Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Update: Steven Stamkos Returns To Full Practice (Video)
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has finally made his return to practice with the team in a regular jersey, making yet another stride towards making his return to the ice.
If there is any one thing a fan could pinpoint as the biggest detriment to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s season, there is no doubt in our minds the answer would be the insane amount of injuries the team has been forced to deal with thus far. It has been quite some time since the team has been ravaged to this capacity.
As almost any Tampa Bay Lightning fan knows by now, there is one injury tale in particular which has captivated the minds, hearts, and nervous system of the Bolts Nation this season. This would be the nearly season-ending injury to Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
In the event you’ve been living on a deserted island with no Wi-Fi over the last couple of months, allow us to give you a little recap of what’s been going on with our beloved captain. Back on Nov. 15, the Tampa Bay Lightning was taking on the Detroit Red Wings. Little did Lightning fans know, things were about to go wrong.
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It was the first period of play and the captain was chasing the puck along the boards. Suddenly, Stamkos was involved in an awkward fall with Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist. It was noticeable almost immediately something was very, very wrong.
Unfortunately for Lightning fans, this is the last time he’d be seen on the ice in a very long time.
Just one day removed from the incident, the Tampa Bay Lightning would announce the captain would be “out indefinitely” as the team and their medical staff ascertained the severity of Stammer’s injury and formulated a plan for his recovery. The bad news is, the verdict would not be one fans would want to hear.
In a mere 24 hours after the initial announcement, it would be announced Steven Stamkos would be forced to miss 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to repair a lateral tear in his right meniscus. This is the third time in his career he would be the victim of an insane injury causing him to miss months at a time.
Now, here is where we find ourselves. The four-month mark has come and gone and there is still no return date set for Steven Stamkos. As you can imagine, this has many people here in the Bolts Nation relentlessly asking when the captain will be ready to make his return to the ice.
Steven Stamkos has been very clear on the subject. “When I feel 100 percent, I’ll be back playing.”
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Well, we still don’t have a definitive return date on the 27-year-old captain, we have come across some rather good news which is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of everyone here in the Bolts Nation. According to Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Reporter Caley Chelios, the captain was the first player on the ice this morning.
Why is this so special? Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be incredibly significant. However, today things are a little different. Today, Stamkos took the ice in a regular jersey and is back to normal play at practice. Needless to say, Stammer looked pretty good on the ice.
Stamkos is at an interesting point in the season. There are a mere nine games left in the season after tonight’s encounter with the Boston Bruins. If he wants to make a return during the regular season, the window of opportunity is about to slam shut. At the same time, we don’t want Stamkos returning to the ice even one minute before he’s 100 percent and ready to perform to the best of his ability.
Realistically, it may be the first or second round of the postseason before the captain will be ready to make his way back to the ice. As is always the case in the National Hockey League, things can change in the blink of an eye, but we wouldn’t recommend holding your breath until Stammer makes his return. You kind of need air to live.
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In any case, Steven Stamkos continues to make progress towards his ultimate goal of making his way back to the ice and rejoining his team in the chase for the postseason. Stamkos has been down this road before and knows better than anyone when his body is ready to carry the load. Whether it comes now or in the first round(s) of the postseason, it will ultimately be when the time is right for Stamkos and not a minute sooner.