General Manager Steve Yzerman just lost the underrated heart of their defensive core in the form of Anton Stralman last week. Now, he and his team just lost their heart on offense.
#TBLightning forward Steven Stamkos to undergo vascular surgery, expected to return in 1-3 months: https://t.co/a5kCJKwfNr
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 3, 2016
The Markham, Ontario native hadn’t missed a game since suffering a nasty leg injury in 2013. Just how important has the Lightning captain been to his team in the span between injuries? The numbers don’t lie.
Lightning’s Steven Stamkos expected to miss 1-3 months with injury. His 79 goals over last 2 seasons are 2nd-most in NHL in that span
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 3, 2016
In fact, one of the greatest assets of the 26-year old Sarnia Sting graduate is his durability. He was on his way to completing his 5th fully healthy 82-game campaign. In the other four, Stamkos scored 51, 45, 60, and 43 goals. This season, he scored just two goals in a 14-game span at one point from mid-November to late December with his team injury prone and struggling to find their identity. Since the new year however, the Lightning are 27-13-1. It’s no coincidence Stamkos has buried 20 goals in that stretch, including a six-game goal streak to close out February.
Jon Cooper will now have to lean on the Triplets Line of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat to carry the team into the playoffs and beyond. They played a major role last season in the Lightning’s Eastern Conference Championship campaign, scoring a combined 74 goals and 200 points. Even with Palat and Johnson missing time with injuries this season, the trio has still been key in Tampa’s resurgence, totaling a combined 59 goals and 138 points.
Other players that could be offered bigger opportunities include Vladislav Namestnikov, Jonathan Marchessault, and even Jonathan Drouin if the Bolts indeed decide to call him up. Considering where the situation was with the 21-year old earlier in the year, a productive Drouin in an elevated role could make the situation even more interesting for Yzerman and crew come summer.
After contract talks stalled into the season, the thought of Stamkos leaving as an unrestricted free agent was planted in the back of the city’s mind. The more talks have dragged, including the denial of a reported 8-year, $65 million deal in January, the scenario of the familiar #91 donning a jersey with a logo other than the crested Bolt on his chest has become all the more probable.
The team and faithful now face that scenario, one that severely hampers the dreams of a team built on Stanley Cup aspirations.
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