It’s finally here, the 2020-21 NHL season is upon us. The Tampa Bay Lightning will get a chance, although an abbreviated one, to defend the Stanley Cup they won in the bubble last season. There will be new divisions, new rules (the Drouin Rule is in effect), baseball-style home series, and an extremely limited amount of fans in the building. For the most part the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the same, and that should lead to another sustained playoff run.
Despite having to jump through a series of financial hoops in order to end up with a roster under the salary cap, General Manager Julien BriseBois was able to return most of the players that raised the Cup last year.