Paul signed a seven-year, $22.05 million contract extension with the Lightning on Friday.
Paul spent most of the 2021-22 campaign with the Senators, picking up 11 goals and 18 points through 59 contests before joining Tampa Bay at the tradeline, after which he racked up 14 points through 21 regular-season games before adding five goals and nine points through 23 postseason appearances. The 27-year-old winger should continue to provide respectable offensive numbers while skating in a middle-six role with the Lightning for the foreseeable future.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Toughs it out in Game 3
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Paul scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 6-2 win over the Avalanche in Game 3.
Paul was in and out of the locker room a couple of times during the contest, but he finished with 13:43 of ice time across 23 shifts. The 27-year-old's tally at 1:26 of the second period stood as the game-winner, giving the Lightning their first win of the Stanley Cup Finals. In 20 playoff outings, Paul has five goals, four assists, 40 shots on net, 49 hits and a plus-4 rating. He's scored in two of the last three contests.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Deposits goal in Game 1
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Paul scored a goal and blocked three shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Paul tallied at 12:26 of the first period to get the Lightning on the board after a slow start. The goal snapped a playoff-long four-game point drought for the 27-year-old forward. He's up to eight points, 36 shots on net, 40 hits, 21 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating through 18 outings overall. He led Lightning forwards with 18:42 of ice time, so Paul should be considered a key part of their game plan as they look to even the series in Saturday's Game 2.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Scores in Game 2 loss
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Paul scored a goal and blocked six shots in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers.
Paul found some space in front of the net and cut the Rangers' lead to 3-2 late in the third period, though the Lightning would ultimately come up short in Game 2. The 27-year-old center has moved into Tampa Bay's top six while Brayden Point (leg) remains sidelined and has responded with three goals and four assists in the postseason. Paul has also added some postseason physicality to the Lightning lineup with 32 hits and 17 blocked shots.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Monster game in win
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Paul scored two goals in Saturday's 2-1 series-clinching Game 7 win over Toronto in their Eastern Conference First Round series.
He was a one-man wrecking ball. Paul's first goal was a backhand off a rebound near the end of the first period. His second came on a hard drive down the right side followed by a move inside through T.J. Brodie's feet. Paul kicked the puck to his own stick and went low blocker on Jack Campbell. The versatile forward moved up the lineup after Brayden Point's lower-body injury and ended up as the Lightning's busiest forward, with 22:03 of ice time. Point's injury looks serious, so Paul could continue to play extended minutes in Game 1 against Florida in the next round.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Two goals in high-scoring win
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Paul potted two goals -- one shorthanded -- in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Panthers.
Paul singlehandedly turned a 3-3 game into a 5-3 Lightning lead with consecutive goals in the second period. The first came on a Panthers power play and the second ultimately turned into the game-winner. Paul has 16 goals this season, including five in 18 games since joining the Lightning at the trade deadline.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Three helpers Friday
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Paul notched three assists in Friday's 5-2 win over Chicago.
The Lightning's third line was the difference in this one, accounting for all three tallies after the two teams headed into the first intermission tied 2-2. Paul hadn't found the scoresheet in four straight games coming into Friday, while the multi-point effort was his first since Feb. 7, when he was still a Senator.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Lights lamp in Tampa debut
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Paul scored his 12th goal of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes.
In his first game for the Lightning since being traded from the Senators, the 27-year-old got the Bolts on the board midway through the second period by deflecting home a slick give-and-go with Ross Colton. Paul will fill a bottom-six role for the defending champs, but a better supporting cast than he had in Ottawa could allow his production to tick up slightly. On the season, he has 19 points through 60 games.
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Lightning's Nick Paul: Heading to Sunshine State
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Ottawa traded Paul to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round draft pick Sunday, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports.
It became increasingly likely that Paul would be traded as the deadline approached and it's the back-to-back defending champions that will bolster their already-stacked forward group. The 27-year-old winger has 11 goals and 18 points while averaging 17:22 of ice time through 59 games this season. He should slot into a middle-six role with the Lightning. Paul is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Will sit as healthy scratch
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Paul will be a healthy scratch for Friday's game versus Philadelphia, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports.
The Senators are trying to hammer out a contract extension with Paul, but he'll sit as a healthy scratch against the Flyers on Friday and presumably against the Canadiens on Saturday in case Ottawa is forced to trade him prior to Monday's deadline. He's picked up 11 goals and 18 points through 59 games this season.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Collects pair of points
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Paul scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist, added two hits, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Monday's 4-1 win over the Devils.
Paul tied the game at 1-1 in the first period with a tally, and he later set up Connor Brown's insurance marker in the third. With Josh Norris (shoulder) sidelined, Paul has moved over to center from his usual wing position. Since the start of January, the 26-year-old has five goals and two assists in 12 appearances while filling a variety of roles. He's at 13 points, 94 shots, 47 hits and a minus-14 rating in 40 contests overall, but his more significant role makes Paul an intriguing short-term addition in fantasy.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Leads offense in win
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Paul scored a goal and had five shots in a 3-2 overtime win over the Oilers on Monday.
Paul was tied for the team lead in shots with Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle in this one. The left winger has goals in two of his last three contests now after not having found the back of the net since Jan. 13 against Calgary.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Scores twice in win
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Paul scored a pair of goals on five shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flames.
Both of Paul's goals came in the first period to establish a lead the Senators wouldn't let slip away. The 26-year-old forward lined up as the second-line center, but he logged 20:09 of ice time, most amongst Senators forwards. He's at six goals, two assists, 62 shots on net, 31 hits and a minus-14 rating through 29 appearances. Even with the return of Tim Stutzle (COVID-19 protocols) soon, Paul is likely to play a key middle-six role.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Clears protocols
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The Senators removed Paul from COVID-19 protocols Wednesday.
Paul missed Saturday's game after entering protocols that morning. The 26-year-old has managed six points while averaging 16:50 of ice time this season.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Enters COVID-19 protocols
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Paul was added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols list Saturday.
Paul will need to submit back-to-back negative COVID-19 tests before rejoining the Senators, so he'll miss Saturday's matchup with the Maple Leafs at a minimum. Clark Bishop or Logan Shaw will likely get the first crack at replacing Paul in the lineup against Toronto.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Enjoys two-point effort
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Paul generated a power-play goal along with an assist in Tuesday's 8-2 win over the Panthers.
This was the first career power-play goal for Paul. It took him 194 games with the Senators to strike with the man advantage, but in fairness, he's never had a sizable role in that special teams spot. Paul is a fourth-line contributor with four goals, two assists and a minus-15 rating through 26 games.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Contributes goal in OT loss
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Paul scored a goal three shots and had two PIM in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to Minnesota. He also had two hits.
Paul got the Senators on the board midway through the first period, re-directing a Connor Brown setup while driving to the net to cut Minnesota's lead to 2-1. It was the third goal in nine games for Paul, who scored just five times in 56 contests a year ago. He's one-third of the way to the career-high nine goals in scored in 2019-20.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Deposits first goal of year
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Paul scored a goal and led all players with six shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Stars. He also provided three hits and two blocks.
Paul got the Senators on the board 5:24 into the game, just under a minute after Dallas had opened the scoring, shelving a backhander over Anton Khudobin from the right faceoff circle. The goal was the first point of the year for Paul, who scored five times and added 15 assists in 56 games last season.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Posts second straight 20-point year
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Paul finished 2021 in the same spot where he ended 2020, coming off a 20-point campaign with Ottawa.
Things could have been even better for Paul if his shooting were more accurate, as he connected on just 4.8 percent of his shots. 2021-22 will be his third full season in Ottawa, and a breakout could be coming if he can improve his accuracy.
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Senators' Nick Paul: Nice night offensively
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Paul collected a goal and an assist with two shots and two hits Wednesday in a 5-1 win over Montreal.
Paul deflected an Erik Brannstrom shot with eight seconds left in the second period to give the Senators a 3-1 cushion, then he drew a secondary assist on Alex Formenton's goal that closing out the scoring in the final frame. The 26-year-old Paul has enjoyed a decent run offensively as of late, contributing two goals and five assists over his last 10 appearances.
