The Tampa Bay Lightning expect star defenseman Victor Hedman to return to the lineup for Sunday's Stadium Series game against the Boston Bruins.
Hedman, 35, hasn't played since Dec. 9. He had a surgical procedure done on his elbow after being placed on injured reserve Dec. 11. In 18 games this season, the captain has zero goals and 12 assists while averaging 21:05 per game.
At the end of Saturday's practice at Raymond James Stadium -- held inside a large airport hangar-sized tent constructed to protect the ice -- Hedman knelt in the middle of a circle of his teammates who tapped their sticks for him before leaving the ice.
"It was good to be out there. I just can't wait for tomorrow when that tent comes off," Hedman said.
Coach Jon Cooper confirmed that Hedman was likely back for the Lightning.
"Barring him coming and saying 'no,' which I think is extremely doubtful, he'll most likely be in tomorrow," Cooper said. "The country of Sweden can take a huge breath."
Hedman was named to the Swedish men's Olympic hockey team that will compete in the Milan Cortina tournament, scheduled to begin Feb. 11.
Hedman is the Lightning's career leader in games played (1,149) and leads all Tampa Bay defensemen in career goals, assists and points. He led the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2020. He is a six-time finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, winning the award in 2018.
The Lightning have thrived this season despite missing several key players to injuries, including Hedman, center Brayden Point (37 games played), defenseman Ryan McDonagh (19 games) and defenseman Erik Cernak (33 games). Tampa Bay entered Saturday second in the NHL standings with a .692 in points percentage.
"A good team is deep. A good team is when people go down, people step up. And we've been doing that all year," said forward Nick Paul, himself limited to 33 games this season. "I mean, you look at our injuries and the skill of guys that are going out, it's not just like fourth liners. It's our top guys. To be without those guys and have guys step up in those positions and do what we've been doing is fun."
The Eastern Conference-leading Lightning are on a 16-1-1 run entering Sunday's 6:30 p.m. ET outdoor game against the Bruins, which will be played at the 65,000-seat Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.