The Tampa Bay Lightning received extremely disappointing news about superstar Nikita Kucherov. Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning All-Star Nikita Kucherov to undergo hip surgery, miss regular season

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 12/23/20

The reigning Stanley Cup champions will be without one of their biggest assets this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois announced Wednesday that All-Star forward Nikita Kucherov will undergo hip surgery and has been ruled out for the regular season, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.

BREAKING: #tblightning GM Julien BriseBois said Nikita Kucherov will have hip surgery and he will not play during regular season
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) December 23, 2020

BriseBois said Kucherov first reported hip issues earlier this month and was dealing with a groin injury throughout the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 27-year-old tried treatment before ultimately deciding he needed to have surgery.

Kucherov has been dynamite for the Lightning since the 2014-15 season. The Russian could have tallied his third straight 100-plus point season if the 2019-20 campaign had not been shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In seven seasons with the Lightning, Kucherov has notched 547 points (221 goals, 326 assists) in 515 games. During the 2018-19 season, he won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP and also won the Art Ross Trophy the same year as the league's top point scorer.

Kucherov was one of Tampa Bay's best players during the 2020 playoffs, tallying 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 25 games. Losing him for the regular season definitely hurts the Bolts' lineup, though they should be able to earn a playoff spot as one of the top four teams in the new Central Division.

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