Lightning’s Brayden Point to return shortly after holiday break

BRANDON — Lightning center Brayden Point is still wearing a red no-contact jersey at practice. But based on the way he’s been skating, he certainly looks ready to return from the shoulder injury that’s sidelined him for the past month.

Point continues to practice with the team, and Sunday at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon he skated on a line with injured Nikita Kucherov and rookie Gabriel Fortier, who had been a healthy scratch in recent games.

Coach Jon Cooper said Sunday that when the team returns from the holiday break, Point should be considered in the “day-to-day” category.

The Lightning’s first game after the break is a home game against the Canadiens on Dec. 28.

Kucherov continues to practice with the team but isn’t expected back until early to mid-January.

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