Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov could be out a while with lower-body injury

During Tampa Bay's game against Washington on Saturday night, star forward Nikita Kucherov suffered a lower-body injury while getting tangled up with Garnet Hathaway. Kucherov left the game and did not return.

The Nikita Kucherov injury. It looked like a groin issue but we'll see. Jon Cooper said to not hit the panic button. @TBLightning pic.twitter.com/Gy0DM2U7LB— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) October 17, 2021

Lightning fans waited all Sunday for news on the Russian forward, and finally on Monday morning, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com revealed that the prognosis on Kucherov is not good, and his injury may require surgery.

"Hearing the initial word on Nikita Kucherov is not positive and surgery could be involved. Assuming that's accurate, I'd expect him to miss some time moving forward, should know more later today #GoBolts #TBLightning", he said in a tweet.


Kucherov, 28, missed the entire 2020-21 season after having hip surgery in December, but returned in time for the playoffs, helping the Lightning win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Also for a second straight year, he led the playoffs in scoring, this time with 32 points (8 G, 24 A) in 23 games.

The Maykop, Russia native is off to a flying start to his 2021-22 campaign, tallying four points (one goal, three assists) in three games.

Hearing the initial word on Nikita Kucherov is not positive and surgery could be involved. Assuming that's accurate, I'd expect him to miss some time moving forward, should know more later today #GoBolts #TBLightning— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) October 18, 2021