The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they will be without Steven Stamkos for the next six to eight weeks. Stamkos will undergo a surgical procedure on Monday, March 2 to repair a core muscle injury.
#TBLightning captain Steven Stamkos will undergo a surgical procedure on Monday, March 2 to repair a core muscle injury.
Recovery and rehabilitation are anticipated to last approximately six to eight weeks.https://t.co/UzfkHwdJhs
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 29, 2020
Steven Stamkos Out Six to Eight Weeks
The surgery on Stamkos will be performed by Dr. Michael Brunt at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Stamkos last played on February 25th against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He logged 12:30 of ice time before being forced to leave due to the injury.
In 57 games this season, Stamkos has scored 29 goals and 37 assists for 66 points.
Over his career, he has scored 422 goals and 410 assists for 832 points in 803 games.
Stamkos was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, 1st overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Massive Loss for the Bolts
This is an extremely tough loss for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos has been having an outstanding season this year. With the final push for the playoffs underway, the Lightning finds themselves nine points back of the Boston Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division. While their playoff spot is all but locked up, grabbing that first position and home ice throughout the first two rounds is something the Lightning would certainly be hoping for. Losing Stamkos greatly affects the teams’ chances of accomplishing this.
Given the six to eight-week timeline, the earliest Stamkos could possibly be back is April 13th. This would be just in the middle of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that’s the six-week mark so that’s wishful thinking. There is a very strong chance the Lightning will have to play the first round of the playoffs without their captain.
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