When is Victor Hedman coming back? Lightning injury news provides return timeline update in playoffs

ASFN Admin · Apr 19, 2026

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When is Victor Hedman coming back? Lightning injury news provides return timeline update in playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Lightning open their 2026 playoff journey on Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.

They'll be doing so without their captain, Victor Hedman.

Hedman hasn't played in exactly a month, dating back to March 19 when he had just six shifts before exiting action and not returning.

It's been a rocky season for Hedman, who also dealt with injury before and during the Olympics.

Tampa Bay is a perennial winner with high hopes entering the postseason, but things are certainly tougher without Hedman on the ice.

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When is Victor Hedman coming back?

The timeline on a Hedman return remains unclear.

This is what The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote on X:

"Jon Cooper with a Victor Hedman update, says the Tampa captain has started skating and is around the team now and will join the Lightning on the road trip to Montreal. But Cooper says he’s not available to play at the moment. That could change at some point but unclear still."

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Hockey teams are famously vague on injuries, so it's hard to know exactly what the scoop is here.

Hedman struggled some this season as he tried to play through ailments, and it's also tough to know whether he'd be at full strength upon a return or if he'd risk being a liability by playing at less than 100%.

At the moment, it's a moot point. Hedman isn't ready to play yet.

The Lightning will try to win playoff games without him.

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When is Victor Hedman coming back? Lightning injury news provides return timeline update in playoffs

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