Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will undergo surgery Monday and miss approximately six to eight weeks, the team announced Saturday.
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. 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.
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.
–Chicago Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will miss the rest of the season with injuries, the team announced.
Shaw has been in the league’s concussion protocol since Dec. 3 after being injured on Nov. 30 in a 7-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. In 26 games on the season, Shaw has three goals and seven assists.
Smith, 31, hasn’t played since Feb. 12 when he sustained a hand injury in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. It’s a back injury, however, that will sideline him long-term; the team said he is scheduled to have surgery on Friday.
–The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Ryan Murray from injured reserve.
Murray, 26, missed the past 34 games after suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 14 at Ottawa. He has recorded two goals and five assists in 24 games this season.
He has 108 points (15 goals, 93 assists) and 104 penalty minutes in 344 games since making his NHL debut with Columbus in 2013-14.
–Field Level Media
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