The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has undergone successful surgery to repair a lumbar disc herniation in his back. As a result, Vasilevskiy is expected to miss the first two months of the 2023-24 regular season.
Vasilevskiy has been a standout player for the Lightning since joining the NHL in the 2014-15 season. He has an impressive record of 263 wins, 123 losses, and 28 overtime losses with the team. Vasilevskiy has played a crucial role in leading the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. In 2019, he was awarded the Vezina Trophy for being the league’s top goaltender and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Last season, Vasilevskiy posted a 34-22-4 record with a 2.65 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and four shutouts.
The Lightning currently have some uncertainty in their goaltending situation with Vasilevskiy’s absence. The team’s expected goalies on the roster are Jonas Johansson and Hugo Alnefelt. Johansson, 28, has played for multiple NHL teams and has a career goals-against average of 3.35. Alnefelt has only played one NHL game during the 2021-22 season, allowing three goals in that game.
In the previous season, Tampa Bay had veteran goalie Brian Elliott as Vasilevskiy’s backup. Elliott is currently a free agent, but there is a possibility that the Lightning could bring him in due to their familiarity with him.
