Over halfway through the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning stands atop the NHL, and have done so for the majority of the season. However, this fact does not mean the Bolts have had an easy path to victory. Some key players have various injuries this season, causing Coach Jon Cooper to scramble for replacements.
A long list of injuries has filled the team just 44 games into the season. It starts with players like defenseman Jake Dotchin and forward Cedric Paquette. Dotchin missed 11 games due to an undisclosed injury.