When Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier left Monday's practice early, not many eyebrows were raised. It is not uncommon for players this time of year to take some time for "body maintenance." Right wing Steve Downie sat out Monday for that reason.

But then the team started talking about an upper-body injury, something coach Guy Boucher said "popped up" during Saturday's 2-1 win over the Capitals. Lecavalier did not miss any time in that game. There also was a hint Lecavalier was to have testing done on Monday, and when asked if the whole thing was a concern, Boucher said, "We'll see."

We probably will have to wait until Tuesday to get any more details, but losing Lecavalier would be a blow to a team fighting its way back into the playoff conversation. The center has 10 goals and 27 points in his past 30 games.

Lecavalier, 31, was not available for comment after practice; he already had left the arena, the team said. And the only update is that Lecavalier has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.