Victor Hedman is quickly putting together a solid comeback season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. From the jump, he was a solid defensive contributor, but he’s slowly started to get going offensively again.
After struggling to find the scoresheet in his first four games, he’s tallied four goals and two assists for six points over 10 games. He’s assembling a solid pace for himself, even in the context of his career.
One of those goals was a game-winner that came in overtime. His latest goal on Thursday night in the win over the Chicago Blackhawks, he picked up his first power-play goal of the season. Each one helps put the team closer to making that deficiency a strength again.
Hedman could very well be in for a strong comeback season, perhaps one that could even be worthy of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Pace indicates full return to form for Hedman
When looking at his pace over 14 games overall, Hedman is on an 84-game pace of 24 goals and 36 points. From a points perspective, it would be his fewest in a season since 2010-11. However, 24 goals would be a career high.
This includes his four games without a point to start the season. If the pace from his last games is used to determine the pace of the remainder of the season, he’d finish with 48 points, 32 of which would come from goals.
Now, in the long run, that might be a tad of a stretch to assume he’ll post 32 goals. He’s had just 20 goals in a season one time. But 48 points would be more than doable. Just two seasons ago, he finished with 66 points.
His career average for points in a season before 2025-26 was 49 points.
If he’s healthy and showing evidence of producing, there is little reason to doubt that he is still capable of reaching his usual career averages. In time, we’ll simply see some of the scoring shift from goals to assists.
Should he get back to form just one season later, he would fully fit the definition of someone who would receive the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. According to NHL.com, the award goes "to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
His sportsmanship goes without saying, but if anybody has shown perseverance and dedication, it’s certainly Hedman. To push hard enough to bounce back only makes it even more admirable.
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