Jon Cooper recently referred to his team as a “Mash” unit. It would seem to be an apt term given he has had to dress 29 skaters through the first quarter of the season. No less than eight of them have missed at least two games due to injury.
The fact the Tampa Bay Lightning went 11-7-2 through the first 20 games is a testament to the culture in the room, albeit one that has been missing core players of late, including pillars and defensemen Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. Better now, though, than the last quarter of the season.
“The big thing here is the longevity and having him be better in the long run,” Cooper said of Hedman, who is at least a couple of weeks away from returning.
The rash of injuries has kept the transaction wire humming with several players shuttling back and forth from the club’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse. Among those who has admirably answered the bell is 27-year-old defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous, who signed a two-way deal in early May after spending last season with Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League. That followed a two-year stint in the Finnish Elite League during which he was named the circuit’s best defenseman in 2023-24.
D’Astous made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay on October 25 versus Anaheim and is one of three Bolts – also Jack Finley and Dominic James — to score his first career goal this season. He averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time in his first 11 games before logging 22-plus minutes Tuesday evening versus the Devils and again Thursday night against the Oilers.
“He’s a really heady player,” said Cooper, of the Quebec native, who played junior with Rimouski in his home province, and went undrafted. “There is no panic button with him. He has poise, composure and strength. Ninety-nine times out of 100 he makes the right play out of the zone. You can see he is a well-developed defenseman and you see why he won awards (in other leagues). He knows the game, is starting to figure (out the NHL) and it’s helping us.”
Help arrived in the form of forward Nick Paul, who missed the season’s first 19 games. A big body (6-4, 235) who can put the puck in the net, Paul was shelved after undergoing left wrist surgery in the preseason. He returned in a big-time way against Edmonton, recording each of his four hits in the first two periods before sending an eventual 2-1 win into overtime when he scored with 2:32 remaining in the third period for his 200th career point.
“It’s not easy jumping in 20 games (into the season),” said Paul, who scored 22 goals last season. “I wasn’t focused on scoring or being offensively productive. My job was to be a hard player out there making good plays, get in front (of the net). To (score) on top of doing all of that is huge.”
Though his absence was not on the order of Paul’s, center Anthony Cirelli nonetheless missed four games (upper body) before returning to the lineup in a 5-1 win against New Jersey and assisted on what proved to be the difference-making goal. Far above and beyond the score sheet, the veteran of 527 games in a Tampa Bay jersey personifies what his club is all about.
“I think the biggest thing is he’s an identity player,” said assistant coach Jeff Halpern, who was running the team in Cooper’s absence (personal) against the Devils. “Obviously, when you throw him back in the lineup, you get that model. I think he has that effect on everyone around him. Providing energy, tenacity and all that stuff, that’s how we want our team to play, like he plays.”
The Lightning, who have won 10 of 13, will continue to attempt the plow through the injury bug at Washington on Saturday before returning to Benchmark International Arena on Monday against the Flyers and Wednesday versus Calgary.
