BRANDON — If the Lightning’s path back to the Stanley Cup Final now goes through the Panthers, it might not look like they’ve done enough this offseason to topple their cross-state rival. This was an interesting free agency season. Many of the top players available came off the board before July 1.

The Lightning signed forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year deal, adding a versatile two-way winger to strengthen their depth.

However, they lost in the Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the second of back-to-back Stanley Cups. Montreal went on an inspiring run in the 2024-25 season to get to this point. Many did ...

This summer has been in stark contrast from that of a year ago for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who this time around addressed the bottom six of the forward ranks.

The defending champion Florida Panthers ousted the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 in Game 5, wrapping up a convincing series win that bodes well for their repeat bid.. The Panthers, healthy after dealing ...

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Anton Lundell (15) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first ...

2025 NHL playoff preview: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers. By The Athletic NHL Staff. April 19, 2025. ... Sam Bennett might’ve just had the best offensive year of his career, ...