Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning forward Brayden Point to return from injury Game 1 vs. Avalanche

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jun 15, 2022 2:37 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning will finally get their second-leading scorer from the regular season back on the ice on Wednesday, just in time for the Stanley Cup Finals. It's not yet known if they'll also have midseason acquisition Brandon Hagel available for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Jon Cooper said Brayden Point is IN for Game 1. Waiting on Hagel.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 15, 2022

Jon Cooper said they don’t know if Brandon Hagel can play tonight. Have to wait and see. That’ll dictate where Point slots in
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 15, 2022

Point was injured on May 14 during Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round of the playoffs. It was reported on Tuesday that the 26-year-old had "a chance" to play in the series-opener.

A former third-round pick, Point has spent his entire six-year NHL career with Tampa Bay and led the league in both games played (82) and game-winning goals (12) during the 2017-18 campaign. Point was second on the Lightning in goals this past season with 28 and fifth in points at 58.

The Lightning are looking to become the first NHL team in nearly 40 years to win three straight Stanley Cup titles. Game 1 between Tampa Bay and Colorado is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads: