The 2021-22 NHL season didn’t start in the best way for the defending Stanley Cup champs Tampa Bay Lightning. Their All-Star winger Nikita Kucherov is dealing with a lower-body injury, and it might be a while before he skates again.
The Lightning’s head coach Jon Cooper told the media on Monday that the team doesn’t have a timetable regarding Kucherov, but did describe the injury as “definitely not a day-to-day thing.”
“We’ll wait until we get official word. He’s definitely going to be out for a little while here, but I’m not going to put a timetable on it until we get official word,” Cooper added. “In the short term here, he’s definitely out.”
This is bad news not just for Tampa Bay but also for Kucherov, who just got back from a major injury. The 28-year-old star was forced to miss all of 2020-21 after undergoing hip surgery and seemed on a great path to bounce back successfully. He had one goal and three assists for a total of four points this season.
In Kutcherov’s absence, Tampa Bay is expected to lean on veteran Corey Perry in their first line. Perry, who has 818 points in 1097 NHL career games, signed with the Lightning during the offseason and has no points through the first three games of the 2021-22 season.
