Andrei Vasilevskiy injury: Lightning HC provides encouraging update on goaltender's return timeline

Tampa Bay Lightning fans have reason to be optimistic as goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's return from back surgery seems to be ahead of schedule.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper provided an encouraging update on Vasilevskiy's recovery on Monday. He suggested that the star netminder could be back in action as early as Thanksgiving.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun tweeted:

"Tampa coach Jon Cooper says they’re hoping to get Andrei Vasilevskiy back around U.S. Thanksgiving or so, says the star goalie’s recovery and rehab going well"

This news is a positive development for the Lightning and their supporters, as Vasilevskiy's return would be a welcome boost to the team. The 29-year-old goaltender underwent a successful microdiscectomy to address a lumbar back herniation last month, and was initially expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

However, his recovery is progressing well, and Cooper is hopeful that Vasilevskiy might return to the crease even earlier than initially anticipated.

"I don't know, I'll be disappointed if it is early December," Cooper added. "Hopefully it's a little earlier. We were kind of shooting for that Thanksgiving time."

Vasilevskiy's importance to the Lightning cannot be overstated. He has been the backbone of the team during their remarkable five-year run, which included back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.

His stellar play earned him the Vezina Trophy in 2019 and Conn Smythe Trophy honors during the 2020-21 Cup run. In their recent Cup Final appearance in 2021-22, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche, Vasilevskiy's performance remained crucial.

However, the heavy workload took a toll on Vasilevskiy, and his numbers dipped last season, with a 34-22-4 record, a .915 save percentage, and a 2.65 goals-against average. The Lightning were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Andrei Vasilevskiy's struggle and subsequent absence

Reflecting on his experiences, Andrei Vasilevskiyy acknowledged that he had pushed himself too hard and overlooked the importance of recovery. He said:

"The first 30, 35 games felt as usual. But then just me and my body probably wasn't on the same page. All those small injuries came out at the same time. My mistake was that I didn't really pay attention to recovery."

In Andrei Vasilevskiy's absence, the Lightning turned to Jonas Johansson, who has performed admirably with a 5-1-3 record, a .916 save percentage, and two shutouts. Matt Tomkins has served as Johansson's backup.

The Lightning faced the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, marking their second meeting of the season. In their previous encounter in October, Tampa Bay lost in overtime to Toronto at home.

As the Lightning awaits Vasilevskiy's return, his potential comeback is a ray of hope for the team and their quest for success in this season.