LOS ANGELES – The NHL preseason continues to be a tough stretch for Swedish talent, with another player sidelined due to injury.Following nils Höglander’s early exit from the Vancouver Canucks’ game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning was forced to leave saturday night’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes after the first period.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated that Hedman’s departure was a precautionary measure, as reported by NHL.com. The game itself was a high-scoring affair, with the Lightning ultimately securing a 6-5 victory.
Photo: Nick Wass / AP TT News Agency
Hedman,34,had contributed to the scoreline in the first period,assisting on Zemgus Girgensons’ goal that put Tampa Bay up 2-0 just over 11 minutes into the game.Girgensons had initially given the Lightning the led earlier in the period. Hedman logged 7 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time in the first period but did not return for the second.
Details regarding the nature or severity of Hedman’s injury have not yet been released by the Lightning association. It remains unclear if this is a new issue or a recurrence of a problem from training camp that the team opted to manage proactively.
Kylington and Lundmark Get Their Chance
Hedman is embarking on his 17th NHL season with the Tampa Bay Lightning,a tenure marked by two Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. His individual accolades include the Norris Trophy in 2018 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020, cementing his status as one of the league’s premier defensemen. In his career with Tampa Bay, he has played 1131 games, amassing 794 points with 171 goals and 623 assists.
Wojciech Stachowiak was recognized as the game’s most valuable player, contributing two goals and an assist. Young defenseman Simon Lundmark, 24, also saw ice time for the Lightning and recorded an assist. Simultaneously occurring,the Carolina Hurricanes gave Oliver Kylington an prospect to impress,as he is currently on a try-out contract. Kylington finished the game with a -1 rating after 16 minutes and 20 seconds of play over 19 shifts.
