Lightning to Face Predators, Panthers in Shortened 2026-27 Preseason
The Tampa Bay Lightning released their 2026-27 preseason schedule on Thursday, featuring just four games as the NHL transitions to an 84-game regular season under the league's new collective bargaining agreement.
Video Transcript
Frank, when you look at this, obviously for O'Reilly it's a great accomplishment.
still obviously not at the NHL level yet, but when you look at his future with Tampa Bay and, and what maybe might have been with the Oilers, how would you be feeling as the Edmonton Oilers front office right now?
I'd be concerned that I was put between a rock and a hard place last year.
Isaac Howard won the Holby Baker and wasn't going to sign, and you felt like you kind of had to pull the trigger and do something quickly.
And, you know, haste makes waste is the saying, and I think they were a little too quick to pull the trigger on O'Reilly.
Do I think he's going to be Cirelli?
I don't know.
He looked phenomenal at the Memorial Cup, looked great especially, mind you, he was the captain of the London Knights.
Came over via trade as part of a few significant deals the Kitchener Rangers made at the deadline.
So I'm interested to see how he adjusts.
I imagine he'll be playing a little bit in Syracuse next year, and Syracuse does a phenomenal job of developing players.
I mean, their organization is one of the more stable ones in the American Hockey League.
So assuming that he goes to Syracuse, gets a little bit more grit to his game, I, I could see him doing a lot of great things with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He's 6'1", he's 190, so a little bit lighter.
You put on a little muscle in the American Hockey League, go to the jungle, toughen yourself up, and he could make a dent for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
