NHL Injury News, Rumors: Lightning's Steven Stamkos out at Least a Month with Blood Clot
Steven Stamkos hasn't missed a game for a very long time, so when he failed to show up in the Tampa Bay Lightning's victory over the New Jersey Devils last Saturday, it became apparent he was dealing with a problem. According to the team, Stamkos had an upper body injury, but it was later revealed to be more than that.
It was Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman who disclosed to the media that the 26-year old had some kind of blood clot issue, particularly in his right arm and that it needed surgery. Per CBS Sports report, the surgery is expected to be performed today and that the team expects the ice hockey center to make a full recovery in one to three months. The bad news is that kind of timeline means that he is literally sidelined for the rest of the postseason.
Per report from The Associated Press, Stamkos' condition is referred to as a kind of vascular thoracic syndrome situated near his right collarbone.
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Later in the weekend, Stamkos released a statement addressing the issue. "Obviously this situation is extremely disappointing because I wanted to help my team clinch a playoff spot and prepare for the start of the postseason," he said.
Without Stamkos, Tampa Bay's campaign is dealt a major blow. Though they still are one of the favorite teams to reach the Stanley Cup in the east, they now will be facing a serious obstacle along the way. Stamkos is one of the best offensive players in the league right now and losing him means the Lightning will have to find another player in the current roster to step up for them. That role is certainly quite challenging to fill in, considering that Stamkos produced 36 goals and 28 assists in a total of 77 games for the team this season alone.
