Lightning place Andrei Vasilevskiy on injured reserve
One of the best backstops in the game is going to be out for a little while longer.
On Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning placed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy on injured reserve.
#GoBolts have placed G Andrei Vasilevskiy on injured reserve. He last played on Tuesday in New York, so he'll miss tonight's game in Toronto and tomorrow in Montreal at the minimum. #TBLightning
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) December 8, 2025It has yet to be reported what exactly is ailing the Russian netminder. He was last in action on Dec. 2, giving up two goals in a loss to the New York Islanders. He was later ruled out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and has missed the last two games, during which Tampa lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday before falling to the Isles again this past Saturday.
With Vasilievskiy’s IR placement being traced back to last week, he will miss the Bolts’ games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday and Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, at least. He would be eligible to return to the lineup this Thursday, when Tampa visits the New Jersey Devils.
It looks like Jonas Johansson will be making his third start in a row on Monday night against the Maple Leafs.
Vasillevskiy was on a roll prior to the injury. Before losing to the Islanders, the 31-year-old had won each of his previous six starts, helping push Tampa to the top of the Atlantic Division. In 19 starts this season, he has a record of 11-6-2, with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He delivered a 20-save shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 24.
His numbers through the first couple of months might not be as strong as they were during the 2024-25 season, where he had a 2.18 GAA and .921 SV% in 63 games. Yet, there’s no question Vasilevskiy continues to be the driving force behind the Lightning’s success this season.
Heading into Monday night, Tampa (16-10-2) is just ahead of the Boston Bruins for first in the Atlantic.