Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is on the brink of making a return, with head coach Jon Cooper expressing optimism about his comeback. Cooper mentioned on Wednesday that there's a high likelihood Vasilevskiy will be back in action during the team's upcoming road trip, commencing on Friday in Carolina and concluding on Tuesday in Arizona.
Having undergone back surgery in late September to address a lumbar disc herniation, Vasilevskiy was initially slated to be sidelined for the first two months of the season. However, his recovery has progressed positively, paving the way for a potential comeback.
In the previous season, the 29-year-old goalie played 60 games, boasting a record of 34-22-4 along with a 2.65 goals-against-average and a .915 save percentage. Over his career with the Lightning, Vasilevskiy, a native of Tyumen, Russia, has started 415 games, accumulating a notable 263-123-28 record, accompanied by a 2.52 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Notably, he was the 19th overall pick by the Lightning in the 2012 NHL Draft.
