The Tampa Bay Lightning just received some terrible news, as their starting goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, has been ruled out for the next 8-10 weeks. This comes due to back surgery that the Russian netminder underwent recently. The surgery was done to help deal with a back ailment that the star goalie has been dealing with.
Andrei Vasilevskiy To Miss 8-10 Weeks Due To Injury
Many Lightning fans who saw this notification from Kevin Weekes likely started to panic. Thankfully, this comes before the start of the season, meaning Vasilevskiy will be back sooner rather than later. That said, it is still a huge loss for a Lightning team who doesn’t have much depth in the crease at this point. Replacing Vasilevskiy, who has won two Stanley Cups and been to four Stanley Cup Finals since being drafted, will be impossible. They can only wish to maintain afloat with strong offence.
Vasilevskiy, who had a .915 save percentage (SV%) and 2.65 goals against average (GAA) last season in 60 starts is truly elite. In fact, he hasn’t seen a SV% lower than .915 since the 2015-16 season. That’s the level of consistency and elite play that he has brought to the organization.
Replacement Plans For Vasilevskiy
As mentioned, replacing Andrei Vasilevskiy is not possible with the options that they realistically have. As of now, however, they have Jonas Johansson signed on as their apparent back-up option. In his career, Johansson has an 11-13-4 NHL record, with a .886 SV% and 3.35 GAA in his career. Last season, playing with the Colorado Avalanche, Johansson drew into two starts, going 2-0-0 with a .932 SV% and 2.10, showing success that he has yet to see in his career. In this case, the Lightning hope to have that version of Johansson early in the season.
Currently, there are some veteran free agent goalies available for the Lightning. Some names include Mike Smith, Jaroslav Halak, and former Lightning goalie Brian Elliott. Meanwhile, they also have Hugo Alnefelt, a 22-year-old goaltender, who was the 71st overall pick of the Lightning in 2019. He has played one NHL game, allowing three goals on 10 shots. Last season, Alnefelt played 33 AHL games, with a .904 SV% and 2.77 GAA, en route to a 17-12-2 record.
Andrei Vasilevskiy Replacement Leaves Much To Be Desired
None of the aforementioned names inspire much hope. However, what is likely is the reunion with Elliott. Elliott is familiar with the team and the area, and could provide some stability and guidance for Johansson and maybe even Alenfelt. A contract won’t be easy, as the Lightning are tight to the salary cap ceiling as it is. But, at this point, it may be necessary. Alnefelt may not be ready, and Johansson is too unproven. This Andrei Vasilevskiy injury really hurts the Lightning in the early portion of the 2023-24 regular season.
Main Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
