"It kind of just fits in with everything that's going on with us," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. "Right when you think you're taking steps to get healthier, you take two steps back."
With 15 points this season, Point ranks tied for 12th in the NHL for scoring among league rookies, and his 12 assists are tied for ninth-most among league rookies. In recent games, Point has moved to his natural center position with positive results.
The 20-year-old Calgary native tallied points in three of his last five games (1 goal, 3 assists).
"Pointer was really coming into his own," Cooper said. "We moved him to the middle, you get a little feel for the league and would be hard-pressed to say he hasn't been our best forward for the last eight to ten games with everybody out. He's going to be missed…Not only does it hurt our team but just for him personally."
Cooper also announced Cedric Paquette (lower-body injury) and Vladislav Namestnikov (upper-body injury) would miss tonight's game versus Toronto. Both are day-to-day. Ryan Callahan remains out with a lower-body injury.
With the Bolts taking more injury hits, the team recalled forwards Erik Condra and Yanni Gourde from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse Thursday morning."
"It's dipping back into Syracuse and having those guys come up and help us," Cooper said. "They've been helping all year."
Cooper also said Andrei Vasilevskiy would get the start in goal tonight versus Toronto, the Russian netminder seeing action in both halves of the Bolts' back-to-back set after recording his third victory in his last four appearances in Wednesday night's 4-3 overtime victory over Atlantic Division-leading Montreal.
"It's about getting him some games," Cooper said.
