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Dec 9, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (21) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Lightning Forward's Olympic Status Unclear After Injury

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Seth Dowdle | Last updated Jan 14, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the midst of an 11-game winning streak that’s propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Still, despite that cheery news, some tribulation could be coming in the near future after head coach Jon Cooper announced that forward Brayden Point, one of the most integral pieces of the team’s blue line, will be week to week with a lower-body injury.

Point, who left the Lightning’s 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 12 after scoring a goal in the second period, was also set to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games with Team Canada. In fact, he was one of the first players named to the team back in June and also helped secure the country a first-place finish at last year’s 4 Nations Faceoff via a goal and an assist. But with this injury, it’s uncertain whether he’ll be healthy enough to play in Milan in February.

“This is definitely more than day to day, probably classified as week to week right now,” Cooper said prior to the Lightning’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins — a 2-1 triumph for Tampa Bay — on Jan. 13. “And I will sit here and say, hopefully, we averted what could have been really, really bad. But he’s going to be out for the time being now, and it’s unfortunate because the kid was really a big part of our team’s success here of late. But we’ll see. He’s got a little more time off here to heal, but hopefully in a few weeks he’ll be all right.”

Can Point Play in the Olympics?

While Cooper didn’t give any specific timeline for Point’s potential return, he did imply that it would be at least a couple of weeks before the 29-year-old forward from Calgary would be able to return to game action. All it would take is for Point to be available before Team Canada’s first game of the Olympics against Team Czechia on Feb. 12. Of course, Cooper, who also happens to be Canada’s head coach, would like his star forward to be at 100% prior to committing him to Milan’s potentially treacherous ice, so he’ll most likely need a game or two of action in the NHL before participating in the Olympics.

From a Lightning perspective, Cooper appeared to want Point to take it slow because, while his injury is certainly a negative, Tampa Bay has been operating at a high level without some of its star power for pretty much the entire season. The Lightning are already without three of their best defensemen in Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman and Emil Lilleberg. Losing Point isn’t great, but the team has managed thus far, and Cooper plans on that continuing to be the case.

“[Point’s] a really important player, but everybody’s got their roles,” Cooper said. “So it’s just … move guys around a little bit. Nobody’s going to completely replace him. … There are guys on our team that, you know, are probably jumping or itching for some more minutes anyway, so that’s going to come now. Like I said, this group has been a pretty resilient group so far. It should continue.”

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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