Za'Darius Smith just proved the Lions were right all along
After Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending broken leg last season, Za'Darius Smith quickly stood out as a potential edge rusher trade target for the Detroit Lions. A deal got done on trade deadline day, and after the season, general manager Brad Holmes openly talked about how arduous the process was.
Due in large part to how the contract he had with the Cleveland Browns was structured in terms of void years and timing of a big bonus payout, and apparently without being able to agree about a revision to that contract, the Lions waived Smith in March.
For months, as Holmes would get defiant about the perceived lack of attention to adding another capable edge rusher, the idea that Smith could return to the Lions lingered. It also started to become more unlikely.
In early September, Smith signed with a fellow NFC Super Bowl contender, the Philadelphia Eagles. Through six games in a part-time role (38 percent snap share), he showed he had plenty left in the tank (1.5 sacks, Pro Football Focus' 23rd-ranked edge rusher).
Brad Holmes' decision on Za'Darius Smith looks even more savvy now
Criticism of the Lions' decision not to bring Smith has been basically eliminated by the early-season performance of Al-Quadin Muhammad (4.5 sacks, 18 pressures) as a force opposite Hutchinson.
On Monday, out of nowhere, Smith announced his retirement via a post on Instagram.
Holmes at one point acknowledged he was maintaining some level of contact with Smith and/or his agent. Why Smith waited so long to sign with any team, even if he didn't come back to the Lions, was odd.
As an older player, he may have wanted to avoid as much of training camp as possible, if not all of it, and any team that tried to sign him possibly had to have the understanding he would not sign until he did.
The Eagles also played the Thursday night season opener, so signing him right after, like they did, allowed them to avoid guaranteeing his entire base salary for the season.
Beyond anyone's talent level, Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell want players who have full buy-in. If Smith didn't want to sign until the end of training camp or after roster cuts, or if he was willing to wait until after Week 1 with the guaranteed salary thing in mind, it may have landed wrong in Allen Park.
Holmes' instincts are as good as any general manager's in the league. So even if Smith didn't openly say retirement was somewhere on his mind, conversations could have offered hints he would do so if he didn't find the right team to sign with before the season. And six weeks in, he decided he didn't want to finish the season.
Holmes never seemed all that enthused about bringing Smith back to the Lions, whatever played into that. He now looks clairvoyant for having that hesitation, since he would now be searching for a replacement as the trade deadline fast approaches.
Tampa Bay HC Jon Cooper Reveals Key to Lightning’s Swift Surge
For the first few weeks of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t resemble the cup contender many now view them as. They didn’t even look like a team ready to stay afloat. A single victory in their first seven games of the 2025/26 season was one of the worst opening stretches in franchise history, and left the Lightning searching for answers.
Everything felt off for the Bolts. The structure wasn’t clean, the execution wasn’t crisp, the powerplay looked terrible, and the confidence that defined their championship years simply wasn’t there. Then, almost without warning, something flipped, and in just a month, Tampa Bay went from last to first in the Atlantic Division.
How Tampa Bay Pulled Off Their Midseason Surge
Since their terrible start, the Lightning have dominated the league with a 15–3–0 record in their last 18 games, and are now riding a season-high seven-game win streak at the top of the Atlantic Division.
They also have the top penalty kill in the NHL at an elite 88.5%, and the third best shooting percentage at 12.7%. Similar to how the Dallas Stars play, despite averaging one of the lowest shots on goal per game in the NHL at 26.2, they remain one of the league’s top-scoring teams by focusing on smart, high-percentage opportunities.
Despite some recent injury struggles, a lot has gone right for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy rhas returned to peak form, stopping scoring chances with highlight reel saves like they’re routine. Nikita Kucherov has found his MVP form with five straight multi-point games and a nine-game point streak. Brandon Hagel has caught fire too, scoring in five straight outings with multiple-goal performances in three of them.
Equally important is the play on the blue line. With major injuries to top defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak, Tampa’s young defenders have stepped up. JJ Moser is becoming essential to the Lightning’s blue line, and rookie Charle-Édouard D’Astous has received praise for his impressive poise and reliability.
Jon Cooper’s Message to His Players
At the center of everything remains Jon Cooper — arguably the best coach in the NHL and the league’s longest-tenured bench boss for a reason. During a recent pregame media scrum, Cooper was asked how he’s handled the early injury adversity and the Lightning’s sudden dominance after the shaky start. Part of his answer surprised some people.
“Probably a little bit of a mindset," Cooper said. "You’ve got a plethora of different players coming in, and young guys… it’s not next man up. Nobody is taking Hedman’s spot or McDonagh’s spot or Point’s spot. You can’t replace those guys. But the players coming up are showing us what they have, and they’re really excited to be here. You give them an assignment and they’re just going out and doing it.”
Cooper’s answer also reminded me of that well-known Pep Guardiola meme where he says, "We cannot replace him" (video below). It came to mind because the situation felt similar: some players simply can’t be replaced, and everyone around the team understands that.
Tampa Bay’s youth isn’t replacing its stars, they’re elevating around them.
“They’ve been a lot of fun to be around," Cooper said. "I don’t know how long this is gonna last, but the one thing is we’ll give you an honest effort. That’s what these guys are doing, and it’s working pretty well for us.”
The Lightning Are Only Looking Forward
Tampa Bay’s surge hasn’t been about one magic fix. It’s been a mix of star power heating up, young players proving they belong, and a coaching staff that knows how to steady the room when it matters. They’re starting to look like a team that understands exactly what it takes to grind through an 82-game season.
There’s still a long road ahead, and the Eastern Conference won’t make anything easy. But the Lightning have re-established their identity — disciplined, dangerous and fully invested. If they continue playing with this level of confidence and structure, they won’t just be climbing the standings. They’ll be shaping the race at the top.
A month ago, they were finding their footing. Now, they’re playing like a team that expects to win again. And that, for the rest of the league, is a problem.
