Point Placed On Injured Reserve; O'Reilly Called Up
By Mike Smith | Thunderstruck Sports
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with an undisclosed injury sustained in Sunday's loss against Winnipeg. Bolts prospect Sam O'Reilly was called up from the Syracuse Crunch to replace Point as the team heads to play Buffalo tomorrow.
Point was riding a seven-game point-scoring streak heading into Winnipeg when he was sidelined in the first period after only 5:35 of ice time.
He currently has five goals and 11 assists for 16 points.
“Hopefully it's not too serious,” Cooper said of Point's injury following the loss to Winnipeg. “But unfortunately he might miss some time.”
Point was sidelined for 19 games in 2025-26 with a lower-body injury, which also kept him from representing Team Canada at the Winter Olympics in February.
He finished the 2025-26 season with 18 goals, 32 assists, and 50 points in 63 games, his lowest production in a full schedule since his rookie season in 2016-17 (18G, 22A, 40 pts in 68 games).
The mood regarding Point was far from upbeat when assistant coach Dan Hinote met with the media after practice on Tuesday with no real update.
“No, nothing like that," Hinote said. "Just probably what you guys (already) know.”
O'Reilly Called Up, Replacing Point
O'Reilly had an exceptionally good training camp in September, with a legitimate shot at making the opening-night roster. He recorded two assists during the preseason.
The Lightning decided to prioritize experience over youth to start the season, and the former first-round pick for the Edmonton Oilers was sent to the Lightning affiliate in Syracuse.
He currently has two goals and two assists in 12 games for the Crunch.
O'Reilly spent Tuesday's team practice working with the power play unit of Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, John Carlson, and Charle-Edouard D'Astous, filling the bumper role Point has normally had.
Despite being called up due to Point's injury, O'Reilly was naturally excited to make his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday night.
"I don't think anything really matches playing in the NHL, so it's obviously a dream come true," O'Reilly said. "And whenever the moment comes, it comes, and I've just gotta be ready for it."
His first call Monday night was to his mother.
“I called my mom. She was back home. Yeah, she was fired up,” O'Reilly said. “She didn't believe it at the start, and then I told her it was actually real, and she kind of lost it.”
The Lightning head to Buffalo to face the Sabres Wednesday night at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is at 7 pm.
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