Lightning D Hedman to have elbow surgery. He’s expected to be ready for the Olympics

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Victor Hedman is set to undergo elbow surgery on Monday, sidelining the Tampa Bay Lightning’s captain until February but paving the way for the hulking defenseman to play for Sweden at the upcoming Olympics in Milan.

The team announced Hedman’s prognosis and time frame Friday after Jon Cooper confirmed Thursday that the soon-to-be 35-year-old Swede had aggravated an injury that recently caused him to miss 12 games.

“Obviously a step back,” Cooper said before the Lightning beat the New Jersey Devils without Hedman and several key contributors also on injured reserve. “We didn’t anticipate this.”

Cooper, who is Canada’s Olympic coach, said Sweden should not worry about Hedman’s availability for the Olympics, adding: “Don’t let the country hit the panic button yet.” Hedman had already been named to his national team’s roster and was expected to play a substantial role for a gold-medal contender.

With three Lightning games scheduled in February before the NHL season pauses for the break, Hedman may even get to play before the tournament starts in Italy on Feb. 11.

Hedman is certainly a big deal in the NHL for the Lightning, too. He averages over 21 minutes a game, second on the team, and has been a franchise cornerstone for more than a decade, including winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2020 during the first of back-to-back title runs.

“Hedman, he’s our captain — he’s a huge part of our team,” Cooper said. “But if it’s going to happen — which you don’t want it to — but if it is, it’s better it happens now than in April.”

Hedman joined fellow two-time Cup champions Andrei Vasilevskiy, Erik Cernak and Ryan McDonagh on IR. Tampa Bay won 18 of its first 31 games this season despite the constant barrage of injuries to top players.

“I’ve liked the way we’ve played,” Cooper said. “Have we won one game out of our last five? We have. Am I upset the way we’ve played? No. We just haven’t been able to score. … There’s a lot to like about our game, and that’s the part for me is to not change your game, not let the frustration set in because we’re not scoring.”

Hours after those comments, the Lightning scored eight goals to rout the Devils. They’ll still eagerly await Hedman’s return.

“It’s tough,” center Brayden Point said. “Obviously, our captain, and a guy that plays massive minutes for us. Just wishing him all the best. And he’s been a great captain, even when he’s not on the bench.”

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