The Canadiens chose not to re-sign Tanguay following the season. He instead agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the season after passing a physical exam on his shoulder. He struggled for most of the season with the Lightning, at one point lamenting that he had "forgotten how to play." It ended as the worst season of his career, as Tanguay finished with 10 goals, 37 points and had a negative plus-minus (−2) for the first time in his career.