Lightning can weather the loss of Ohlund

The news has come out that Mattias Ohlund will have arthroscopic knee surgery on both his knees tomorrow. The surgery on his ailing knees, which helped put him on injured reserve to start the season, should keep him out of commission until November. Maybe he'll be back sooner, maybe later... But it's going to be a bit of time.

Does that mean the Lightning are suddenly looking for a defenseman? Not really, no. They're already carrying seven on the roster. It's not like there is an absence of either leadership nor skill on the blueline.

While Victor Hedman has been a mainstay on the defense since his drafting in 2009, the spotlight falls upon him to step up to the next level now that his mentor is out for an extended period. New acquisitions Bruno Gervais and Matt Gilroy both need to assimilate themselves into the 1-3-1 system. Gervais will be starting on defense tonight in place of Gilroy, who may benefit from watching the game from the press box. It gives a different understanding and perspective on what's supposed to be done on defense.

Meanwhile, veterans Eric Brewer (who has been a Captain in his career) and Pavel Kubina (who has worn the "A" ) have plenty of leadership tenure to compare to Ohlund.

Ohlund being out is a loss, but the Lightning aren't unprepared for it.