Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will be out 2-3 months after having surgery Thursday to remove a blood clot from near his left collarbone and to treat a type of vascular thoracic outlet syndrome, general manager Steve Yzerman said Friday.
"It's a little bit of a setback for the start of the year," Yzerman said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "On the positive side, we expect him ready to go when he's cleared."
Vasilevskiy, 21, appeared in 16 regular-season games in 2014-15 and had a 7-5-1 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average. He appeared in four games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including two in the Stanley Cup Final.
He replaced starter Ben Bishop twice in Game 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks, saved all five shots he faced and picked up the win because he was on the ice for the winning goal. Vasilevskiy started Game 4 and made 17 saves in a 2-1 loss.
The Lightning could turn to Kristers Gudlevskis to serve as Bishop's backup while Vasilevskiy recovers. The 23-year-old spent last season with Syracuse, the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate. He has one game of NHL experience, in 2013-14.
If the Lightning chose to look outside the organization for help, the options include Jonas Gustavsson, who was with the Detroit Red Wings last season, and Ray Emery, who played with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Forward Tyler Johnson, recovering from a broken right wrist that did not require surgery, is expected to be ready for training camp, Yzerman said, according to the Times.
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