Tomkins was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Wednesday.
Tomkins was with Tampa Bay because Jonas Johansson (lower body) has been unavailable. This roster move might indicate that Johansson is ready to return, but Tampa Bay is off until Thursday, so there would still be time for the Lightning to recall Tomkins or another netminder if that's not the case. The 30-year-old Tomkins has a 2.54 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 22 outings with Syracuse this season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Up from minors
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Tomkins was summoned from AHL Syracuse on Saturday.
Tomkins has a 2.54 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 22 appearances with Syracuse in 2024-25. Jonas Johansson is dealing with a lower-body injury and didn't participate in Saturday's practice, so Tomkins will likely be the backup goaltender behind Andrei Vasilevskiy versus Seattle on Sunday.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Returned to minor-league affiliate
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Tomkins was loaned to AHL Syracuse on Sunday.
Tomkins has been the backup goalie behind Andrei Vasilevskiy in the last two games due to the absence of Jonas Johansson (lower body). If Johansson doesn't return to the lineup in Tuesday's home game versus Ottawa, Tampa Bay could recall Tomkins from the minors.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Called up from AHL
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Tomkins was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Saturday.
Tomkins is back with the Lightning because Jonas Johansson (lower body) remains day-to-day. Andrei Vasilevskiy will get the start against the Islanders on Saturday, with Tomkins likely suiting up as the backup. Tomkins has yet to play a game in the NHL this campaign. He went 3-2-1 with a 3.33 GAA and an .892 save percentage across six regular-season appearances with Tampa Bay last season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Heads back to AHL
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Tomkins was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Friday.
Tomkins was called up because Andrei Vasilevskiy (illness) was a game-time decision while Jonas Johansson (lower body) was day-to-day going into Thursday's clash against Los Angeles. Vasilevskiy was ultimately able to play, earning a 28-save shutout victory over the Kings. Tomkins still served as the understudy, though, because Johansson was unavailable. Perhaps his demotion means Johansson will be fine to dress Saturday versus the Islanders, but Tampa Bay has the option of recalling Tomkins if that's not the case. The 30-year-old Tomkins has a 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 17 outings with Syracuse this season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Recalled by Tampa Bay
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Tomkins was called up from AHL Syracuse on Thursday, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.
Tomkins was recalled as Andrei Vasilevskiy (illness) will be a game-time decision versus LA on Thursday. Should Vasilevskiy be unable to go, Tomkins will back up Jonas Johansson. Tomkins was 6-8-3 with a 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage across 17 AHL appearances before his recall.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Returned to AHL
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Tomkins was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Saturday, Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun reports.
Tomkins was recalled Friday to serve as the backup to Jonas Johansson, as Andrei Vasilevskiy was given the day off. Tomkins is 3-5-0 with a 3.12 GAA and an .890 save percentage across eight AHL games.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Summoned by Tampa Bay
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Tomkins was recalled from AHL Syracuse on Friday.
There was no word at this time as to whether or not Andrei Vasilevskiy or Jonas Johansson will be unable to play Friday in Nashville. Tomkins is 3-5-0 with a 3.12 GAA and an .890 save percentage in eight AHL games this season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: On waivers
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The Lightning placed Tomkins on waivers Friday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
During the 2023-24 regular season, Tomkins had a 3.33 GAA and a .892 save percentage in six games with Tampa Bay as well as a 2.53 GAA and a .904 save percentage across 29 appearances with AHL Syracuse. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonas Johansson are penciled in as Tampa Bay's starting and backup goaltenders, respectfully, so Tomkins is expected to head to the minors if he goes unclaimed. However, Tomkins might be recalled if Vasilevskiy or Johansson get hurt during the campaign.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Starting preseason game
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Tomkins will patrol the home crease versus the Hurricanes in Tuesday's preseason contest, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Tomkins spent most of last season at AHL Syracuse, posting a 2.53 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 29 games. He also made six appearances with the Lightning, going 3-2-1 with a 3.33 GAA and an .892 save percentage. Barring injuries to Andrei Vasilevskiy or Jonas Johansson, Tomkins should be expected to spend most of 2024-25 in the AHL once again.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Reassigned to minors
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Tomkins was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Tuesday.
Tomkins appeared in six games with the Lightning this season, recording an .892 save percentage and a 3-2-1 record. The 29-year-old will look to lead AHL Syracuse to a potential Calder Cup Championship. He will likely be the backup for Tampa Bay heading into next season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Nabs win over Leafs
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Tomkins made 34 saves in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs.
The 29-year-old goalie went down as the man who denied Auston Matthews his 70th goal of the season, making seven stops on the Toronto superstar in the first period alone. Tomkins supplied Tampa Bay with decent netminding down the stretch, going 2-0-1 in three April starts while giving up 10 goals on 95 shots (.895 save percentage), but he'll be firmly on the bench behind Andrei Vasilevskiy when the Lightning begin their first-round series against the Panthers on Sunday.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Leaves ice first
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Tomkins was the first goalie to exit the ice at morning skate, indicating he'll be between the home pipes versus Toronto on Wednesday, Mark Masters of TSN reports.
Tomkins will make just his sixth start in an NHL crease, having gone 2-2-1 with a 3.19 GAA in his previous five contests. The decision to start Tomkins certainly makes sense considering the Bolts can't change their position in the playoff standings Wednesday. No. 1 option Andrei Vasilevskiy will get the night off in order to prepare for the postseason.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Still waiting on first home win
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Tomkins made 25 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Senators on Thursday.
He played well enough to earn his first home win, but it was for naught. Tomkins is 1-0-1 since his call-up earlier this month following Jonas Johansson's lower-body injury. Tomkins will likely remain with the big club into the postseason if Johansson is still injured.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Starting Thursday
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Tomkins will make his home debut as a member of the Lightning on Thursday against Ottawa, per Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com.
Tomkins last started last Thursday against Montreal, turning aside 26 of 30 shots en route to a 7-4 victory. The 29-year-old has drawn into four games for Tampa Bay this season, recording a 2-2-0 record and an .883 save percentage. He'll enter a favorable matchup against Ottawa, a team which has gone 14-22-2 on the road this season.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Plays Habs slayer
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Tomkins made 27 saves in a 7-4 win in Montreal on Thursday.
It was his first start since Nov. 7 when he got his first career NHL victory also over Montreal on the road. Due to his extremely limited role, Tomkins is not a viable fantasy option right now, and he'll likely be heading back to the minors once Jonas Johansson (lower body) is good to go.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Slated to face Canadiens
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Tomkins is set to start on the road against Montreal on Thursday, per Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida.
It will be Tomkins' first start at the NHL level since Nov. 7 when he saved 23 of 26 shots in a 5-3 win over the Canadiens. He's back with the Lightning because Jonas Johansson is dealing with a lower-body injury. Tomkins has a 2.53 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 29 outings with AHL Syracuse this campaign. Montreal ranks 27th offensively with 2.72 goals per contest, so this figures to be a favorable matchup for Tomkins.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Recalled from AHL
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Tomkins was recalled from the AHL on Tuesday, per Diandra Loux.
Tomkins has started three games with the big club this season, recording an .889 save percentage and a 1-2-0 record. The 29-year-old was recalled in response to backup goalie Jonas Johansson being day-to-day with a lower-body injury. If Johansson is unavailable, Tomkins could see a start during the Lightning's upcoming back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday versus the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, respectively.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: On waiver wire Thursday
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The Lightning placed Tomkins on waivers Thursday, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
This is great news for Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) and his fantasy managers as he might now be expected to return to action either Friday versus Carolina or Monday in Colorado. Tomkins was 1-2-0, giving up 10 goals on 90 shots in his three appearances. He will be returned to AHL Syracuse, should he pass through waivers.
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Lightning's Matt Tomkins: Hangs on for first NHL win
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Tomkins turned aside 23 shots in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Canadiens.
The 29-year-old recorded his first career win in the NHL, but it nearly slipped through his fingers -- the Lightning handed Tomkins a 4-0 lead heading into the third period as they dominated play, but he then had to withstand a furious comeback attempt by the Habs that featured half of the home squad's 26 shots on the night. Tomkins' .889 save percentage through his first three starts this season isn't going to earn him more consistent playing time, but the Bolts seem content with his play so far as Jonas Johansson's backup.
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