Last week, Forbes released their 2018 NHL franchise valuations. The Tampa Bay Lightning currently sit 21st in that list, but had the fourth-highest year-over-year increase from 2017 to 2018. That’s an indication that the organization is financially healthy under the leadership of owner Jeff Vinik, and it’s an encouraging sign for the future — especially in the context of what it took to get to this point.
Historical context
The Tampa Bay Lightning have only existed as an NHL franchise for 26 years, but in that time, they’ve experienced more than their share of change.