Lightning F Nikita Kucherov returns to practice

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov skated with the team Saturday morning, his first practice participation since surgery in late October.

Coach Jon Cooper told reporters Kucherov's brief time on the ice "does not trigger anything new in his timeline" and cautioned that the forward is "still quite a ways off."

Kucherov, 28, hasn't played since Oct. 16 when he sustained a lower-body injury during a game against the