Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to miss the next 8-10 weeks following successful back surgery, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Thursday.

The team announced that the procedure was a microdiscectomy to address a lumbar disc herniation. The announcement comes as a surprise after the star goaltender returned to practice with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

While that initially appeared to be a step in the right direction, it created a setback for the 29-year-old.

Vasilevskiy's absence will be a major blow to the Lightning, who have made sparse investments in goaltending depth. The spotlight will fall on backup Jonas Johansson, a journeyman who signed a two-year $1.55 million contract with Tampa Bay in the offseason.

The 28-year-old spent most of 2022-23 with the Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate, and hasn't played more than 15 games in any of his four NHL seasons. While he's only played 35 games in the NHL, the early returns aren't particularly promising for the Swede.