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Tampa Bay Lightning: Nikita Kucherov takes a nasty looking fall

ByBenjamin Henderson|
Apr 22, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) skates with the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) skates with the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, as the seconds ticked away in the next-to-last preseason game for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bolts were looking to skate out the final moments in their loss to the Florida Panthers. 

But then, on the back end of an otherwise standard dump-in, start forward Nikita Kucherov was down on the ice in a heap.

Initial reports indicate he will be okay, but it is the last thing fans want to see, especially in a preseason game.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Number One…

As Kucherov was near the benches, he lost an edge and went crashing headfirst into the wall.

Play was stopped, and Kucherov immediately went back into the locker room.

After the game, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper didn’t seem to be too distressed about the end result of the incident:

"“I think he tripped and lost his edge. That was a heart skipping moment but I think he is going to be okay.”"

Especially given the injury to Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa can’t afford to have any of its other stars go down with injuries at the moment. Projections all over the place envision Tampa getting into the playoffs with minimal room to spare, and that’s if they stay healthy.

From 2014 through 2020, Kucherov played in virtually every game for the Lightning, only missing a handful of games here and there due to minor issues

However, injuries have started to creep up for Kucherov. He missed the entire 2021 regular season, putting the Lightning $86 billion over the salary cap. He also took a shot to the ribs during the Eastern Conference Finals, forcing him to leave game 6 before returning for game seven and beyond.

Something about being number one.

After surgery to repair a core muscle, he missed over two months at the start of the 2021-2022 season.

He did make it through all 82 games last season without issue, putting up 113 points on 30 goals and 83 assists.

Hopefully, the initial diagnosis is correct, and Kucherov will be just fine. The regular season starts next Tuesday against Nashville.

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