from Joe Smith of Lightning Strikes at the Tampa Bay Times,

As backup goalie Evgeni Nabokov cleared waivers Monday, the Lightning started moving on without its veteran presence.

“It’s a somber feeling right now,” goalie Ben Bishop said after Monday’s practice at Amalie Arena....

Nabokov, 39, hasn’t yet announced whether he intends to retire or pursue other playing options now that he’s cleared waivers. He’s three games shy of reaching the 700-game milestone in the NHL.

“You dread things like that ever having to happen…” coach Jon Cooper said. “Sometimes the reality that this is a business comes out. It’s an extremely tough situation.”

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