# 2022–23 Tampa Bay Lightning season

The 2022–23 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 31st season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on December 16, 1991. They entered this season as defending Eastern Conference champions. On April 1, 2023, the Lightning clinched a playoff spot after a win over the New York Islanders. However, their three-year run to the Stanley Cup Finals would come to an unfortunate end when they were eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

## Off-season
### June

The Lightning's off-season began after losing to the Colorado Avalanche in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. Despite their playoff shortcomings, the 2021-22 Tampa Bay Lightning became the first NHL team in the post-salary cap era and the first NHL team in nearly four decades to clinch three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances, a feat not achieved since the 1983-1985 Edmonton Oilers.
On June 30, 2022, the Lightning announced that Darren Raddysh had been re-signed to a 2-year contract extension. Raddysh made his NHL debut last season with the Lightning, and appeared in four games.
That same day it was announced that assistant coach Derek Lalonde was hired by the Detroit Red Wings to be their new head coach. Lalonde had served as an assistant to Jon Cooper since 2018, and was a member of the 2020 and 2021 championships.

### July

On July 1, 2022, the Lightning announced the re-signing of Nick Paul to a 7-year contract extension valued at $22.05 million. Paul was acquired by the Lightning from the Ottawa Senators prior to the NHL trade deadline. Paul appeared in 23 post season games on their trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, recording five goals and four assists.
That same day the Lightning placed goalie prospect Amir Miftakhov on unconditional waivers or the purpose of a buyout. Miftakhov was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Miftakhov spent time with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL and the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. Miftakhov has two years remaining on his entry-level contract. Miftakhov cleared waivers the following day.
On July 3, 2022, the Lightning traded defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash. McDonagh spent the past five seasons with the lightning after coming over in a trade from the New York Rangers. McDonagh appeared in 267 regular season games with the Lightning, recording 20 goals and 99 points. McDonagh ranks third all time amongst Lightning defensemen in the playoffs in games (89), assists (21) and points (23). McDonagh also helped the team capture two Stanley Cup Championships and appear in three consecutive finals. The main purpose of the trade for the Lightning was to help obtain salary cap relief both the upcoming season and going forward. After the trade the Lightning had 6.75m in cap that they can use to try and re-sign players or use in free agency.
On July 7, 2022, the Lightning selected forward Isaac Howard from the U.S. National Development Program with the 31st pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. This was the Lightning's first time selecting in the first-round since 2019. Howard recorded 82 points in 60 games this past season. Howard is committed to play colligate hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The following day the Lightning selected forwards Lucas Edmonds, Connor Kurth, Klavs Veinbergs, goaltender Nick Malik and defenseman Dyllan Gill.
On July 11, 2022, the Lightning re-signed goaltender Maxime Lagace to a 1-year contract extension. Lagace played in two games with the Lightning this past season, going 1–1–0. Lagace spent most of the season with the Syracuse Crunch, posting a 23–9–2 record.
The same day the Lightning declined to issue qualifying offers to Tye Felhaber, Otto Somppi, Odeen Tufto, Alex Green and Alexei Melnichuk. All of these players became unrestricted free agents on July 13, 2022.
On July 12, 2022, the Lightning announced the signing of Jeff Blashill as an assistant coach. Blashill had served as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings over the past seven seasons.
Free Agency
July 13, 2022, was the first day of NHL free agency. The Lightning were involved in the following signings and player departures:
Forward Felix Robert was signed to a 2-year entry-level contract. Robert spent the past two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Roberts has skated in 90 games, recording 22 goals and 47 points. Roberts originally signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an undrafted free agent from the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Roberts is expected to join the Lightning's AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
Defenseman Ian Cole was signed to a 1-year deal, valued at $3 million dollars. Cole skated in 75 games with the Carolina Hurricanes this past season, recording two goals and 17 assists. Cole has appeared in 670 games over his 12 seasons NHL career. He was also a member of the Penguins' back to back championship teams in 2016 and 2017.
Forward Vladislav Namestnikov was signed to a 1-year contract, valued at $2.5 million dollars. Namestnikov appeared in 75 games this past season between the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. He recorded 16 goals and 30 points over that stretch. Namestnikov was originally drafted by the Lightning in the first round of 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Namestnikov also made his NHL debut with the club during the 2013–14 season. Namestnikov was eventually part of the trade package that brought over Ryan McDonagh and J. T. Miller from the New York Rangers.
Defenseman Haydn Fleury was signed to a 2-year contract that carries an annual cap hit of 762k. Fleury skated in 36 games this past season with the Seattle Kraken, recording two goals and four points. Fleury has appeared in 215 career NHL games between Seattle, Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes. Fleury was part of Seattle's inaugural season after being claimed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Fleury was available to the Lightning after not receiving a qualifying offer from Seattle.
The Lightning lost the following players in initial period free agency:
Forward Charles Hudon signed a on-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Hudon appeared in 66 games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, recording 30 goals, 27 assists and 57 points. Hudon did not appear in any games with the Lightning last season.
Forward Anthony Richard signed a 1-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Richard played 71 games in the AHL last season, between the Milwaukee Admirals and Syracuse Crunch.
Defenseman Jan Rutta signed a 3-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The contract is worth $8.25 million, and carries an annual cap hit of $2.75 million. Rutta played for the Lightning over the past four seasons, and helped the team win two Stanley Cup championships.
Forward Ondrej Palat signed a 5-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. The contract carries an annual cap hit of $6 million. Palat had spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Lightning. Palat finished his career with the Lightning with 143 goals, 280 assists and 423 points. Palat also helped the Lightning to capture two Stanley Cup championships and appear in four Stanley Cup finals.
Re-signings
On the first day of free agency the Lightning re-signed the following players:
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was signed to an 8-year contract extension valued at $68 million. Sergachev was former 9th overall pick that came over via trade for Jonathan Drouin from the Montreal Canadiens prior to the 2017–18 season. Sergachev saw his role gradually increase to the Lightning during the team's run to two Stanley Cups, and is expected to take on a regular top-4 role.
Forward Anthony Cirelli was signed to an 8-year contract extension valued at $50 million. Cirelli came to the Lightning via a third round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Cirelli has developed into a two-way, second line center. In that capacity Cirelli is often tasked in a shutdown role, which regularly sees him matched up against other team's top line. Cirelli has appeared in 294 games, recording 66 goals and 159 points. He has also put up 14 goals and 34 points in 92 playoff games, which also included winning two Stanley Cups with the team.
Defenseman Erik Cernak was signed to an 8-year contract extension valued at $41.6 million. Cernak was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and was subsequently traded to the Lightning in the trade for goaltender Ben Bishop. Cernak spent one season in the minors before graduating to the Lightning roster during the 2018–19 season. Cernak became a defensive minded top-4 defenseman for the team. Cernak has appeared in 226 NHL games, recording 16 goals and 59 points. In the playoffs Cernak has two goals and 19 points over 73 playoff games. Cernak was also a member of the back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Post Free Agency Frenzy
On July 22, 2022, the Lightning signed forward Lucas Edmonds to a three-year entry-level contract. Edmonds joined the organization via the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in the third-round. Edmonds played most of his juniors career in Sweden before moving to the Ontario Hockey League with the Kingston Frontenacs this past season. He recorded 34 goals, 79 assists and 113 points in 68 games with the Frontenacs.
On July 25, 2022, the Lightning signed defensemen Trevor Carrick to a 1-year contract. Carrick was with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL this past season. Carrick appeared in 61 games, recording 10 goals, 20 assists and 30 points.

### August

On August 17, 2022, former Lightning prospect Cole Guttman signed as a free agent out of college with the Chicago Blackhawks. Guttman was originally drafted in the 6th-round by the Lightning in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Guttman became a free agent after not signing with the Lightning after the August 15th deadline this year. Guttman played last season with the University of Denver. Guttman captained the team to the 2022 NCAA Hockey Championship.
On August 18, 2022, former Lightning prospect Sammy Walker signed as a free agent out of college with the Minnesota Wild. Walker was originally a 7th-round draft pick by the Lightning in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Walker was a made a free agent after not signing with the Lightning after the August 15th deadline this year. Walker spent the previous four years at the University of Minnesota.

### September

On September 13, 2022, the Lightning announced its 30th anniversary celebration for the season. As part of this announcement the team will create a Lightning Hockey Hall of Fame. The first class will be inducted during a home game in the spring. The exact date and members to be inducted is to be determined at a later date.

## Training camp
### September

On September 19, 2022, the Lightning announced its training camp roster for the coming season. The roster is made up of 29 forwards, 21 defensemen and six goaltenders.
Forward Group Alex Barre-Boulet, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Maxim Cajkovic, Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton, Gabriel Dumont, Jaydon Dureau, Lucas Edmonds, Shawn Element, Jack Finley, Gabriel Fortier, Gage Goncalves, Brandon Hagel, Alex Killorn, Cole Koepke, Nikita Kucherov, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Bennett MacArthur, Patrick Maroon, Grant Mismash, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nick Paul, Corey Perry, Brayden Point, Felix Robert, Simon Ryfors, Gemel Smith, Steven Stamkos and Ilya Usau.
Defensemen Group Zach Bogosian, Declan Carlile, Trevor Carrick, Erik Cernak, Ian Cole, Sean Day, Tyson Feist, Haydn Fleury, Cal Foote, Dyllan Gill, Victor Hedman, Ryan Jones, Cameron MacDonald, Philippe Myers, Nick Perbix, Darren Raddysh, Roman Schmidt, Dmitry Semykin, Mikhail Sergachev, Jack Thompson and Daniel Walcott.
Goalie Group Hugo Alnefelt, Brad Barone, Brian Elliott, Jack LaFontaine, Maxime Lagace and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Roster Reductions
On September 28, 2022, the Lightning returned prospect Roman Schmidt to the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. The move reduced the Lightning's camp roster to 55 players.

### October

On October 1, 2022, the Lightning announced that it had reduced its training camp roster down to 38 players. The following players were assigned to the Syracuse Crunch: Hugo Alnefelt, Declan Carlile, Trevor Carrick, Jaydon Dureau, Lucas Edmonds, Jack Finley, Gage Goncalves, Maxime Lagace, Bennett MacArthur, Grant Mismash, Darren Raddysh, Felix Robert, Simon Ryfors, Dmitry Semykin, Jack Thompson, Ilya Usau and Daniel Walcott.
On October 2, 2022, the Lightning further reduced their roster by 9 players. The following players were assigned to the Syracuse Crunch: Maxim Cajkovic, Gabriel Dumont, Shawn Element, Tyson Feist, Ryan Jones and Jack LaFontaine. Additionally, Dyllan Gill and Cameron MacDonald were returned to their junior teams and Brad Barone was released from his camp tryout.
On October 4, 2022, the Lightning reduced its roster by 3 players. Alex Barré-Boulet, Gemel Smith and Sean Day were the players assigned to the Syracuse Crunch. The move brought the Lightning's roster count down to 26 players.
On October 7, 2022, the Lightning reduced its roster down to 24 players. Defensive prospect Nick Perbix was assigned to the Syracuse Crunch and forward Pierre-Cédric Labrie was released from his camp tryout agreement. Labrie will also be joining the Crunch as he is still under contract with that team on a AHL only contract.
On October 9, 2022, the Lightning signed forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie to a 1-year contract. Labrie spent the previous season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Syracuse Crunch. This signing replaces Labrie's AHL only contract with the team.
That evening the Lightning suspended defensemen Ian Cole pending an investigation into allegations involving the sexual abuse of a woman when she was a minor. The allegations came to light via a social media post.
On October 11, 2022, the Lightning's season opening roster was finalized. The forward group is made up of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ross Colton, Gabriel Fortier, Brandon Hagel, Cole Koepke, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Nick Paul, Corey Perry, Patrick Maroon, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos. The defense consists of Erik Cernak, Ian Cole, Haydn Fleury, Cal Foote, Victor Hedman, Philippe Myers and Mikhail Sergachev. The goalie tandem of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott rounds out the roster.

## Standings
### Divisional standings

Atlantic Division :
| Pos | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Boston Bruins | 82 | 65 | 12 | 5 | 54 | 305 | 177 | +128 | 135 |
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 50 | 21 | 11 | 42 | 279 | 222 | +57 | 111 |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 46 | 30 | 6 | 38 | 283 | 254 | +29 | 98 |
| 4 | Florida Panthers | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 36 | 290 | 273 | +17 | 92 |
| 5 | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 296 | 300 | −4 | 91 |
| 6 | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 31 | 261 | 271 | −10 | 86 |
| 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 28 | 240 | 279 | −39 | 80 |
| 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 21 | 232 | 307 | −75 | 68 |

### Conference standings

Eastern Conference Wild Card :
| Pos | Div | Team v t e | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | ME | x – New York Islanders | 82 | 42 | 31 | 9 | 36 | 243 | 222 | +21 | 93 |
| 2 | AT | x – Florida Panthers | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 36 | 290 | 273 | +17 | 92 |
| 3 | ME | e – Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 31 | 262 | 264 | −2 | 91 |
| 4 | AT | e – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 296 | 300 | −4 | 91 |
| 5 | AT | e – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 31 | 261 | 271 | −10 | 86 |
| 6 | AT | e – Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 28 | 240 | 279 | −39 | 80 |
| 7 | ME | e – Washington Capitals | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 27 | 255 | 265 | −10 | 80 |
| 8 | ME | e – Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 31 | 38 | 13 | 26 | 222 | 277 | −55 | 75 |
| 9 | AT | e – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 21 | 232 | 307 | −75 | 68 |
| 10 | ME | e – Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 25 | 48 | 9 | 15 | 214 | 330 | −116 | 59 |

## Schedule and results
### Preseason

2022 preseason game log: 1–4–0 (Home: 1–1–0; Road: 0–3–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordRecap
1September 27@ Carolina Hurricanes1–5LagacePNC Arena10,0830–1–0
—September 28Carolina HurricanesGame cancelled due to the impending threat from Hurricane Ian.
—September 29Nashville PredatorsGame moved to Nashville due to the impending threat from Hurricane Ian.
2September 29vs. Nashville Predators0–2ElliottBridgestone Arena7,4920–2–0
3September 30@ Nashville Predators1–7AlnefeltBridgestone Arena15,8840–3–0
4October 6@ Florida Panthers2–3VasilevskiyFLA Live Arena11,3500–4–0
5October 8Florida Panthers5–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0921–4–0 :
Lightning score listed first;
  Win
  Loss
  Overtime/shootout loss
  Cancellation :

### Regular season

2022–23 Regular season game log :
October: 5–4–0, 10 points (Home: 1–1–0; Road: 4–3–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
1October 11@ New York Rangers1–3VasilevskiyMadison Square Garden18,0060–1–00
2October 14@ Columbus Blue Jackets5–2VasilevskiyNationwide Arena18,8891–1–02
3October 15@ Pittsburgh Penguins2–6ElliottPPG Paints Arena18,4161–2–02
4October 18Philadelphia Flyers2–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0921–3–02
5October 21@ Florida Panthers3–2OTVasilevskiyFLA Live Arena17,5312–3–04
6October 22New York Islanders5–3ElliottAmalie Arena19,0923–3–06
7October 25@ Los Angeles Kings2–4VasilevskiyCrypto.com Arena16,4803–4–06
8October 26@ Anaheim Ducks4–2ElliottHonda Center14,8894–4–08
9October 29@ San Jose Sharks4–3VasilevskiySAP Center15,1225–4–010 :
November: 8–3–1, 17 points (Home: 6–2–1; Road: 2–2–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
10November 1Ottawa Senators4–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0926–4–012
11November 3Carolina Hurricanes3–4SOVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0926–4–113
12November 5Buffalo Sabres5–3ElliottAmalie Arena19,0927–4–115
13November 8Edmonton Oilers2–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0927–5–115
14November 11@ Washington Capitals1–5VasilevskiyCapital One Arena18,5737–6–115
15November 13Washington Capitals6–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0928–6–117
16November 15Dallas Stars5–4OTElliottAmalie Arena19,0929–6–119
17November 17Calgary Flames4–1VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09210–6–121
18November 19@ Nashville Predators3–2OTVasilevskiyBridgestone Arena17,44411–6–123
19November 21Boston Bruins3–5VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09211–7–123
20November 25St. Louis Blues5–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09212–7–125
21November 28@ Buffalo Sabres6–5OTElliottKeyBank Center11,76613–7–127
22November 29@ Boston Bruins1–3VasilevskiyTD Garden17,85013–8–127 :
December: 10–3–0, 20 points (Home: 8–1–0; Road: 2–2–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
23December 1@ Philadelphia Flyers4–1VasilevskiyWells Fargo Center17,86714–8–129
24December 3Toronto Maple Leafs4–3OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09215–8–131
25December 6Detroit Red Wings2–4VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09215–9–131
26December 8Nashville Predators5–2ElliottAmalie Arena19,09216–9–133
27December 10Florida Panthers4–1VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09217–9–135
28December 13Seattle Kraken6–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09218–9–137
29December 15Columbus Blue Jackets4–1ElliottAmalie Arena19,09219–9–139
30December 17@ Montreal Canadiens5–1VasilevskiyBell Centre21,10520–9–141
31December 20@ Toronto Maple Leafs1–4VasilevskiyScotiabank Arena18,96220–10–141
32December 21@ Detroit Red Wings4–7ElliottLittle Caesars Arena19,51520–11–141
—December 23@ Buffalo SabresPostponed due to winter storm. Moved to March 4.
33December 28Montreal Canadiens4–1VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09221–11–143
34December 29New York Rangers2–1SOVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09222–11–145
35December 31Arizona Coyotes5–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09223–11–147 :
January: 9–4–0, 18 points (Home: 5–0–0; Road: 4–4–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
36January 3@ Chicago Blackhawks4–1ElliottUnited Center18,42924–11–149
37January 4@ Minnesota Wild1–5ElliottXcel Energy Center18,42724–12–149
38January 6@ Winnipeg Jets2–4VasilevskiyCanada Life Centre15,32524–13–149
39January 10Columbus Blue Jackets6–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09225–13–151
40January 12Vancouver Canucks5–4VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09226–13–153
41January 14@ St. Louis Blues4–2VasilevskiyEnterprise Center18,09627–13–155
42January 16@ Seattle Kraken4–1VasilevskiyClimate Pledge Arena17,15128–13–157
43January 18@ Vancouver Canucks5–2ElliottRogers Arena18,79229–13–159
44January 19@ Edmonton Oilers3–5VasilevskiyRogers Place17,74229–14–159
45January 21@ Calgary Flames3–6VasilevskiyScotiabank Saddledome18,83129–15–159
46January 24Minnesota Wild4–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09230–15–161
47January 26Boston Bruins3–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09231–15–163
48January 28Los Angeles Kings5–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09232–15–165 :
February: 5–3–3, 13 points (Home: 2–0–2; Road: 3–3–1)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
All-Star Break (February 2–5)
49February 6@ Florida Panthers1–7VasilevskiyFLA Live Arena15,88232–16–165
50February 7San Jose Sharks3–4OTElliottAmalie Arena19,09232–16–266
51February 9Colorado Avalanche5–0VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09233–16–268
52February 11@ Dallas Stars3–1VasilevskiyAmerican Airlines Center18,53234–16–270
53February 14@ Colorado Avalanche4–3SOVasilevskiyBall Arena18,07235–16–272
54February 15@ Arizona Coyotes0–1SOElliottMullett Arena4,60035–16–373
55February 18@ Vegas Golden Knights4–5VasilevskiyT-Mobile Arena18,31735–17–373
56February 21Anaheim Ducks6–1VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09236–17–375
57February 23Buffalo Sabres5–6OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09236–17–476
58February 25@ Detroit Red Wings3–0VasilevskiyLittle Caesars Arena19,51537–17–478
59February 26@ Pittsburgh Penguins3–7ElliottPPG Paints Arena17,69137–18–478
60February 28Florida Panthers1–4VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09237–19–478 :
March: 7–7–2, 16 points (Home: 4–2–2; Road: 3–4–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
61March 2Pittsburgh Penguins4–5OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09237–19–579
62March 4@ Buffalo Sabres3–5ElliottKeyBank Center19,07037–20–579
63March 5@ Carolina Hurricanes0–6VasilevskiyPNC Arena18,96537–21–579
64March 7Philadelphia Flyers5–2VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09238–21–581
65March 9Vegas Golden Knights3–4OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09238–21–682
66March 11Chicago Blackhawks3–1ElliottAmalie Arena19,09239–21–684
67March 12Winnipeg Jets2–3VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09239–22–684
68March 14@ New Jersey Devils4–1VasilevskiyPrudential Center15,62240–22–686
69March 16@ New Jersey Devils4–3SOVasilevskiyPrudential Center16,09441–22–688
70March 18Montreal Canadiens5–3ElliottAmalie Arena19,09242–22–690
71March 19New Jersey Devils2–5VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09242–23–690
72March 21@ Montreal Canadiens2–3VasilevskiyBell Centre21,10542–24–690
73March 23@ Ottawa Senators2–7ElliottCanadian Tire Centre16,13342–25–690
74March 25@ Boston Bruins1–2VasilevskiyTD Garden17,85042–26–690
75March 28@ Carolina Hurricanes4–0VasilevskiyPNC Arena18,68043–26–692
76March 30Washington Capitals5–1VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09244–26–694 :
April: 2–4–0, 4 points (Home: 2–1–0; Road: 0–3–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
77April 1New York Islanders5–0VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09245–26–696
78April 5@ New York Rangers3–6VasilevskiyMadison Square Garden18,00645–27–696
79April 6@ New York Islanders1–6ElliottUBS Arena17,25545–28–696
80April 8@ Ottawa Senators4–7ElliottCanadian Tire Centre19,04445–29–696
81April 11Toronto Maple Leafs3–4VasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,09245–30–696
82April 13Detroit Red Wings5–0ElliottAmalie Arena19,09246–30–698 :
Lightning score listed first;
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point) :

### Playoffs

2023 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Eastern Conference First Round vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A2) - Toronto wins series 4–2
GameDateOpponentScoreOTDecisionLocationAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 18@ Toronto Maple Leafs7–3VasilevskiyScotiabank Arena19,0131–0
2April 20@ Toronto Maple Leafs2–7VasilevskiyScotiabank Arena19,1281–1
3April 22Toronto Maple Leafs3–4OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0921–2
4April 24Toronto Maple Leafs4–5OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0921–3
5April 27@ Toronto Maple Leafs4–2VasilevskiyScotiabank Arena19,6632–3
6April 29Toronto Maple Leafs1–2OTVasilevskiyAmalie Arena19,0922–4 :
Lightning score listed first;
  Win
  Loss
  If necessary :

## Player stats

Final

### Skaters

Regular season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Nikita Kucherov | 82 | 30 | 83 | 113 | −2 | 36 |
| Brayden Point | 82 | 51 | 44 | 95 | 2 | 7 |
| Steven Stamkos | 81 | 34 | 50 | 84 | −5 | 46 |
| Brandon Hagel | 81 | 30 | 34 | 64 | 23 | 54 |
| Alex Killorn | 82 | 27 | 37 | 64 | 18 | 45 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | 79 | 10 | 54 | 64 | 13 | 53 |
| Victor Hedman | 76 | 9 | 40 | 49 | 10 | 42 |
| Nick Paul | 80 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 11 | 33 |
| Ross Colton | 81 | 16 | 16 | 32 | −8 | 50 |
| Anthony Cirelli | 58 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 13 | 33 |
| Corey Perry | 81 | 12 | 13 | 25 | −28 | 95 |
| Nick Perbix | 69 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 11 | 22 |
| Ian Cole | 78 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 61 |
| Erik Cernak | 70 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 53 |
| Vladislav Namestnikov$^‡$ | 57 | 6 | 9 | 15 | −2 | 19 |
| Patrick Maroon | 80 | 5 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 150 |
| Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 73 | 4 | 9 | 13 | −9 | 34 |
| Zach Bogosian | 46 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −4 | 42 |
| Tanner Jeannot$^†$ | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −6 | 22 |
| Cal Foote$^‡$ | 26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 28 |
| Darren Raddysh | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −4 | 4 |
| Philippe Myers | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Michael Eyssimont$^†$ | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −3 | 22 |
| Cole Koepke | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −5 | 2 |
| Balcers Rudolfs$^†$ | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Haydn Fleury | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −10 | 14 |
| Gabriel Fortier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Barre-Boulet | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Anthony Cirelli | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Nikita Kucherov | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Alex Killorn | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Perry | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| Brandon Hagel | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steven Stamkos | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 9 |
| Brayden Point | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 |
| Ross Colton | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Ian Cole | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −2 | 4 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −4 | 16 |
| Nick Perbix | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Victor Hedman | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Darren Raddysh | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −3 | 2 |
| Michael Eyssimont | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Nick Paul | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 2 |
| Patrick Maroon | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| Zach Bogosian | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Tanner Jeannot | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 5 |
| Haydn Fleury | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erik Cernak | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |

### Goaltenders

Regular season :
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 60 | 60 | 3597 | 34 | 22 | 4 | 159 | 2.65 | 1875 | .915 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brian Elliott | 22 | 22 | 1325 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 75 | 3.40 | 689 | .891 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 6 | 6 | 388 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 3.56 | 184 | .875 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
$^†$Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Tampa Bay. Stats reflect time with Tampa Bay only. $^‡$Traded from Tampa Bay mid-season. Bold/italics denotes franchise record

## Suspensions/fines

| Player | Explanation | Length | Salary | Date issued |
| Patrick Maroon | Fined for Unsportsmanlike Conduct during the game against the Washington Capitals on November 11, 2022, at Capital One Arena. | — | $2,702.70 | November 11, 2022 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | Fined for slashing Michael Bunting during the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 20, 2022, at Scotiabank Arena. | — | $5,000 | December 21, 2022 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | Fined for roughing Conor Garland during the game against the Vancouver Canucks on January 12, 2023, at Amalie Arena. | — | $5,000 | January 13, 2023 |
| Ian Cole | Fined for kneeing Andrew Cogliano during the game against the Colorado Avalanche on February 9, 2023, at Amalie Arena. | — | $5,000 | February 10, 2023 |
| Erik Cernak | Suspended for elbowing Kyle Okposo during the game against the Buffalo Sabres on February 23, 2023, at Amalie Arena. | 2 games | $31,892 | February 24, 2023 |
| Alex Killorn | Fined for slashing Igor Shesterkin during the game against the New York Rangers on April 5, 2023, at Madison Square Garden. | — | $5,000 | April 6, 2023 |

## Awards and honours
### Awards

Regular season :
| Player | Award | Awarded |
| Nikita Kucherov | 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game | January 5, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | NHL Third Star of the Week | January 16, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game | January 19, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | NHL Second Star of the Week | January 23, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | NHL Third Star of the Week | January 30, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | NHL First Star of the Week | April 3, 20223 |
| Steven Stamkos | 2023 Mark Messier Leadership Award | June 26, 2023 |

### Milestones

Regular season :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Cole Koepke | 1st career NHL game | October 11, 2022 |
| Victor Hedman | 900th career NHL game | October 14, 2022 |
| Nick Perbix | 1st career NHL game | October 18, 2022 |
| Nick Perbix | 1st career NHL point 1st career NHL assist | October 26, 2022 |
| Cal Foote | 100th career NHL game | November 3, 2022 |
| Nick Perbix | 1st career NHL goal | November 5, 2022 |
| Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 600th career NHL game | November 8, 2022 |
| Cole Koepke | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point | November 13, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | 500th career NHL assist | November 15, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | 1000th career NHL point | December 1, 2022 |
| Corey Perry | 1200th career NHL game | December 5, 2022 |
| Nick Paul | 100th career NHL point | December 10, 2022 |
| Nikita Kucherov | 400th career NHL assist | December 13, 2022 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | 200th career NHL point | December 13, 2022 |
| Anthony Cirelli | 300th career NHL game | December 15, 2022 |
| Brayden Point | 400th career NHL point | December 22, 2022 |
| Ian Cole | 700th career NHL game | December 28, 2022 |
| Nikita Kucherov | 600th career NHL game | January 6, 2023 |
| Brandon Hagel | 100th career NHL point | January 10, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | 500th career NHL goal 11th career NHL Hattrick | January 18, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 250th career NHL win | January 24, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 400th career NHL game | January 27, 2023 |
| Vladislav Namestnikov | 600th career NHL game | February 6, 2023 |
| Patrick Maroon | 700th career NHL game | February 9, 2023 |
| Victor Hedman | 500th career NHL assist | February 11, 2023 |
| Brayden Point | 200th career NHL goal | February 21, 2023 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 30th career NHL shutout | February 25, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | 700th career NHL point | February 26, 2023 |
| Brandon Hagel | 200th career NHL game 2nd career NHL Hattrick | March 18, 2023 |
| Alex Killorn | 800th career NHL game | April 1, 2023 |
| Darren Raddysh | 1st career NHL point 1st career NHL assist | April 1, 2023 |
| Darren Raddysh | 1st career NHL goal | April 5, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | 1000th career NHL game | April 6, 2023 |
| Brian Elliott | 45th career NHL shutout | April 13, 2023 |
Playoffs :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Nick Perbix | 1st career playoff game 1st career playoff assist 1st career playoff point | April 18, 2023 |
| Darren Raddysh | 1st career playoff game | April 18, 2023 |
| Michael Eyssimont | 1st career playoff game | April 18, 2023 |
| Darren Raddysh | 1st career playoff goal 1st career playoff point | April 22, 2023 |
| Michael Eyssimont | 1st career playoff goal 1st career playoff assist 1st career playoff point | April 27, 2023 |
| Darren Raddysh | 1st career playoff assist | April 29, 2023 |

### Records

Regular season :
| Player | Record | Reached |
| Steven Stamkos | Most seasons played by a Tampa Bay Lightning player in franchise history. Stamkos moved past Vincent Lecavalier (14). | October 11, 2022 |
| Victor Hedman | Tied for second most seasons played by a Tampa Bay Lightning player in franchise history. Hedman tied Vincent Lecavalier (14). | October 11, 2022 |
| Victor Hedman | Fourth player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to play 900 career games with it. | October 14, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | Second most assists in Tampa Bay Lightning history, which passed Vincent Lecavalier (491). | October 15, 2022 |
| Brayden Point | Ninth most points in Tampa Bay Lightning history, which passed Vaclav Prospal (371). | October 21, 2022 |
| Mikhail Sergachev | Most points in a single period by a defenseman in Tampa Bay Lightning history and tied most in NHL history (4). | November 14, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 500 career assists with the team. | November 15, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | First player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 1000 career points with the team. | December 1, 2022 |
| Alex Killorn | Eighth most assists in Tampa Bay Lightning history, which passed Vaclav Prospal (244). | December 10, 2022 |
| Alex Killorn | Seventh most points in Tampa Bay Lightning history, which passed Ondrej Palat (423). | December 10, 2022 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Eighth most games played in Tampa Bay Lightning history, which passed Tyler Johnson (589) | December 13, 2022 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Fifth Player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 400 career NHL assists. | December 13, 2022 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Fastest player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 400 career NHL assists. | December 13, 2022 |
| Steven Stamkos | Second longest point streak in Tampa Bay Lightning history (14 games). | December 13, 2022 |
| Brayden Point | Most consecutive home games with a goal in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Point moved past Nikita Kucherov for the record (7 games) | December 31, 2022 |
| Victor Hedman | Third most assists in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Hedman moved past Vincent Lecavalier (491) for the record. | January 3, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | First player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 500 career goals with the team. Stamkos was also the twenty-third player to record all 500 goals with the same franchise. | January 18, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | Eighth player in NHL History to record a hattrick during the game in which they record their 500th career goal. Stamkos is also the only player in franchise history to do so. | January 18, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | Most 20 goal seasons in Tampa Bay Lightning history. This moved Stamkos past Vincent Lecavalier (12) for the record. | January 18, 2023 |
| Brayden Point | Eighth most points in Tampa Bay Lightning history. This moved Point past Ondrej Palat for the record (423). | February 7, 2023 |
| Victor Hedman | Third player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 500 career NHL assists with the team. Hedman was the first defensemen in team history to reach this milestone. | February 11, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | First player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record three 60 assist seasons with the team. This moved him past Martin St. Louis (2) for the record. | February 24, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Fourth player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 700 career points with the team. | February 26, 2023 |
| Alex Killorn | Fifth player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 800 career games played with the team. | April 1, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Third most points in a single season in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov moved past Steven Stamkos (106) this day. | April 5, 2023 |
| Steven Stamkos | Second player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to play in 1000 career games with the team. | April 6, 2023 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Second most points in a single season in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Kucherov moved past Vincent Lecavalier (108) this day. | April 8, 2023 |
| Victor Hedman | Third most games played in Tampa Bay Lightning history. Hedman moved past Martin St. Louis (972) this day. | April 8, 2023 |
| Victor Hedman | Tied for tenth most goals in Tampa Bay Lightning history. This tied Hedman with Ondrej Palat (143). | April 8, 2023 |
| Brayden Point | Third player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to score 50 goals in a single season. Point also tied Steven Stamkos for the third most goals in a single season by a Lightning player. | April 13, 2023 |
| Brayden Point | Ninth most assists in Tampa Bay Lighting history, which passed Vaclav Prospal (244). | April 13, 2023 |

## Transactions

The Lightning have been involved in the following transactions during the 2022–23 season.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08) | To Los Angeles Kings4th-round pick in 2022 6th-round pick in 2022 | To Tampa Bay Lightning3rd-round pick in 2022 |
| February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) | To Nashville PredatorsCal Foote 1st-round pick in 2025 2nd-round pick in 2024 3rd-round pick in 2023 4th-round pick in 2023 5th-round pick in 2023 | To Tampa Bay LightningTanner Jeannot |
| March 1, 2022 (2022-03-01) | To San Jose SharksVladislav Namestnikov | To Tampa Bay LightningMikey Eyssimont |

### Free agents

| Date | Player | Team | Contract term |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Felix Robert | from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 2-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Ian Cole | from Carolina Hurricanes | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Vladislav Namestnikov | from Dallas Stars | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Haydn Fleury | from Seattle Kraken | 2-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Charles Hudon | to Colorado Avalanche | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Anthony Richard | to Montreal Canadiens | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Jan Rutta | to Pittsburgh Penguins | 3-year |
| July 14, 2022 (2022-07-14) | Ondrej Palat | to New Jersey Devils | 5-year |
| July 19, 2022 (2022-07-19) | Alex Green | to Laval Rocket | 1-year |
| July 25, 2022 (2022-07-25) | Trevor Carrick | from Anaheim Ducks | 1-year |
| August 26, 2022 (2022-08-26) | Remi Elie | to Färjestad BK | 1-year |
| August 31, 2022 (2022-08-31) | Odeen Tufto | to Tucson Roadrunners | 1-year |
| September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07) | Tye Felhaber | to Fort Wayne Komets | 1-year |
| September 15, 2022 (2022-09-15) | Riley Nash | to Charlotte Checkers | 2-year |
| October 9, 2022 (2022-10-09) | Pierre-Cedric Labrie | from Syracuse Crunch | 1-year |
| May 10, 2022 (2022-05-10) | Matt Tomkins | from Farjestad BK | 2-year |
| June 5, 2023 (2023-06-05) | Waltteri Merela | from Tappara | 1-year |
| June 5, 2023 (2023-06-05) | Emil Lilleberg | from IK Oskarshamn | 2-year |

### Waivers

| Date | Player | Team | Ref |
| November 12, 2022 (2022-11-12) | Rudolfs Balcers | from Florida Panthers | |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Contract term |
| July 11, 2022 (2022-07-11) | Maxime Lagace | 1-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Mikhail Sergachev | 8-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Anthony Cirelli | 8-year |
| July 13, 2022 (2022-07-13) | Erik Cernak | 8-year |
| July 23, 2022 (2022-07-23) | Lucas Edmonds | 3-year |
| August 26, 2022 (2022-08-26) | Philippe Myers | 1-year |
| January 2, 2022 (2022-01-02) | Nick Perbix | 2-year |
| March 21, 2022 (2022-03-21) | Max Crozier | 2-year |
| May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01) | Maxim Groshev | 3-year |
| May 5, 2022 (2022-05-05) | Mikey Eyssimont | 2-year |
| June 15, 2023 (2023-06-15) | Cole Koepke | 1-year |

## Draft picks

Below are the Tampa Bay Lightning's selections at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, which was held on July 7 and 8, 2022, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 31 | Isaac Howard | LW | United States | U.S. National Development Program (USHL) |
| 3 | 86$^1$ | Lucas Edmonds | RW | Sweden | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
| 5 | 160 | Nick Malik | G | Czech Republic | KooKoo (Liiga) |
| 6 | 192 | Connor Kurth | RW | United States | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) |
| 7 | 223$^3$ | Dyllan Gill | D | Canada | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 224 | Klavs Veinbergs | LW | Latvia | HK Riga (MHL) |
Notes:
* The Pittsburgh Penguins' third-round pick went to the Tampa Bay Lightning as the result of a trade on July 8, 2022, that sent Chicago's fourth-round pick and Detroit's sixth-round pick both in 2022 (103rd and 169th overall) to Los Angeles in exchange for this pick.
* The New York Rangers' seventh-round pick will go to the Tampa Bay Lightning as the result of a trade on July 17, 2021, that sent Barclay Goodrow to New York in exchange for this pick.