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One of the teams that is going to be worth keeping an eye on this offseason is the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Despite showing improvements during the 2024-25 season, finishing second in the Atlantic Division, the Lightning were unceremoniously roasted by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That leads to this summer, when the team will look to improve the roster. The problem is that Tampa has less than $2 million in cap space, according to CapWages. That doesn’t give general manager Julien BriseBois a lot of room to make big swings this offseason, which means the Lightning might look very similar in 2025-26.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk look at what the summer could behold for the Sunshine State’s other team.
Tyler Yaremchuk: They don’t have a lot of money, but they don’t have a lot of needs really, either. How do you view this Lightning team heading into the summer?
Frank Seravalli: I view this team as a good team, but a flawed team. I still think that they’re a team that, when they get to the playoffs, they are significantly outmatched in the bottom portion of their lineup. … Think about what has made Edmonton and Florida so special. Florida is arguably the best three-line team in the league. The Oilers run four lines. The Tampa Bay Lightning, I think, get thin in a hurry. They didn’t do themselves any favors with some of the injuries that popped up, and their list was incredibly long for a team that did not have a long playoff run. But that, to me, I think stands out as a key differentiator on both sides of the puck.
Their defense core also gets really thin in the bottom pair. Part of that’s just salary cap and the way that the team is structured. I don’t know their way around it. I don’t know that they’re going to solve for it. I think the early indication is that the Lightning are going to be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason to try and rejig things. I don’t know what they’re going to do.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…
More must-reads:
- Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
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- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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Sam Girard trade speculation continues
The Sam Girard trade speculation continues Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now: The Colorado Avalanche feel they have their No. 2 center in Brock Nelson. Gabriel Landeskog is training and not rehabbing this offseason. They do have some questions as to who will be their No. 3 center, and are there any depth options that they might be interested in adding? The Avalanche will likely continue looking at trading defenseman Sam Girard. The Avs brought in Ryan Lindgren at the trade deadline, and he was used on the second pairing. They weren’t able to re-sign him, and countered with adding Brent Burns. Girard’s role has reduced over the years, and they may not want to pay $5 million to someone who has seen their minutes decreasing. The Avs traded Charlie Coyle this offseason as they didn’t like the idea of paying that money to someone who is a third-line center. Could the Vancouver Canucks just wait and see what unfolds after the season starts to address their need at center? Sekeres and Price: Jeff Marek on the Sekeres and Price show talking about the Vancouver Canucks second-line center vacancy and how they could take a wait-and-see approach. “I know everybody wants everything done right away and wants everything settled before training camp, and we don’t want any competition for spots, and we know what the team is and, etc, etc, etc. I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t even be surprised if you know the Vancouver Canucks, and talks so much, and you guys have talked so much about the second line center position. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they just leave that cap space open and see how the chips fall after October and November. And see where the team is at, and see where the health is at, and see what emerges in the marketplace. Like, I don’t, I understand the anxiety if you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan, because you want to get back to the playoffs, you want to get back to having winning team. But I don’t know if I’m (Jim) Rutherford/(Patrik) Allvin here, maybe I’m saying, Listen, if I don’t have a deal that I like, what’s the hurry here?
Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Steelers Fans Watch As Stephen A. Smith Destroys George Pickens In Epic Rant: 'Pick Up A Book'
Now, the Steelers’ wide receiver room is in an interesting spot. With Pickens gone, Metcalf is the clear number one option, but there are questions about who will step up behind him. Meanwhile, Pickens seems to be enjoying his time in Dallas. He has taken a few subtle jabs at the Steelers, suggesting he is in a better place and even praising the Cowboys for their Super Bowl history. His comments have raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. One person who wasn’t impressed was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. During a passionate segment on First Take, Smith ripped into Pickens for his remarks about the Cowboys being a Super Bowl team. He reminded Pickens that the Steelers are the more successful franchise and questioned whether the receiver understood what he was saying. Smith didn’t hold back, calling on Pickens to "pick up a book" and making it clear that he found the comments not only disrespectful, but uninformed. "Let me pause for a second and look in the camera for a second at George Pickens," Smith said. "I like George Pickens. He can ball, and I am sorry that he is gone from the Steelers and has now been contaminated by that Dallas Cowboys fan base." Pickens’ comments were very interesting. It’s no secret he feels a certain way about how the Steelers traded him. He’s been trying to keep a positive mindset about his new situation in Dallas, but it’s clear he’s made it a priority to throw in a few subtle jabs. Pickens said he understands the camaraderie in Dallas more than he ever did with the Steelers. He also claimed the Cowboys are synonymous with Super Bowls, which was a controversial statement considering the Steelers have more championships all-time than Dallas. "Here’s the deal," Smith said. "George Pickens, do you have any idea? When you talk about the Super Bowl and the Cowboys, you do understand that the Steelers are the more successful franchise. Did you know that? Did you know that? Do you understand what the he** you are saying? I mean, my God, you talk about a brother who needs to pick up a book. I am sorry, but I just have to call him out on that." Smith made it very clear that he thinks Pickens is a great football player and that he’s still a fan of his, even though he’s no longer on the Steelers. When you consider what Pickens was able to accomplish during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, it’s impressive. He played in one of the worst offenses in the NFL, yet he still managed to produce and deliver some truly exciting moments despite the team’s struggles. Steelers Fans Still Curious About George Pickens Now he finds himself in a much better offensive situation in Dallas, but from a franchise and team standpoint, the Cowboys are in a worse position than the Steelers. That’s why Pickens’ recent comments didn’t make much sense and why Smith felt the need to call him out during his epic rant. Many Steelers fans remain divided on the Pickens trade. Although he’s no longer in Pittsburgh, a lot of fans will continue to keep tabs on how he performs with the Cowboys. Whether out of frustration, curiosity, or lingering support, Pickens' journey in Dallas will be closely watched by Steeler Nation.
Spurs risk roster issues with De'Aaron Fox extension
When the San Antonio Spurs traded for De'Aaron Fox midway through last season, their guard rotation appeared to be wide open. Stephon Castle was the only other long-term ball-handling prospect on the roster and, despite a strong year, was still a rookie. However, the NBA Draft has seen the addition of Dylan Harper, another young guard with All-Star potential, and the ability to one day lead the Spurs franchise next to Victor Wembanyama. Harper's addition and Castle's emergence as the 2025 Rookie of the Year raised questions about Fox's fit and long-term future in Texas. The problem was that Fox was eligible for an extension this summer. On Monday the Spurs inked Fox to a four-year $229M deal, with no player option for the final year. The new contract, which will see Fox earn approximately $57.25M per year, will kick in next summer. Suddenly, San Antonio has a young guard rotation of Harper, Castle and Fox, all of whom struggle to score on the perimeter, and have shown issues when letting shots fly off the dribble. "The Spurs already had two point guards who struggled from distance in Stephon Castle, whom they spent the No. 4 overall pick on in 2024, and De'Aaron Fox, whom they acquired in a deal with the Sacramento Kings ahead of the February trade deadline," Bryan Toporek wrote for Forbes on Saturday. "Castle shot 28.5% from deep on 4.1 attempts per game as a rookie, while Fox is a career 33.0% three-point shooter who has shot 32.5% or worse from downtown in five of his seven NBA seasons." Fox's new salary will ensure teams will think twice about trading for him. He is, after all, a high-level talent, but not one capable of spearheading a roster. In truth, San Antonio may have repeated the Chicago Bulls' error from when they paid Zach LaVine $215M over five years back in 2022. We saw how difficult it was for Chicago to move on from LaVine. Fox is a tertiary star on a contending roster. And now, he's being paid like one of the top talents in the NBA. The Spurs would have been wiser to cut their losses with Fox and build around Castle and Harper as their guard rotation. Still, the decision has been made, and Fox is now cemented as the lead guard for the next half a decade (once you include the upcoming season), giving Castle and Harper room to grow as two guards who can complement Fox's play style and add some grit or explosiveness to the rotation. San Antonio is a franchise that rarely puts a foot wrong. However, the decision to pay Fox may come back to haunt it as a costly misstep. In the modern NBA, you can't have three non-shooting guards in the same rotation. Yet, somehow, head coach Mitch Johnson must figure out how to make it work. Not the greatest task for a young coach heading into his first full season with the franchise.
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