Editing Tampa Bay Lightning (section)

====Decline (2007–2008)====
The Lightning struggled to maintain success during the [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08 campaign]]. Although the "Big 3" of [[Vincent Lecavalier]], [[Martin St. Louis]] and [[Brad Richards]], along with [[Václav Prospal|Vaclav Prospal]], had performed up to expectations, they had little consistent play from supporting players.

At the start of the All-Star Break on January 25, 2008, the Lightning had a 20–25–5 record, and with 45 points, were in last place in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference. Only the [[Los Angeles Kings]] had a lower point total at this time of the season, with 40 points.

On February 13, 2008, it was announced that Palace Sports & Entertainment had agreed to sell the Lightning to OK Hockey LLC, a group headed by [[Oren Koules]], a producer of the ''[[Saw (franchise)|Saw]]'' horror movies, and [[Len Barrie]], a former NHL player and real estate developer.

The Lightning were active during the trade deadline, similar to the previous season. More notable trades included Vaclav Prospal's trade to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect [[Alexandre R. Picard|Alexandre Picard]] and a conditional draft pick.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=354834&page=NewsPage&service=page|title=Lightning Acquire Conditional Draft Pick, AHL All-Star Defenseman From Philadelphia|website=NHL.com|access-date=March 10, 2025|date=February 25, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227195047/http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=354834&page=NewsPage&service=page|archive-date=December 27, 2008}}</ref> Additionally, former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist were traded to the [[Dallas Stars]] in exchange for goaltender [[Mike Smith (ice hockey, born 1982)|Mike Smith]] and forwards [[Jussi Jokinen]] and [[Jeff Halpern]], as well as a fourth-round draft pick in [[2009 NHL entry draft|2009]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=354950&page=NewsPage&service=page|title=Lightning Acquire Goaltender Mike Smith, Center Jeff Halpern, Left Wing Jussi Jokinen & fourth-Round Pick From Dallas|website=NHL.com|access-date=March 10, 2025|date=February 26, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227210136/http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=354950&page=NewsPage&service=page|archive-date=December 27, 2008}}</ref> [[Jan Hlaváč|Jan Hlavac]], a regular contributor, was also traded, moving to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a seventh-round pick in [[2008 NHL entry draft|2008]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lightning Acquire Seventh-Round Pick In 2008 From Nashville In Exchange For Jan Hlavac |url=http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=355022&page=NewsPage&service=page |website=NHL.com |access-date=March 10, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229085522/http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=355022&page=NewsPage&service=page |archive-date=February 29, 2008 |date=February 26, 2008}}</ref> Defenseman [[Dan Boyle (ice hockey)|Dan Boyle]] was re-signed to a six-year contract extension reportedly worth $40&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=3264930|title=Boyle signs six-year contract extension with Lightning|access-date=March 10, 2025|website=ESPN.com|date=February 26, 2008}}</ref>

However, after the trade deadline, the Lightning fared no better than they had throughout the entire season. After the February 26 trade deadline, the Lightning won only five games. Finishing with a 31–42–9 record, with 71 points, they had the highest chance of winning the top overall pick in the [[2008 NHL entry draft]] through the draft lottery, which they eventually won on April 7. They would use their first overall pick to select [[Steven Stamkos]] of the [[Ontario Hockey League]]'s [[Sarnia Sting]] who, like Lecavalier before, was expected to become a franchise cornerstone player for years to come.

The Lightning were the worst team on the road in the NHL, winning only 11 games. Another showing of the team's poor play was the difference from the previous season's success in the overtime/shootout periods. In the 2006–07 season, the Lightning had one of the best extra period records, winning 15 games in either overtime or the shootout. However, in the 2007–08 season, they won only three games, losing nine.

Vincent Lecavalier suffered a dislocated shoulder as the result of an open-ice hit from [[Matt Cooke]] of the [[Washington Capitals]] in the game before the season finale in Atlanta. Lecavalier, who planned on having arthroscopic wrist surgery after the season's ending, would undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder as well. Cooke was fined $2,500 by the NHL for the hit, as Lecavalier did not have possession of the puck at the time. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the season was Lecavalier's winning both the [[King Clancy Memorial Trophy]] and the [[NHL Foundation Player Award]] for work through his foundation, including a $3&nbsp;million pledge to [[All Children's Hospital]] in St. Petersburg, Florida, for what would become the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital.

Head coach [[John Tortorella]] was fired by the Lightning following their worst season since Tortorella was hired. At the time working as an NHL analyst for [[ESPN]], [[Barry Melrose]] stated on June 4 during an episode of ''[[Pardon the Interruption]]'' that he missed coaching and would entertain any NHL coaching offers. He stated, "I miss not having a dog in the fight."<ref>{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=Lightning hire Barry Melrose as coach |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20080624/News/605222060/SH/ |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223190115/https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20080624/News/605222060/SH/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> On June 23, ESPN reported Melrose had been chosen to be the head coach of the Lightning, beginning in 2008–09. The next day, the Lightning officially introduced him as their new head coach.