The Tampa Bay Lightning have been at or near the top of the NHL standings for several years, but it may be much harder for them to hold to that status in 2023-24 with the news that goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss at least 25 games this season after undergoing surgery on his back.

Head coach Jon Cooper knows that playing without Vasilevskiy will be a major challenge for his talented team because the goaltender is one of the best in the league when he is healthy and sharp. However, Cooper is not conceding any issue for his team — at least publicly.

“Let's be honest, we sit here and try and make the situation a little more rosy,” Cooper said Friday. “It's not ideal, no question. Vasy is a big part of our team, but we do have other guys in the organization. Guys looking to get a chance. Here it is.”

Related Tampa Bay Lightning NewsArticle continues below
Julien BriseBois in middle, Gage Goncalves and Yanni Gourde on either side, hockey rink in background Tampa Bay Lightning
3 early predictions for Lightning offseason after Panthers series loss
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) passes the puck against the Florida Panthers during the first period of game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena.
Victor Hedman played Games 4 and 5 vs. Panthers with broken foot
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena.
Andrei Vasilevskiy drops fiery NSFW rant on Lightning’s home struggles vs Panthers

The 29-year-old Vasilevskiy had a microdiscectomy Thursday to address a lumbar disk herniation. It is estimated that he could miss 2 months or more, but that is dependent on his specific recovery situation. The Lightning signed Jonas Johansson to serve as Vasilevskiy's backup. He has a record of 11-13-4 while playing with Buffalo, Florida and Colorado in parts of 4 seasons.

In addition to Johansson, the Lightning also have Matt Tomkins, Canada’s 2022 Olympic starter, and Hugo Alnefelt on their roster. Alnefelt played with Tampa Bay's minor league team in Syracuse last season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is a two-time first-team NHL All-Star, and he is also a Vezina Trophy winner. He was not at his best last season when he had a 2.65 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and a 34-22-4 record.