Tampa Bay Lightning Report: Did Ryan Callahan Back Himself Into A Corner?
2. Did Ryan Callahan Return From Injury Too Soon?
When Ryan Callahan underwent surgery on June 21st, it was initially believed the Lightning alternate captain would be forced to miss five months away from the ice. This would’ve placed him with a return date of November 21st.
Tampa Bay Lightning
As most Lightning fans know by now, Callahan made his return to the ice on October 30th. This means Cally made his return to the ice four months and nine days after his surgery. While the almost three weeks separating his return date from his estimated return date may not seem like a lot when you’re talking about an injury (especially one surgery-related) mere days can be determining factor.
Honestly, it shouldn’t surprise anyone as to why Callahan returned on the specific date he did. As we mentioned previously, the Tampa Bay Lightning were set to take on the New York Rangers, Callahan’s former team, on this particular date. His return sure made for a heck of a storyline.
Unfortunately, given the fact Callahan played a mere 18 games before heading back to the Injured List, one could easily question whether or not he could’ve benefitted from the additional three weeks of recovery before making his return.
As we mentioned before, we are not medical doctors. Obviously, someone had to clear him in order for him to make his return to the ice. At the same time, having experienced a number of injuries in the past ourselves, it cannot be overstated how much a mere couple of days can mean to someone’s recovery.
Coming from the standpoint of a fan, and someone who has no manner of medical training other than basic first aid, it almost feels as if Callahan’s return to the ice was a little rushed and may very well have hurt him in the long run. This is definitely one of those times we hope we are wrong, but it’s definitely not looking good.