Lightning's Nick Paul: Ruled out versus Jackets

Paul (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup against Columbus on Thursday after head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, "He will be out tonight so we will reevaluate him in Tampa when we get back," per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.

Paul will be sidelined for the first time this season, having played in all 17 games for the Bolts. In those outings, the 29-year-old winger has notched five goals, eight assists and 25 shots while averaging 16:24 of ice time. As long as Paul doesn't spend a significant chunk of time on the shelf, he should be capable of reaching both the 20-goal and 40-point thresholds for the second consecutive campaign.