Ryan McDonagh is picking up where he left off, adding dependability to Lightning blue line

This summer, Ryan McDonagh was laser-focused heading into training camp, the fifteenth of his career.

A few months prior, the then Nashville Predators defenseman was notified that he would be returning to Tampa Bay, after the Lightning acquired him for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Getting an opportunity to play with the Lightning organization again, a place he won two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, was a responsibility he didn’t take lightly. “When an organization puts their faith back in you, that speaks a lot to me,” McDonagh said this summer.

In his first stint, McDonagh played five seasons with the organization and was a fundamental piece to their success. When Tampa traded him to Nashville on July 3, 2022, after the Lightning competed in their third straight Stanley Cup Final, the team was never the same. What McDonagh brings to the group isn’t always seen on a stat sheet, but when you ask the players, they’ll tell you he does everything for them.

The Lightning missed his dependability on the blue line, and with his return the group is picking up right where they left off.

“It’s been awesome. The transition coming back has gone better than I could have imagined,” said McDonagh. “The kids being in school and back living in the same area that we did before, being around the guys and just having the same staff here pretty much as when I left… It feels just like I almost never left to a degree.”

With the Tampa Bay community hurting after hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the area, the Lightning started off their season under unique circumstances.

In their home opener, the players wanted to give the fans a small sense of relief during a difficult time. For McDonagh, it was also his first game back at Amalie Arena, a place he held so many great memories.

“This place is obviously very special for myself and my wife with two of our kids being born here. That first game back was a great feeling,” said McDonagh.

Since returning, McDonagh has been paired up with right-shot defenseman Erik Cernak. Lightning fans remember the chemistry the two players had when they won two Stanley Cups together.

“It's been good confidence-wise, just being able to come in and play my game and being paired with Cerny obviously helps with our chemistry, especially with our history together,” said McDonagh.

“We just kind of feed off each other really well, we know what to expect from one another, and take a lot of pride in being tough to play against out there.”

The feeling is mutual. Cernak feels a sense of relief having McDonagh back on the ice, and it’s elevated his game in the process.

“It feels like he never left. I think the chemistry is still there between he and I,” said Cernak. “He's a great defenseman and overall leader, so he's always talking on the ice, letting you know what's going on. It’s easy to follow him and Heddy. Those two are the best.”

If you were to walk through the Lightning locker room on any given day, the players will unanimously tell you that McDonagh brings a sense of calmness to their team. He provides a level of sureness, that no matter what happens during a game, they always have a chance to win.

“You have that extra confidence when specific players are on the ice, Mac is one of them,” said Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

“He’s a big part of our team, a veteran, smart, big, always fearlessly blocking… he’s basically stealing my job on the ice blocking almost every shot. He’s a great human being too. A big leader in the locker room, just leading by example. He’s out there doing his best job. Guys have so much energy because of him.”

A main focus this summer for Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois was to improve the number of goals they were allowing in the back of their net. For all of their offensive star power, the Lightning find the most success when they are defending well. It’s what led them to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.

“In past years when we've won, we've been tough to play against defensively,” said McDonagh. “We have plenty of skill offensively to get enough chances, while playing well defensively. I think we've had some buy-in there. We've had some good accountability meetings, of looking at things and situations where we needed to be better defensively, and it's helped our game.”

“I mean, we're still having a blast and scoring enough goals to win games, but it’s the goals against that we’re keeping down and it's a good sign for us as we get through the thick of the season.”

Since walking in the door this summer, the goal has always been to get back to championship-level hockey and McDonagh made that clear at Lightning media day in September. He’s a player that takes pride in his game and the standard he sets for himself carries over to the rest of his team. So far this season, he sixth in the NHL with a plus-22 rating.

“It's been unreal,” Anthony Cirelli said of having McDonagh back. “Mac is just a warrior out there. He has a calmness to his game, and he's always in the right spots. He's always kind of been that guy on the ice, who’s talkative and trying to let guys know where to go. He's just great.”

“He's a guy that does everything for us, and he's a great leader, he's won with us. He’s been in the league for a while, and everyone looks up to him. He just gives us a calmness in the room, and he’s someone that you're willing to go to battle for.”