Insider: Lightning “Want To Strike” At Trade Deadline

The Tampa Bay Lightning currently sit third in the NHL in goal scoring, at 3.54 goals per game. In addition, their +44 goal differential is second in the Eastern Conference, and third overall in the league. But don't let that fool you. According to a recent report from insider Elliotte Friedman, the Bolts are looking for some more scoring help.

I heard Tampa is really, really looking for a forward... They are not going to sit pat. I have too many people telling me that the Lightning are active and they want to strike.

The Lightning already tried to "strike" with a pitch to land UFA Brandon Saad after his contract termination in St. Louis. But the seven-time 20-goal scorer shunned Tampa, along with a few other teams, to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights.

And so, the Lightning's search continues. They've also been linked to the Buffalo Sabres' Alex Tuch, another impact offensive player.

You might say that any team with superstar Nikita Kucherov firing on all cylinders is going to be fine on offense. In fact, when the Russian Rifle has multiple points in a game this season, the Bolts are 18-3-1. Which means when he has just one point or none, they are a less-than-stellar 13-17-3.

Obviously, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel are no slouches either. But there's no doubting that there are some glaring holes in the bottom-six.

Overall, the Lightning are currently on a roll, with a four-game winning streak, launching them back into third place in the Atlantic Division, four points up on the Ottawa Senators, and just two points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But some secondary scoring depth will be needed if they are to be a serious contender in the East.