The Tampa Bay Lightning appear close to getting one of their key pieces ready for the regular season.
Superstar goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy took to the ice at Lightning practice on Friday as his recovery from an undisclosed injury took another step, per team reporter Gabby Shirley.
Vasilevskiy first suited up on Tuesday after missing all the team’s organized practices since Sept. 19 with the undisclosed ailment.
“He’s just going through some treatments and stuff that, you know, it’s player management,” head coach Jon Cooper told reporters last week.
The Lightning have one pre-season outing left against the Florida Panthers on Saturday in Sunrise, though it hasn’t been announced whether or not the Russian superstar will don his pads.
Asked Monday if Vasilevskiy will need a game or two to be ready for the regular season, Cooper said, “Sometimes itâ€s not what I think; itâ€s what the player thinks. You want to put him in a spot where heâ€s feeling comfortable. And Vasyâ€s gone through multiple training camps where heâ€s played just two games. So, letâ€s just see how later in the week goes.â€
Over his 63 appearances last season, Vasilevskiy posted a 2.18 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, his best stats in several seasons.
The Lightning’s season opener is Oct. 9 at home against the Ottawa Senators.
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