As the NHL pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, the Tampa Bay Lightning enter the break sitting atop the Atlantic Division with a record of 37-14-4. However, several key storylines are developing as the team's players head to opposite sides of the world for the Winter Games.

The most significant news revolves around the absence of two key players from Team Canada: Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. Point is dealing with a lower-body injury sustained in mid-January. Despite attempting to recover in time for the Olympics, he was deemed unfit to compete and replaced by Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes. Cirelli suffered an injury during the Stadium Series game against Boston on February 1st after a collision. He has been replaced by Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers. While disappointing for the players, this provides them with valuable rest and recovery time to prepare for the Lightning's playoff push. They join Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy (ineligible due to Russia's ban) in using this time to heal.

Despite these injuries, the Lightning finished strong before the break, with a dominant 6-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on February 5th and a dramatic comeback win against the Boston Bruins in the Stadium Series. The Stadium Series game was a marquee event for the franchise, featuring a memorable goalie fight between Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The Olympic break provides an opportunity for other injured players to recover, recognizing that the team’s defensive depth has been tested throughout the season. Darren Raddysh has emerged as a key player, posting career-high offensive numbers. J.J. Moser, acquired in the Mikhail Sergachev trade, has also solidified his position as a top-pairing defenseman.

While some players recover, several Lightning players will be competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics. These include: Jake Guentzel (USA), Brandon Hagel (Canada), Victor Hedman and Pontus Holmberg (Sweden), J.J. Moser (Switzerland), Erik Cernak (Slovakia), Oliver Bjorkstrand (Denmark), and Zemgus Girgensons (Latvia).

Here is the schedule for games featuring Lightning players during the week: * Wed, Feb 11, 10:40 AM ET: Slovakia vs. Finland (Erik Cernak) * Wed, Feb 11, 3:10 PM ET: Sweden vs. Italy (Victor Hedman, Pontus Holmberg) * Thu, Feb 12, 6:10 AM ET: Switzerland vs. France (J.J. Moser) * Thu, Feb 12, 10:40 AM ET: Canada vs. Czechia (Brandon Hagel)

As the Lightning enter this Olympic break, the team hopes that the time off will allow them to heal and prepare for a strong push towards the playoffs.