Lightning captain Victor Hedman is expected to return to the lineup against the New York Islanders on Saturday. The defenseman, who has been out since Nov. 8 with an undisclosed injury, said he was “probable” after the morning skate. He was activated off long-term injured reserve later in the day. Hedman has been with the players on gamedays and practices, but admitted it’s been difficult being out of the lineup, especially as the team’s captain. The Lightning have also been without Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Brayden Point, which has led to younger players stepping into larger roles while they're out. “It’s been inspiring watching guys take steps and stepping up,” said Hedman. Just as the Lightning began to turn a corner with their injuries, they’ve added two more players to the list. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are both considered day-to-day. “This is going to be a different lineup (Saturday), unfortunately,” coach Jon Cooper said. With Vasilevskiy unavailable, backup goaltender Jonas Johansson will get the start. Vasilevskiy did not play in Thursday’s game against the Penguins, despite being the scheduled starter. Cooper initially believed he would be ready for Saturday, but neither Vasilevskiy nor Johansson participated in the morning skate, indicating that would not be the case. Kucherov finished Thursday’s game against the Penguins and participated in Saturday’s morning skate, but he appeared to be testing something while working closely with head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan. He was given a body maintenance day on Friday.
