Just before puck drop in a matinee game against the visiting Calgary Flames, the organization issued a statement that said Stamkos will go to St. Louis for surgery to repair a lingering core muscle injury.
Stamkos, 30, did not skate one shift in the final period of the club’s 4-3 home loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, then missed the Lightning’s 5-2 defeat Thursday against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.
A 12-year veteran and 60-goal scorer in the 2011-12 campaign, Stamkos produced 66 points — 29 of them on goals — through 57 games this season, ranking him second on the team in both categories. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, selected by the Lightning.
His rehab timeline would have him returning to the Lightning’s lineup in mid-April at the earliest — after the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Eastern Conference team currently slots in second in the Atlantic Division behind the first-place Boston Bruins.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
