 On July 1, 2017, Leighton left the Hurricanes to sign a one-year, two-way free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.He was re-assigned to begin the 2017–18 season with Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.Added to provide a veteran presence and mentoring role to Connor Ingram, Leighton got off to an average start after winning just three of his nine games.