If nothing else, at least now the Tampa Bay Lightning have some clarity as to their captain, Victor Hedman. On Friday, the team announced that the soon-to-be 35-year-old defenseman would undergo elbow surgery on Monday in order to repair an injury that has kept him sidelined for a long stretch of time starting in early November.
For The Big Swede, the timeline places him back in competitive action in early February (possibly in time for the Stadium Series game against Boston), but more likely in time for the Olympics. While that might not be reassuring to Lightning fans who have to ponder life without a defenseman that has put up 12 points (all assists) in 18 games, there is no doubt that representing Sweden is very important for Hedman.