TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning will begin the season without their star goaltender.
The team announced Thursday that Andrei Vasilevskiy "underwent a successful microdiscectomy to address a lumbar disc herniation." He is expected to be out for about two months to start the year.
Head coach Jon Cooper recently said Vasilevskiy was day-to-day, but Thursday's news of his injury and forecasted return is likely to come as a surprise to many.
The Lightning have depth at the position with four goalies, including Vasilevskiy, on their roster. Just this past offseason, Tampa Bay signed goalie Jonas Johansson, who will likely take over duties until Vasilevskiy is healthy enough to return. Johansson has 35 games played under his belt with 11 wins, 3.32 GAA and a .887 SV%. He last appeared for the Colorado Avalanche for two games in March, making 66 combined saves in both wins. He's also seen limited ice time with the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers.
Other contenders include Hugo Alnefelt and Matt Tomkins.
Tomkins was in net for the Lightning's 2-1 preseason win Wednesday night against the Nashville Predators, making 30 saves in 31 chances.
Alnefelt started the Bolts' preseason opener, a 5-2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes, making 19 saves in 24 chances.
Regardless of who is between the pipes for the Lightning, Vasilevskiy is leaving big skates to fill, putting a spotlight on Tampa Bay's defense heading into the regular season.
Vasilevskiy, a Lightning staple and regarded as one of the best goaltenders in the league, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner who has spent his entire career with Tampa Bay. In 2019, he was recognized as the NHL's top goalie with the Vezina Trophy during a season in which the Lightning tied the league's single-season record of 62 wins.
Back in August, the hosts of the Locked On NHL podcast voted Vasilevskiy as the top goalie in the league heading into the 2023-24 season.
The Lightning's season gets underway at Amalie Arena against the Predators on Oct. 10.