We are now officially in September, which means hockey season is almost here. With this, most of the players who hit the free-agent market this off-season have been signed. However, there are still some interesting players available for the taking, and a former Tampa Bay Lightning forward is among them - Cam Atkinson.

Atkinson, 36, became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Lightning decided not to re-sign him. This was after the veteran forward appeared in 39 games this past season for the Lightning, where he posted four goals, five assists, nine points, and a minus-4 rating.

While Atkinson has yet to find his new home, the possibility of him landing a professional tryout (PTO) from another club should not be ruled out. This is especially so when noting that he is an experienced forward who has had plenty of past success at the NHL level. Thus, an NHL team could very well take a chance on him with a PTO or even a one-year, prove-it deal.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Atkinson from here. In 809 career games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Lightning, he has recorded 253 goals, 236 assists, and 489 points.

Lightning Defenseman Is Clear Breakout Candidate Each year, we see several players break out and cement themselves as true NHL players. This will undoubtedly occur during the 2025-26 season, and the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> have a promising breakout candidate in defenseman Max Crozier.