Editing Tampa Bay Lightning (section)

====Transition seasons (2011–2013)====
The Lightning finished the [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12 season]] with a 38–36–8 record. With only 84 points, they fell short of reaching the playoffs by eight points in the standings and ending the season third in the Southeast Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference. Individually, [[Steven Stamkos]] scored a franchise-record 60 goals. He won the [[Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy]] for the second time in his career. Stamkos was also second in the NHL in points with 97, and was a finalist for both the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] for the first time and the [[Ted Lindsay Award]] for the second consecutive season which both awards eventually going to [[Evgeni Malkin]] of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].

As with the [[1994–95 NHL lockout]], the [[2012–13 NHL lockout]] resulted in a 48-game season. Nearing the end of an 18–26–4 season for 40 points, in which the Lightning ended fourth in the division and 14th in the conference, general manager [[Steve Yzerman]] looked to their highly-successful [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) affiliate, the [[Syracuse Crunch]]. On March 25, 2013, head coach Guy Boucher was dismissed for following a 7–16–1 record.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Tampa Bay Lightning|date=March 24, 2013|access-date=March 25, 2013|title=Lightning Release Guy Boucher of Coaching Duties|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=661783}}</ref> The Lightning announced [[Jon Cooper (ice hockey)|Jon Cooper]] would become the eighth head coach in franchise history.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Tampa Bay Lightning|date=March 25, 2013|access-date=March 25, 2013|title=Lightning name Jon Cooper as head coach|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=662090}}</ref> [[Martin St. Louis]] won his second [[Art Ross Trophy]] with 60 points in the shortened season, as Stamkos finished runner-up 57.

On June 27, 2013, the team announced that they would exercise one of their two "[[compliance buyouts]]" on captain [[Vincent Lecavalier]], as permitted by the [[NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement|collective agreement]]. This move made Lecavalier an unrestricted free agent beginning July 5 of that year. The team stated the move was made not because of Lecavalier's play on the ice, but because of how his contract affected the team's salary cap, which would have been more than $7&nbsp;million per year until its expiration after the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Tampa Bay Lightning|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=June 27, 2013|title=Lightning To Use Compliance Buyout on Vincent Lecavalier|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=675430}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Tampa Bay Lightning|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=June 27, 2013|title=Analysis of Lecavalier Compliance Buyout|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=675431}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Tampa Bay Times|author=Damian Cristodero|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=June 27, 2013|title=Lightning plans Lecavalier buyout|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/lightning-starts-lecavalier-buyout-process/2128824/}}</ref>