tbl-Injury News Could Provide Opportunities For Young Players

Summary

With the prospect showcase firmly in the rearview mirror it is time for the real fun to begin – training camp. The 2026-27 season is right around the corner and the Tampa Bay Lightning are ready to get back on the ice. Well, most of them are. At the pre-camp conference, general manager Julien BriseBois addressed the media and updated them in regards to a couple of injuries. Injury updates from #GoBolts GM Julien BriseBois: Forward Yanni Gourde had offseason hip surgery and will be out until December. Dominic James broke his hand training and will be out to start the first few weeks of the season. [image or embed] — Benjamin Pierce ( @boltsben.bsky.social ) September 16, 2026 at 5:17 PM That is quite the blow for the Lightning’s depth down the middle of the ice. Yanni Gourde appeared in all 82 games last season, averaged 16:22 of ice time while posting 9 goals and 19 assists, and posted positive possession numbers in scoring chances, expected goals against, and shot attempts. He was also one of the Lightning’s top penalty killers, averaging 2:02 of ice time per game. Only Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel had more short-handed ice time among forwards last season. The offense was down a little for him, but he remained one of the toughest forwards to play against and was the pivot for Coach Jon Cooper’s shut-down line that also featured Pontus Holmberg and Zemgus Girgensons. Their strong play allowed Coach Cooper to deploy rookie Dominic James in favorable situations, and the free agent signee responded with a surprisingly strong season. The 23-year-old put up 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 43 games in his debut season. A late-season injury limited him at the end, but he returned for the playoffs and was one of the Lightning’s most dynamic players over the second-half of their series against Montreal. James added an element of speed to a squad of forwards that needed it, and his ability to get the puck into the zone helped produce some offense for lines that didn’t feature Nikita Kucherov. Shades of last season and their 341 games lost to injury are flooding back already. Without a puck being dropped in serious competition it appears it will be another season where the depth is tested. However, as grandparents and teachers have told us for generations, whenever one door closes, another one opens. While it is unfortunate that Gourde and James will be off of the ice for the near future, it does open up a couple of spots on a roster that had most positions inked in already. Training camp just became very interesting for a handful of players. Fans who have been clamoring for Sam O’Reilly to make the team might have their wish fulfilled. While it didn’t make sense for the Lighting to keep him on a roster when he might only be getting 8-10 minutes as a fourth-line forward, the chance to play around 15 minutes a night as the third-line pivotman might be a little more enticing. When he is ready for the NHL, and who knows, that could be in two weeks, O’Reilly is set to be a middle-six center who can kick in some offense while playing top-shelf defense and killing penalties. In other words, the exact same role that Yanni Gourde has occupied for the Lightning during both of his tenures in Tampa. That being said, the coaching staff isn’t going to hand the spot to the rookie without him earning it. He will need to beat out some other players in order to take a rookie lap on October 1 in New York. Could this be the break that propels Conor Geekie into a full-time NHL role? After a rocky start the last couple of seasons, the top prospect has excelled at the AHL level over the last two years. Given an opportunity to play regular minutes with the Lightning can he elevate his play to the point where the brass can’t send him back down? Dylan Duke is another name that could be in the mix for a spot either on the third or fourth line. It’s a big season for him. Like Geekie, Duke has shown that he can excel at the AHL level, but needs a shot at convincing the organization that he can fill the role with the Lightning. Being a little older than O’Reilly and Geekie, he’s at a stage in his career where the Bolts might be a little more comfortable having him play fewer minutes in the NHL as a fourth-line center than getting reps in Syracuse. That could work to his advantage in making the roster. The injuries also give a reason to the Kole Lind PTO that was announced last week. While the 27-year-old isn’t a center, he could still fill a role in the bottom-six if Zemgus Girgensons or Pontus Holmberg slide over to take up a spot in the face-off dot. Lind might not have a ton of NHL experience (31 games) it’s still more than Duke or O’Reilly bring to the table. With Gourde being out long-term, there might be a bigger opening for Benjamin Rautiainen to make the opening night roster as well. Prior to the injury announcement his one real shot at making the team was to claim the open forward spot on the second line with Cirelli and Hagel. Now there could be a little wiggle room on the third line for the 21-year-old. Again, with Holmberg sliding back to the middle of the ice, Rautiainen could get a chance to earn some decent minutes as a two-way forward. It’s unfortunate that the Lightning aren’t starting the season off at 100%, but it isn’t completely unfamiliar territory. Over the past few seasons they’ve gotten under way without the likes of Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul and have managed to overcome their absences. It’s another case of needing someone to step up and fill in the gap. With a shortened training camp and just four preseason games to figure it out, the next couple of weeks will be nothing if not entertaining.