Insider hints at Tampa Bay Lightning's possible replacement for injured Vasilevskiy

The Tampa Bay Lightning are facing an unexpected challenge with their star goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, sidelined due to injury. In light of this, insider Kevin Weekes has dropped a bombshell by revealing a potential solution that could temporarily fill the void between the pipes for the Lightning.

Taking to Twitter, Kevin Weekes, a Multimedia Broadcaster Analyst for ESPN, NHL Network, and TSN, shared an intriguing piece of information. He mentioned that the Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly loaning their goaltender, Pyotr Kochetkov, to the Tampa Bay Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

Kevin Weekes on Tampa Bay Lightning's situation:

"I’m told that the @Canes are loaning G Kochetkov to @TBLightning @TheAHL Affiliate @SyracuseCrunch while Vasilevskiy is injured. Very interesting move, given Canes don’t have an AHL Affiliate of their own, and Syracuse is Tampa’s."

This move is particularly noteworthy because the Carolina Hurricanes do not have an AHL affiliate of their own, and Syracuse conveniently serves as the Lightning's team.

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Tampa Bay Lightning's star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's injury and more

Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Tampa Bay Lightning's star goaltender, recently underwent successful surgery to address a lumbar disc herniation in his back, the team announced. Unfortunately for the Lightning and their fans, this surgery means that Vasilevskiy is anticipated to miss approximately the first two months of the upcoming 2023-24 regular NHL season.

Vasilevskiy has been an undeniable force in the net for the Lightning since making his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season. Over his tenure, he has amassed an impressive record of 263 wins, 123 losses, and 28 overtime/shootout defeats. His contributions were particularly instrumental in guiding Tampa Bay to consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021.

Additionally, Vasilevskiy earned recognition as the league's top goaltender, winning the Vezina Trophy in 2019, and was named the playoff MVP with the Conn Smythe Trophy during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In the 2022-23 season, Vasilevskiy continued to exhibit his skills between the pipes, achieving a commendable 34-22-4 record. He also maintained a solid 2.65 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and registered four shutouts.

On the other hand, Pyotr Kochetkov, the young Russian netminder, is currently playing for the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League (AHL). As a prospect for the Carolina Hurricanes, Kochetkov was the top-ranked international goaltender eligible for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Kochetkov eventually landed with the Hurricanes when he was selected in the second round, 36th overall. Kochetkov made his NHL debut in 2022 with the Hurricanes.