- Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times couldn’t get any confirmation on Brayden Point’s status tomorrow night for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s next game. Encina shares that Point is ’trending in the right direction’ but is still in danger of missing a fifth straight game for the Lightning.
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Lightning Rumors
Morning Notes: Peeke, Pionk, Goncalves, Kastelic, Tufte
The Boston Bruins will soon receive some relief on the blue-line, with defenseman Andrew Peeke returning to the team’s practices per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Peeke hasn’t played since leaving Boston’s November 5th match against Toronto following a hit from Max Pacioretty that seemed to bounce Peeke’s shoulder awkwardly off the boards. He was ruled out week-to-week with an upper-body injury soon after, though participating in practice marks a big step in his path back to the lineup. Peeke isn’t expected to play in Boston’s Monday game against Columbus but could suit up when the team hosts Utah on Thursday.
Peeke was joined on the shelf by Hampus Lindholm, who’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The pair of absences quickly drained Boston’s top-four of its impactful, defensive stalwarts. Peeke rotated through the lineup when healthy, serving anywhere from 13 minutes in a sheltered role to 20 minutes on the top pair. He’s recorded two assists, 18 hits, and 21 blocked shots in 13 games. While not a thrilling stat line, Boston has felt every bit of Peeke’s absence – averaging the fifth-highest goals-against per-game (3.60 in five games) since he left the lineup. Upcoming matchups against Columbus, Utah, and Detroit should give Boston a chance to ease Peeke back into the lineup.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5K, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for “clipping” Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist on Saturday. Pionk went in for a hip-check but caught more of Boqvist’s knee than anything else. No penalty was issued for the hit. Boqvist nursed his left-knee for a while, but didn’t need helped off the ice. Pionk played 20 minutes in the 5-0 loss, going without any major stat changes – but still boasting 17 points in 18 games this season. He’ll continue to be a main fixture of the Jets lineup – and likely continue delivering heavy hip-checks – after avoiding suspension here.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have once again assigned forward Gage Goncalves to the minor leagues, after he stepped into a third-line role in the team’s Saturday night win over New Jersey. Goncalves played a career-high 15:32 worth of ice time in the outing, though he only put up two hits and one shot. Goncalves has yet to record his first NHL point, despite four appearances this year and two last year. He’ll return to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s already posted six assists in five games – the only Crunch still scoring above a point-per-game pace.
- The Boston Bruins received a couple more updates at Sunday’s practice, with forwards Mark Kastelic designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and Riley Tufte expected to be sent to the minor leagues per Steve Conroy. Tufte played in 7:46 of Boston’s Saturday overtime-loss to St. Louis, with a -2 his only stat change. Tufte has yet to record a point in three games this year, though he’s managed three points in 21 career NHL games while serving as a go-to call-up since 2021. Kastelic has been much more productive – posting seven points in 19 games this season – while still serving a fourth-line role.
Brayden Point Will Not Play Thursday Versus Jets
- Lightning star Brayden Point will not play tonight at home versus the Jets, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports. It’ll be his third straight game missed with the lower-body injury he sustained back on Nov. 3 in Tampa’s other appearance of the season against Winnipeg. His 38.1% shooting rate still leads the league and gives him eight goals through 12 games. Anthony Cirelli will continue serving as the Bolts’ top-line center in Point’s absence between Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov.
Lightning Recall Gage Goncalves
The Lightning announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled forward Gage Goncalves from AHL Syracuse. It’s the second recall of the month for the 23-year-old after he made his season debut in a pair of games last week.
His recall indicates that star center Brayden Point, who sustained a lower-body injury in a loss to the Jets on Nov. 3 and is still listed as day-to-day, may not be available when Tampa takes on Winnipeg again on Thursday night. Point was expected to slot back into the lineup tomorrow with the Bolts having a week-long break in their schedule, and he practiced in his usual top-line role as recently as Sunday, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida.
The Lightning have only been carrying an extra forward on the roster this season when necessary to bank as much cap space as possible ahead of the trade deadline. Point remains on the active roster and not on injured reserve, but they still have an open roster spot after Goncalves’ recall. If Point can’t play, Goncalves will make his third straight appearance for the Bolts tomorrow.
Goncalves, the latter of the team’s two second-round selections in the 2020 draft, has one shot on goal, two hits and averaged 10:12 of ice time over his pair of appearances last week. The British Columbia native has also made five appearances for Syracuse, tying for the team lead with six assists and leading the club with 1.20 points per game.
Goncalves is no longer waiver-exempt, so every game he plays and every day he spends on the active roster shaves precious time off his temporary exemption after clearing waivers at the beginning of the regular season. His previous recall lasted four days, so he can appear in eight more games or stay on the roster for 26 more days, whichever comes first, before he needs waivers again to return to Syracuse.
The 6’1″, 183-lb center will be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration eligibility. He signed a one-year, two-way extension in June to avoid hitting restricted free agency last summer as his entry-level contract was set to expire.
Lightning Assign Gage Goncalves To AHL
Gage Goncalves’ first NHL stint of the season was a short-lived one. The Lightning announced today that they’ve reassigned the forward to AHL Syracuse.
The 23-year-old was recalled earlier this week and got into two games with Tampa Bay. He was held off the scoresheet in those outings while logging a little over ten minutes per game. Goncalves had a big year offensively with the Crunch last season, collecting 58 points in 69 games and was off to a good start prior to his recall this year, notching four assists and four appearances thus far.
While Goncalves was recalled to take Brayden Point’s spot in the lineup due to his lower-body injury, this assignment shouldn’t be interpreted as Point being ready to return yet; he didn’t participate in practice today. However, Tampa Bay is off until Thursday so this assignment will free up a bit more cap space at a minimum while giving Goncalves a chance to play with the Crunch. If Point isn’t ready to return by Thursday’s game, Goncalves will probably be promoted once again.
Brayden Point Still Out With Lower-Body Injury
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are again without their first-line center Brayden Point this evening as they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers. Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reported earlier that Point is still out with a lower-body injury although he did resume skating this morning. It will be the second straight missed game for Point after starting the season with eight goals and 13 points in 12 contests.
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Lightning Recall Gage Goncalves, Brayden Point Out Day-To-Day
12:42 p.m.: Goncalves will make his season debut tonight while Point has been officially listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, including Lou Korac of NHL.com.
10:24 a.m.: The Lightning are bringing up center Gage Goncalves from AHL Syracuse, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. No corresponding transaction is needed with ample cap space and a pair of open roster spots, but his addition to the roster could indicate that Tampa Bay will be without center Brayden Point tonight against the Blues. Point left Sunday’s loss to the Jets in the first period with a lower-body injury.
Goncalves, 23, was a second-round pick of the Lightning in 2020 out of the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips. The 6’0″, 181-lb pivot made his NHL debut last season, skating in a pair of wins for the Bolts against the Devils and Ducks in mid-January. He didn’t record a point but managed to log 6 PIMs and two hits while averaging just a shade under 10 minutes per game.
The Canadian-Portuguese national is now in his fourth season playing pro within the Lightning organization. He’s spent nearly all of that time with Syracuse, where he has 43 goals and 106 assists for 149 points in 216 career appearances. After an injury held him out for the first few games of Syracuse’s season, he’s recorded four assists through his first four games with the minor-league club to start 2024-25.
Last season was a banner one for the British Columbia native. He recorded career highs with 45 assists and 58 points in 69 games, earning himself a spot on the North Division’s roster for the AHL All-Star Game. Following the season, Goncalves signed a one-year, two-way extension ($775K/$100K) to keep him from reaching restricted free agency. He’ll have the opportunity to become an RFA next summer, this time with arbitration rights.
With no other extra forwards on hand, it’s highly likely that Goncalves would slide into the lineup and make his season debut against St. Louis if Point can’t play. Point would be a humongous loss for a Tampa team looking to reverse a two-game losing streak, currently tied for third on the team in scoring with 13 points (8 G, 5 A) in 12 games. His five power-play goals and 38.1% shooting percentage both lead the league.
Afternoon Notes: Slafkovsky, Acciari, Point
Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky left the team’s Saturday night game late into the third period, after taking a high hit from Pittsburgh’s Noel Acciari, shares Erik Leijon of The Montreal Gazette . Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj jumped in with a retaliatory fight, while Slafkovsky skated to the bench after laboring for a moment. So far, no update has been provided on the availability of the former first-overall pick. Montreal hosts the Calgary Flames on Tuesday before embarking on a four-game road trip.
Slafkovsky has continued to take on responsibility in Montreal’s lineup. He has seven assists and eight points through nine games this season, despite averaging just over 18 minutes of ice time – the lowest of Montreal’s top-five scorers. He’s become more involved off-puck as well – averaging 11.41 hits per 60 minutes, up from 6.20 last season. It’s an encouraging sign of growing confidence from the 20-year-old Slafkovsky, who put up a commendable 20-goal, 50-point season last year. Montreal will likely turn towards Lucas Condotta or Michael Pezzetta should Slafkovsky miss time, though neither player naturally plays Slafkovsky’s right-wing. The Canadiens would need to turn towards the minors for a better fit. Right-shot Joshua Roy currently leads the Laval Rocket in scoring with seven goals and 10 points in nine games.
Other notes from around the league:
- While no update has come on Slafkovsky, Noel Acciari isn’t expected to face supplemental discipline for the high hit per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Acciari didn’t appear to make contact directly with Slafkovsky’s head, though Sportsnet’s post-game panel dispelled the hit as dirty. Despite this incident, Acciari has been largely unpenalized through the early season – with just four penalty minutes in 13 games. He’s also recorded three points, standing taller in Pittsburgh’s middle-six after only appearing in 55 games last season. He fills the role of downhill bruiser well, but may need to take a bit more caution moving forward.
- Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Brayden Point left the team’s Sunday game against the Winnipeg Jets after the first period. No reasoning was provided, though Point was seen nursing lower-body pain per Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun. Point scored Tampa’s second goal of the game – a power-play score assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. It was his 12th point of the season, continuing Point’s string of dominant scoring after 95 points in 2022-23 and 90 points in 2023-24. He’ll be incredibly difficult to replace should he miss any time, though Tampa Bay may be able to bear it with five other players currently scoring at-or-above point-per-game pace.
Lightning, Lukas Svejkovsky Mutually Terminate Contract
Oct. 30: Svejkovsky cleared waivers, per Friedman. As a result, he’s assumedly terminated his contract.
Oct. 29: The Lightning placed forward Lukas Svejkovsky on unconditional waivers today, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Assuming he clears tomorrow, he’ll have his contract mutually terminated.
Svejkovsky, 22, is a new addition to the Lightning organization. A fourth-round pick of the Penguins in 2020, Tampa Bay acquired Svejkovsky from the Penguins for similarly buried depth forward Bennett MacArthur in late June.
Born in Tampa while his father, Jaroslav Svejkovský, was playing for the Lightning, Lukas has just one goal through four games with AHL Syracuse this season. He spent most of 2023-24 in the ECHL with the Penguins’ affiliate in Wheeling, where he impressed with 37 points in 30 games. However, he simply hasn’t managed to break through to the AHL level full-time – he had only four points in 19 games during an audition with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season.
While also a Czech national, Svejkovsky has spent his entire hockey career in North America. He played in the British Columbia prep and junior system before playing major junior hockey with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle Thunderbirds from 2018 to 2022.
If he clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow and could sign with any NHL, AHL/ECHL, or European club. With Jaroslav now working as an assistant coach for the Canucks, there might be a home for him back in Vancouver somewhere in the organization, potentially a two-way deal with AHL Abbotsford.
Svejkovsky was in the final season of his entry-level contract. The Lightning already paid him a $92.5K signing bonus for this season, and he was earning a salary of $80K while on assignment to Syracuse.
Lightning Reassign Gabriel Fortier
Oct. 28: Fortier cleared waivers and will head to Syracuse, per PuckPedia.
Oct. 27: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Gabriel Fortier on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Fortier started the year on the non-rostered injury list after surgery to address an unspecified injury this off-season. His mention on the transaction log indicates a return could be imminent.
It’d be a surprise to see Fortier head anywhere other than the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s spent the bulk of the last four seasons. He recorded 26 points, split evenly, in Syracuse’s middle-six last season – continuing a trend of decreasing scoring since a career-high 35 points in 2021-22. He’s proven a stout minor-league forward over the years but hasn’t yet translated to the top flight, with just one goal in 11 career NHL games.
Fortier was far more productive across six total seasons in the QMJHL. He found his scoring touch quick – with 11 goals and 17 points in 25 games at age 17 and 26 goals and 59 points in 66 games at 18. The bulk of that scoring was earned by smart positioning and strong shooting. Tampa Bay bought those traits with the 59th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, though Fortier would stick around the QMJHL through the next three seasons. He totaled 236 games and 230 points in the league and served one-year stints as captain for both Baie-Comeau and Moncton. Fortier will continue his search for similar stability at the pro level once he clears waivers and, likely, heads back to the minor leagues.