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Andrei Vasilevskiy Injury Update
Andrei Vasilevskiy is on injured reserve right now with an undisclosed injury and he still has not been cleared to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team expects this to be a short absence but for the moment he is still officially out.
He was placed on injured reserve after his last start on December 2 against the New York Islanders. The team has not shared specific details about the injury which is why it keeps getting listed as undisclosed in reports.
Recent updates say Vasilevskiy has been able to skate and take part in game day sessions which is a positive sign in his recovery. Even with that progress doctors have not cleared him to return so he cannot dress for games yet.
Because he is on injured reserve Tampa Bay has turned to Jonas Johansson as the primary starter in net while Vasilevskiy is sidelined. Brandon Halverson has been available as support from the AHL group to cover the depth behind Johansson.
Most reports describe the situation as more of a short term problem than a season changing injury. The working hope around the team is that he can come back sometime before the Christmas break as long as there are no setbacks in the next week or so.
One fantasy and stats site lists an estimated return date around December 22 which fits the target window. That date is not official so fans and fantasy managers still need to treat him as day to day until the Lightning announce that he is ready to go.
Before this injury Vasilevskiy was in strong form and playing like a true number one goaltender again. Over his first 19 starts of the season he had 11 wins 6 losses a goals against average of about 2.31 and a save percentage a little above .915 which put him among the better starters in the league.
His numbers in November were especially good and he was a major part of Tampa Bay climbing back into the playoff race after an uneven start to the year. That is a big reason this injury feels like tough timing for the team even if it is not expected to keep him out for months.
Coaches and local reports still frame this as a temporary setback rather than anything more serious. The expectation is that once he is cleared he will slide right back into his usual workload as the clear starter for the Lightning.
For now the key points are simple Vasilevskiy is on injured reserve he is skating but not cleared and the team is aiming for a return around the Christmas period if all goes well. Anyone tracking his status should watch the official lineup news on game days because his tag is likely to move from out to day to day just before he is finally activated.
Disclaimer
Injury updates are based on team reports, league sources, and media coverage available at the time of publication. Timelines and return dates are subject to change depending on medical evaluations and team decisions. Always refer to official Tampa Bay Lightning announcements for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
