Andrei Vasilevskiy made a late return to the ice during Tampa Bay Lightning’s NHL preseason. However, Jon Cooper and company have yet to put him in net for any game, drawing concerns about his health. In the meantime, the addition of another goaltender further feeds the mystery in Tampa.
The Lightning are welcoming undrafted goaltender Phoenix Copley to their ranks ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season-opener. While an intriguing addition to the team in the Big Guava, most fans see it as a bad sign on Vasilevskiy’s status.
As first reported by Frank Seravalli on X, the Bolts have claimed Copley from waivers, where the Los Angeles Kings had placed him. Though Copley played a big role for the team in L.A. during the 2022-23 NHL campaign, he’s since only appeared in nine games in the past two seasons. Copley has spent most of that time with the Ontario Reign in the AHL.
Next man up
While reports suggest Vasilevskiy is manning the crease for Tampa Bay during Saturday’s preseason finale, signs indicate the two-time Stanley Cup champion may not be fully healthy.
“At first glance, it might be a concerning situation arising as Andrei Vasilevskiy has been absent for most of training camp for what the team has described as ‘player maintenance‘,” as reported by lightninginsider.com on Copley’s waiver addition.
If that’s the case, Cooper and the staff in Cigar City may have to turn to other names in the goaltending room. Jonas Johansson is expected to round out the tandem behind Vasilevskiy and would therefore get the start if the Russian goalie can’t dress for the season opener on October 9 against the Ottawa Senators. Still, Copley could make a lasting first impression and earn his shot in the Bolts’ net.
North Pole-native
Born in North Pole, Alaska—1,700 miles from the actual North Pole—Copley is one of the NHL’s more intriguing names. The 33-year-old netminder is now looking to re-establish himself as a viable option in goal. He managed to do just that with the Kings during the 2022-23 season, appearing in 37 games for Los Angeles.
Since then, however, things have trended downward. Last season, Copley saw the ice only once, coming in for relief of David Rittich, who had allowed four goals on 14 shots. The Kings went on to lose 6-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Copley hasn’t stood between the pipes in the NHL since that rough outing on October 16, 2024.