backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy, Johansson has played 70 games in that span. He was 11-10-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .884 save percentage this season. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-4, 223), Tyumen, Russia: Considered one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the League, the 31-year-old has done it all for the Lightning in his 12 seasons since being selected No. 19 in the 2012 NHL Draft. He's won two Stanley Cup championships (2020, 21), the 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy, the 2019 Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL and is one of the favorites to win it this season. An absolute workhorse, the 31-year-old was 39-15-4 with a 2.31 GAA and .912 save percentage in 58 games this season.