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TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning say goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to miss the first two months of the NHL season after undergoing back surgery. General manager Julien BriseBois said Vasilevskiy had a successful microdiscectomy to address a lumbar disk herniation. The recovery could sideline arguably the best goalie in the world for 25 or more games. Tampa Bay was hoping the 29-year-old would be fresh after a first-round playoff exit following three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy in 2019 as the league's top netminder and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021 as playoff MVP.
