Lightning superstar winger Nikita Kucherov underwent surgery on his right hip Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York by Bryan Kelly. The early belief is that the surgery was successful, and it will resolve Kucherov's hip problems, the team announced on Wednesday.
UPDATE: Nikita Kucherov underwent surgery on his right hip Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York by Dr. Bryan Kelly. Team says «initial indications are that the procedure will resolve his hip issue.» Rehab and recovery expected to last through regular season— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) December 30, 2020
The Lightning received the dreadful news that Kucherov would be out for the entirety of the regular season, and the timetable for his return after the surgery has not changed. Although, there is still hope that the Russian native will be able to return for the postseason if Tampa Bay qualifies.
The 27-year-old first reported the discomfort back on December 3, and he received a cortisone injection in his hip in hopes of solving the issue. He still felt pain in his hip after the shot, and the Lightning then opted for surgery instead of trying to allow Kucherov to play through the injury.
During his 515-game NHL career, Kucherov is over a point per game player, recording 221 goals and 547 points. If all goes as planned during recovery, the Lightning could have one of the best players in the game back for the playoffs, and that has to be a frightening prevalence for any team that is destined to make the postseason.
