Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy did light skating in full pads Monday for the first time since Sept. 3 surgery to remove a blood clot near his left collarbone, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

"I feel good," Vasilevskiy told the Times. "Almost like before surgery."

Vasilevskiy, who's expected to miss 2-3 months, can work out but has to be careful with his left shoulder. He isn't allowed to face shots while he remains on blood thinners.

"I want to be quick on the ice, play games," Vasilevskiy said. "But I should be smart, not play so quick after surgery. It takes some time to recover. We'll see."

Vasilevskiy's star was on the rise after the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he went from backing up Ben Bishop to starting Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks with Bishop bothered by a groin injury. He made 17 saves in a 2-1 loss.

Vasilevskiy was 7-5-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 16 regular-season games as a rookie. He made four total appearances in the playoffs, winning Game 2 of the Cup Final in relief of Bishop and posting a 3.19 GAA and .895 save percentage.

He turned 21 in July and is looking forward to rejoining the Lightning and building off a memorable first NHL season.

"I learned a lot of things," Vasilevskiy said. "It was the best season of my life. So many good memories for me. If you want to play in the NHL, you should work every day, work hard."