Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters on Tuesday that star forward Nikita Kucherov will undergo hip surgery and miss the entirety of the regular season.
The hope is that Kucherov would be able to return to the team in the postseason and help the Lightning defend the Stanley Cup.
Kucherov was dealing with hip and groin injuries during the playoffs, and he tried treatment at first. It did not go as planned, and it would be impossible for him to play a full season with the nagging injuries.
"Nobody loves playing hockey more than Nikita Kucherov. I know how hard he'll work to get back as soon as possible," BriseBois said Tuesday to reporters.
#tblightning BriseBois said they're hoping that Nikita Kucherov (hip surgery) can return for playoffs and help defend Cup. "Nobody loves playing hockey more than Nikita Kucherov. I know how hard he'll work to get back as soon as possible." https://t.co/dj49223Y2m— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) December 23, 2020
This helps Tampa Bay's cap situation at least for right now, as Kucherov will be going onto the LTIR, but it is still likely that the team will have to make a move or two to free up more salary. With Kucherov on LTIR they are still right against the cap and still need to sign RFA Anthony Cirelli.
Kucherov recorded 85 points (33 goals, 52 assists) in 68 games last season and also tallied 34 points (7 goals, 27 assists) in 25 postseason games, helping lead the Lightning to a Stanley Cup Championship.
