The 27-year-old Russian has been Tampa Bay's top scorer for the past five seasons and won the Stanley Cup play-off points when his club became champions in September.
According to the NHL, he has previously only missed a total of four games in the last three seasons.
Tampa Bay is now hoping that Kucherov can make a comeback in time for the upcoming playoffs, which begin in May after an abbreviated regular season.
- Now it will be our job as a group, players, coaches and leaders to make sure we get to the playoffs.
But it will not be easy.
It would not have happened to him on the ice either, but now it will be an even bigger challenge, says the club's general manager Julien BriseBois to nhl.com.
The upcoming season kicks off on Wednesday 13 January and will run until 8 May.
16 teams go to the Stanley Cup play-offs, which are expected to be completed in July.
ARCHIVE: Tampa Bay Stanley Cup wins here - for the first time in 16 years (September 29, 2020)
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Here, Tampa Bay wins the Stanley Cup - for the first time in 16 years Photo: TT News Agency