The Tampa Bay Lightning, grappling with numerous player injuries, have made roster adjustments ahead of their game against the New Jersey Devils. They recalled defensemen Declan Carlile and Steven Santini from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and activated forward Dominic James from injured reserve while placing defenseman Maxwell Crozier on the injured list. This brings the active roster to 13 forwards and 8 defensemen, with one of the newly recalled defensemen likely to play. Carlile, in particular, has shown significant offensive improvement in the AHL this season, leading his team in scoring among defensemen.

By the NumbersDeclan Carlile has scored 2 goals and 10 points in 15 AHL games, leading his team by 4 points.Steven Santini has played 10 NHL games since 2019, with 6 goals and 21 points in 71 games with the Lightning. State of PlayThe Lightning are currently managing multiple injuries, affecting their lineup depth.Tonight’s game will test the performance of newly recalled players in a critical matchup. What’s Next

Following tonight’s game, it remains to be seen whether Carlile or Santini will solidify their place in the Lightning’s lineup. Continued evaluation of players on the injured reserve may lead to further roster changes as the season progresses.

Bottom Line

The Lightning’s injury woes necessitate strategic roster moves, potentially impacting their performance in upcoming games. Monitoring the effectiveness of their recalled players will be key to maintaining competitive momentum.