The Tampa Bay Lightning fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Their defensive cornerstone, Victor Hedman, had a scare during the Winter Olympics in Milan while representing Sweden.
He didn’t take a single shift in the quarterfinals due to an injury sustained during warmups. However, all seems well now.
Assistant coach Rob Zettler reassured everyone that Hedman is set to hit the ice for Wednesday's clash against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL resumes post-Olympics. This is welcome news, especially since Hedman had already been sidelined earlier this season following elbow surgery. He made a comeback just in time for Tampa Bay's last three games before the Olympic break and played in three preliminary matches for Sweden.
In his 21 appearances for the Lightning this season, Hedman has tallied 13 points, all of which are assists, showcasing his playmaking prowess from the blue line.
But Hedman isn’t the only one making a return. Zettler also shared that Brayden Point, Charle-Édouard D'Astous, and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg are ready to lace up against Toronto. Point, who missed out on the Olympics after being selected for Team Canada due to a knee injury, has now fully recovered.
Lilleberg and D'Astous, both on Injured Reserve before the Olympic break, are also back in action. With games against Toronto on Wednesday and Carolina on Thursday, the Lightning are regaining their strength at just the right moment.