Lightning’s Victor Hedman expected to miss second straight game
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is expected to miss a second straight game tonight in Edmonton, but Tampa Bay could be getting a key player back from injury.
Hedman, who leads the team in average ice time, had played in every game this season before missing Tuesday’s loss in Vancouver with an upper-body injury. He did not return for the third period of Saturday’s overtime win in Seattle.
He is expected to be out again tonight, when the Lightning play the Oilers at Rogers Place, head coach Jon Cooper said during the team’s optional morning skate in Edmonton.
Hedman leads all Lightning defensemen with five goals and 27 points in 29 games. He ranks tied for fifth among NHL defensemen in points. He is averaging 23:39 in ice time, which leads Tampa Bay.
Making way for Sheary
The Lightning also made a number of roster moves hours before Thursday’s game that set the stage for forward Conor Sheary to be activated onto the active roster from long-term injured reserve.
The team recalled defenseman Sean Day from AHL Syracuse and reassigned defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Mitchell Chaffee to the Crunch after they were called up on Tuesday.
Day will fill the eighth defenseman spot, swapping roster spots with Myers and giving the Lightning a seventh defenseman without Hedman available.
Day has no goals and eight assists in 16 games for the Crunch. He has a plus-1 plus-minus rating.
Chaffee skated Tuesday, making his Lightning debut with 6:56 of ice time.
The moves provide enough cap space to bring Sheary, who has missed the past month with a left hand injury, off long-term injured reserve. Sheary, who carries a $2 million cap hit, has a goal and two assists in 13 games with the Lightning. His last game was Nov. 7 at Montreal.
Lightning sign top pick
The Lightning signed forward Ethan Gauthier, their top pick in last summer’s draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Gauthier, who was selected in the second round, 37th overall (the Lightning didn’t have a first-round pick), has 13 goals and 17 assists in 28 games with Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The 18-year-old is in his third season of major junior hockey. He had 30 goals and 39 assists last season with Sherbrooke of the QMJHL.
Gauthier will finish the season in Drummondville before his entry-level contract begins next season.
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