Tampa Bay Lightning aiming for another Stanley Cup with aging group of core players

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — 50-26-6, second in Atlantic Division, lost in first round of playoffs.

COACH: Jon Cooper (15th season, 622-332-89).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 1 at New York Rangers.

DEPARTURES: F Oliver Bjorkstrand, D Declan Carlile, F Nick Paul, F Corey Perry, D Darren Raddysh.

ADDITIONS: D John Carlson, F Ilya Mikheyev, G Dennis Hildeby, F Jeffrey Viel.

GOALIES: Andrei Vasilevsiiy (39-15-4, 2.31 goals-against average, .912 save percentage) Dennis Hildeby (5-7-4, 2.86, .914).

After a fourth consecutive first-round playoff exit, there were some changes to the roster including the 36-year old Carlson, who signed a two-year contract after having 60 points (14 goals, 46 assists) for the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks last season. Carlson has 785 points (170 goals, 615 assists) in 1,159 regular-season games, the fifth-most points among active defensemen.

With 2025-26 Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov, an elite goalie in Vasilevsiiy, defenseman Victor Hedman leading the charge and a deep group of forwards on the roster, Tampa Bay is looking for another run to the Stanley Cup.

The good: Kucherov is one of the five best forwards in the NHL. Jake Guentzel (38 goals, 50 assists) is a steady presence on the top line and Brandon Hagel (36 goals, 38 assists last season) is a rising star. Vasilevskiy just picked up his second Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the league.

The not-so-good: The core group of defensemen (Hedman, Carlson and Ryan McDonagh) are all 35 or older and need to stay healthy for a full season. Brayden Point was limited to 63 games and posted one of the worst statistical seasons of his career (18 goals, 32 assists). Depth at center will be challenged early in the season with Yanni Gourde expected to miss two months and Dominic James likely out for most of October.

Kucherov is in the final year of his contract. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said both sides are committed to working out a long-term deal. The top six forwards are elite, but Tampa Bay needs some young prospects to emerge. Two top candidates are Conor Geekie and Sam O’Reilly, two former first-round picks acquired in trades over the past three seasons. Mikheyev has drawn rave reviews in camp and could be a big surprise.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

FILE - Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) skates with the puck during the second period against the Florida Panther in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stretches before Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Montréal Canadiens, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov yells after being knocked down during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Polo grew increasingly strong Tuesday and was forecast to gain more intensity as it skirted Mexico's southwestern coast as a Category 5 cyclone, weather experts said.

Polo was an “extremely dangerous” storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (266 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

It was centered 205 miles (330 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and stationary over the Pacific Ocean at midday. The hurricane center said it would send an aircraft into the storm to investigate.

Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes in a number of areas along the coast as Polo brushed along the coastline. Many residents of the region were on edge this week watching the rapidly intensifying hurricane plow by. In recent years, the Pacific coastal states of Guerrero and Oaxaca have been ravaged by powerful hurricanes walloping the coast, with a number of communities still picking up the pieces.

Heavy rain could produce flash flooding and mudslides. About 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain was forecast for Guerrero and Michoacán states, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco states.

On the forecast track, Polo was expected to remain offshore. Tropical-storm-force winds and rough surf generated by Polo could also affect the coast.

Category 5 is the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, reflecting that the storm’s maximum sustained winds exceed 157 mph (253 kph).

Tropical Storm Odalys was also in the Pacific Ocean but far from land. The cyclone was expected to become a hurricane sometime Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Odalys had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (105 kph).

In the Atlantic Ocean, Fay weakened to a tropical depression. Maximum sustained winds were down to 35 mph (56 kph) Tuesday and the system was far southwest of the Azores. Forecasters said it would be a remnant low later in the day.

No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has set a record for the longest a season has begun without a hurricane. The effects of this year’s El Nino crush storms before they get going.

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Fay, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Odalys, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This photo provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Polo intensifying in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (NOAA via AP)