Rumors that Connor Bedard will replace Team Canada player who suffered devastating injury this evening

UPDATE: There are unsubstantiated reports circulating on social media this evening that the knee injury suffered by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point this morning will have him out of action long-term.

If that's indeed true, you have to imagine that Chicago Blackhawks youngster Connor Bedard will be next man up to replace Point on Team Canada's roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. In fact, fans online are speculating just as much. We already know that Bedard and Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett have been tabbed by Hockey Canada as injury replacements, so it stands to reason that Bedard would draw in for Point.

Obviously, Bedard himself just returned from injury so it'll be interesting to see how he plays over the coming weeks leading up to Milan 2026.

Again, stay tuned for an official update on Point's status from Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

Read below for our earlier report on Point's injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point had to be helped off the ice this evening after suffering an apparent knee injury.

Point scored a pretty powerplay goal against the Philadelphia Flyers but twisted his right knee underneath him on the play and needed help from teammate Nikita Kucherov to get off the ice.

Check it out:

Obviously this is bad news for the Lightning, but don't forget that Point is a major part of Team Canada's roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. If Point is out for any significant length of time it could factor heavily into Canada's plans for the Milan Olympics.

Stay tuned for an update from the team as soon as it's available.