Lightning’s dream, nightmare scenario for 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the steadiest and most consistent teams in the NHL this season, and as they head into Friday’s trade deadline, they are in first place in the Atlantic Division. However, they have seen their lead shrink to two points over the Buffalo Sabres as they have lost their last three games as they head into Thursday’s road game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Is this recent dip the start of a legitimate slump, or will head coach Jon Cooper see his team shake off the difficulty and return to the form that saw them reel off a 20-1-1 streak that started in late December and continue through the first game after the Olympic break?

Prior to this brief but somewhat notable losing skid, little was expected of the Lightning on the trade front. That’s not a surprise, because the team was functioning at such a high level. There was little reason for the Lightning to trade any of the key players, the role players or the prospects. There was even less of a reason to bring in some of the high-priced talent that will almost certainly move before the deadline Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

General manager Julian BriseBois has not seen his team’s name come up in many trade rumors this year. Part of the reason for that is mentioned above. The team was playing at a peak level for a very lengthy period and it didn’t look like the idea of making a key trade would help the team in any way. The other reason is that BriseBois regularly plays his personnel decisions very close to the vest. He doesn’t often comment on rumors or provide hints of the moves he is planning to make around the trade deadline, free agency or the draft.

Lightning had injuries earlier in the season, but the team kept on winning

While the Lightning have much of their full complement as they prepare for the final 20-plus games of the season, they had a number of injuries in January that could have had a significant impact. Even though the Lightning was playing without star defenseman Victor Hedman and elusive center Brayden Point for many of those games, they were winning night after night.

It has to be somewhat alarming that a relatively healthy Tampa Bay team is currently struggling. They have an opening at right wing on their second line where Anthony Cirelli serves as the center for left wing Brandon Hagel. One player that BriseBois and Cooper could be looking at is Blake Coleman of the Calgary Flames.

Calgary regularly plays hard and is often competitive on a regular basis, but they lose most nights. As a result, the Flames are not a playoff contender and they can make moves by the deadline.

One of their forwards is a former member of the Lightning in Blake Coleman. He played a key role for the Lightning when they won consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and ’21.

At the time, Coleman was a bottom six forward and he clearly played his role and did it well for the Lightning.
If he was solid for Tampa Bay then, he could fit in for the Lightning this season.

Coleman was a 30-goal scorer just two years ago for the Flames, but he has not been able to reach that height in the last two seasons. He scored 15 goals and 24 assists in 2024-25 and those numbers have continued to shrink this year. He has just 13 goals and nine assists in 48 games for the Flames.

Coleman is a solid veteran who has played 10 years in the NHL. He is not a huge man, but he is a solid 5-11 and 199 pounds, and that means he can go into the corner and win the battle. He is certainly capable of playing a physical game when it is required.

No reason for this team to panic

Cooper is clearly one of the best coaches in the sport. In addition to his two Stanley Cup triumphs, he led Canada to a championship in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and a silver medal in the Winter Olympics. While losing to the United States in the gold medal game in overtime was a disappointment for Cooper and his players, there’s no reason to think that he can’t rally his team to a strong finish.

A brief 3-game losing streak should not lead to any panic by Cooper or BriseBois. Picking up a role player like Coleman is a fine idea, but making any kind of panic move by sending a key player out of town for a potential star is not necessary. The Lightning have a winning cast of characters on hand and they don’t need to match the moves of other contenders like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild.

If they were to force a move just because other teams are active, it could turn into a nightmarish moment for the Lightning.

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