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Jonas Johansson, Tampa Bay Lightning (Photo by Mike Carlson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Takeaways From the Lightning’s Opening Preseason Games

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Harrison Smajovits | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 3:20 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning have taken the first two preseason games so far. While the actual final score won’t tell you much, the players behind the action do.

Let’s take a look at three takeaways from the first two games of the preseason. We’ll see how chemistry is building, how the roster could shake out with Nick Paul being absent, and take a look at the goaltending situation.

Chaffee and Geekie Appear to Work Well Together

These two aren’t projected to play on the same line together during the regular season, but they’ve shown good chemistry in the early games of the preseason.

In the preseason opener in Raleigh on Monday, both picked up an assist on Emil Lilleberg’s goal to open the scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes. The following score featured Conor Geekie assisting on Mitchell Chaffee’s power-play goal, which made it 2-0.

Neither saw action in Tuesday’s preseason game against the Nashville Predators, so feel free to take the observation that’s based on one game with a grain of salt. However, the first impression was good.

The two got on the scoresheet just once last season when Geekie assisted on a goal from Chaffee on Nov. 21 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both fed off the core members of the team last season, but it’s promising that they could work well together.

When a team is looking for ways to find depth across all four lines, this could bring them an opportunity to find it.

Johansson’s Performance Will Be on Watch

I don’t think it’s time to panic about Andrei Vasilevskiy yet. The Lightning should choose to be overly cautious with him, even if it means he’s absent from practice for a bit (from ‘Biggest preseason question for Lightning: Will Vasilevskiy be ready?’, Tampa Bay Times, Sept. 21, 2025).

That being said, the longer he’s out, the more we need to pay attention to how the backup is looking. It wouldn’t be the first time that Jonas Johansson has held down the fort. He did in tandem with Matt Tomkins over the first 20 games of the 2023-24 season.

He is certainly going to be entrusted to do it again, if need be.

In his lone appearance of the preseason so far, he saved 29 of 30, with the only goal coming on the power play. It helps to see him play out of the gate early, mainly because his performance last preseason was a concern.

We’ll see others, too, to see who could help fill in. Brandon Halverson played in the Predators game on Tuesday. Maybe we see Harrison Meneghin at some point. Just in case, it can’t hurt to review all your options.

The Lightning Are Done Looking at O’Reilly (For Now)

This one isn’t from the first two games, per se, but it’s related. The Lightning made 10 cuts from the training camp roster, including recently acquired prospect forward Sam O’Reilly. He’s been assigned to the London Knights, his junior team.

It feels a little quick, but it shows that they want to see more from some other prospects during preseason. For example, Jack Finley, Dylan Duke and Ethan Gauthier stuck around through the wave of cuts.

As they search for someone to help fill out the offense while Nick Paul is out, O’Reilly has been ruled out. He could make an appearance this season, but the Lightning are focusing on those with more experience. Finley and Duke have spent time in the American Hockey League (AHL) and have both made their NHL debuts. Gauthier has played a handful of AHL games, so he’s a step further than O’Reilly just on that experience alone.

Jakob Pelletier is also looking like a potential option with more NHL experience who could get a shot. Along with O’Reilly, he had a goal in the win over the Predators.

While some would like to see the Isaac Howard trade piece be in the NHL, his assignment helps paint a better picture of who the Lightning think is the closest to being ready for NHL action.