The Tampa Bay Lightning will certainly be a team to keep an eye on this off-season. After losing in the first round in five games to the Florida Panthers, it is likely that they will be looking to improve their roster.

Strengthening their middle six should be a priority for the Lightning this off-season, and the Utah Mammoth have an interesting player worth considering in forward Matias Maccelli. 

Maccelli has been creating chatter in the rumor mill with the off-season here, just like he did leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline. After a tough 2024-25 that saw him receive multiple healthy scratches, there is no question that he could use a fresh start. 

In 55 games this campaign with Utah, Maccelli recorded eight goals, 18 points, and a minus-13 rating. While it was a rough season for the 2019 fourth-round pick, there is clear reason to believe that he can bounce back in the right situation.

Just back during the 2023-24 season with the Arizona Coyotes, Maccelli set career highs with 17 goals, 40 assists, and 57 points in 82 games. This was after he recorded 11 goals and 49 points in 64 games with the Coyotes in 2022-23. With numbers like these, Maccelli would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Lightning's top six and second power-play unit if he bounced back. 

When noting that Maccelli is also only 24 years old, it is hard not to feel optimistic that he can get things back on track. Due to this, he could be the perfect kind of forward for the Lightning to buy-low on and try to acquire from Utah. 

Panthers join Lightning and Penguins to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships Just a few years removed from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s dominant run of three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and back-to-back championships, the Panthers have done the same, beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 on Tuesday night in Sunrise.

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