Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy returned to the ice Tuesday, skating with the Lightning’s non-game group during practice. Vasilevskiy has been sidelined since the second day of training camp, but head coach Jon Cooper said he doesn’t anticipate it will carry over into the regular season.
Vasilevskiy took part in Day 2 of training camp on Sept. 19, but did not join the scrimmage that followed and has remained inactive since. With three preseason matchups against the Panthers this week, Cooper confirmed Vasilevskiy will not play in Tuesday’s game, leaving just two opportunities before the Oct. 9 home opener against the Ottawa Senators.
“Sometimes it’s not what I think; it’s what the player thinks,” Cooper said on whether Vasilevskiy needs one or two games to be ready for the regular season.
“You want to put him in a spot where he’s feeling comfortable. And Vasy’s gone through multiple training camps where he’s played just two games. So, let’s just see how later in the week goes.”
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