Oliver Bjorkstrand, with Jon Cooper heading into a reset on the wing, now looks set to leave Tampa Bay.
That is the real development here. Julien BriseBois expects Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry to reach free agency, which means the Lightning are opening 2 forward spots at once.
Bjorkstrand is the bigger hockey loss on paper. He played 80 games in 2025-26 and finished with 12 goals and 32 points, giving Tampa Bay another right-shot winger who could help secondary scoring.
Those totals do not jump off the page, but they still matter on a team that got heavy production from its blue line and needed more support around the middle of the forward group. Tampa Bay is not waving off a spare part here.
Perry is a different case. He is 41 now, and his role was never built around carrying offense, but he still gave the Lightning 6 goals in 22 games and brought the usual net-front edge.
That is why this feels like a roster-shape story more than a simple cap story. BriseBois is choosing flexibility over keeping familiar veterans on the wing, and that usually means more moves are coming.
The other part of the update matters too. Tampa Bay is still in talks with Declan Carlile's camp, which tells you the club is more interested in holding its younger defensive depth than extending older forwards.
" Free agency update: #GoBolts GM Julien BriseBois expects forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry will hit the free agency market.
The team is still in talks with defenseman Declan Carlile's camp. "
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The Lightning's roster just took a major hit as two key players depart
Carlile is not a headline name, but he played 42 games and posted 3 points with a plus-5 rating in 2025-26. For a depth left-shot defenseman still trying to lock down his place, that is useful value.
And this is where BriseBois' plan starts to show. The Lightning can let Bjorkstrand and Perry test the market while still trying to keep a 26-year-old defender who costs less and fits a younger part of the roster timeline.
It also fits the bigger picture of how Tampa Bay has operated for years. Cooper's teams do not love carrying dead spots. They want role clarity, and right now the front office may believe those wing roles can be filled in a different way.
For Bjorkstrand, free agency should bring interest because teams still see a winger with 704 NHL games and 184 career goals. He may not be leaving off a spike year, but he is still established enough to help a top 9.
For Perry, the market will be about fit and appetite. Some club will want the voice, the battle level, and the willingness to live around the crease, even if the minutes stay lower.
For Tampa Bay, the takeaway is simple. Julien BriseBois is clearing space up front, keeping the line open on Declan Carlile, and making it clear the Lightning are not standing still on the roster edges.
Should the Lightning have tried harder to keep Oliver Bjorkstrand?
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