Tampa Bay Lightning Steal Veteran Goaltender From LA Through Waivers
The Lightning are dealing with an unknown injury to their top goaltender, and now, they've used waivers to claim veteran Pheonix Copley as insurance.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are gearing up for another big season in the NHL, but heading into the 2025/26 campaign, they've got many more questions surrounding the team than they usually would.
One of those questions surrounds goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky, and while he's rejoined the team at practice ahead of their season opener, he's been dealing with plenty of injuries in recent years.
Tampa Bay Land Veteran Goalie Phoenix Copley on Waivers
As a result of that, the team have taken to waivers to land a solid insurance piece in Pheonix Copley, who was waived by the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday as one of 38 players placed on waivers.
The 33-year old appeared in just one NHL game a year ago, but with a 2.49 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 42 games with the AHL's Ontario Reign in 2024/25, he's shown that he can be a solid third goaltender for a team needing depth.
Obviously, the Lightning will be hoping they don't have to rely on Copley beyond Vasilevsky and Jonas Johansson, but if they do, having someone with 77 NHL games over the past decade under his belt isn't the worst idea.
Ultimately, Copley will provide good insurance for the Lightning as they look to get back into contention for a Stanley Cup, and at the end of the season, this could turn out to be a very solid, cheap pickup for the Lightning.
TRENDING NOW
