Lightning goalie Vasilevskiy out 2-3 months after surgery to remove blood clot
Tampa Bay Lightning backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss two-to-three months with a vascular injury.
The 21-year-old prospect had surgery Thursday to remove a blood clot from near his left collarbone and to treat a type of vascular thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced Friday.
"It's a little bit of a setback for the start of the year," Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "On the positive side, we expect him ready to go when he's cleared."
Vasilevskiy had swelling in his upper arm upon arriving in Tampa earlier this week. He was sent to team doctors for evaluation.
The Lightning will "wait and see" on who might replace Vasilevskiy, Yzerman said. Kristers Gudlevskis and Adam Wilcox could be considered, depending on how the AHL netminders fare in training camp, and once the team has a better idea of Vasilevskiy's recovery timetable.
Yzerman did not rule out signing another goaltender from outside the organization.
Vasilevskiy went 7-5-1 with a 2.36 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 16 regular-season games backing up Ben Bishop last season. He also appeared in four playoff games, going 1-1 with a 3.19 GAA and an .895 save percentage.
The Lightning selected him 19th overall in the 2012 draft.