Vincent Lecavalier Injury: Updates on Lightning Star's Status

The Tampa Bay Lightning were dealt a hard blow Thursday, as team captain Vincent Lecavalier is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, according to Damian Cristodero of The Tampa Bay Times:

UPDATE: Thursday, April 4 at 2:45 p.m. ET by Tom Kinslow

The Lightning have confirmed the report that Vincent Lecavalier will return to the lineup tonight.

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UPDATE: Thursday, April 4 at 12:25 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

It looks like the Lightning will get one of their stars back after an extended absence, as RDS' Ren Lavoie reports that Vincent Lecavalier is going to return to Tampa Bay's lineup after missing almost 3 weeks with an ankle issue. 

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UPDATE: Tuesday, April 2 at 12:50 p.m. ET by Tim Daniels

The Lightning provided an update on Lecavalier via Twitter. It stated that although he was able to return to the ice with the team today  he isn't ready to suit up against the Florida Panthers tonight.

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UPDATE: Tuesday, March 19, at 1:40 p.m. ET by Timothy Rapp

Vincent Lecavalier spoke out about his injury on Tuesday (via NHL.com):

"

It [the injury] didn't look like anything, but obviously something did happen. I guess you could say it's kind of a fluky thing. I'm going to train here and make sure that when I'm back playing, I'll be ready to go.

It's more of a waiting game and waiting and rest it. I can still do some other stuff. Skating right now is not a possibility.

Definitely disappointing [to be out], especially to be in the situation we're in right now, fighting for the playoffs.. Nothing but kind of a little bit of a waiting game. Work out hard, be ready to play when I'm ready.

"

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The Lightning’s Official Twitter account confirmed the news, adding that the injury will send Lecavalier to the IR:

Lecavalier may have played in the team’s Tuesday night victory over the Florida Panthers (h/t Tampa Bay Tribune)—he scored a goal and had an assist—but the team will reportedly be without the captain for at least seven days, according to Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Bay Tribune:

Sun Sports Lightning insider Brittany Zion is reporting which player the team will bring up as Lecavalier’s replacement on the active roster:

Cristodero believes that it is a knee injury that he suffered in the team’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night that was likely re-aggravated in the team’s matchup against Panthers Tuesday.

The knee injury may not be the only ailment keeping Lecavalier out of the lineup, though, as the center has also been suffering through a left foot injury since taking a slap shot off his skate on Feb. 2 (h/t Tampa Bay Times). 

The foot injury has clearly limited the star’s play this season—11 points in eight games before the injury and just 11 points in the 18 games since—and the time on the IR is exactly what Lecavalier needs to get healthy and return to his normal form.

Tampa Bay sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference right now, and without Lecavalier for at least the next week, the playoff hopes for the Lightning are fading fast.