Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Update: Ryan Callahan to miss start of 2018-2019 season
Tampa Bay Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan has hit another major bump in the road and will be forced to miss the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning is no stranger to injuries. There have been times in the past where the Lightning has lost more players on any given night than they had returned to the lineup. Regrettably, there are some players who seem to be struck by the injury bug more than any other player on the team.
One of those unfortunate players is Tampa Bay Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan. Callahan experienced yet another major bump in the road on Thursday evening when it was announced the Lightning forward had undergone shoulder surgery earlier in the day and was expected to miss five months.
At first, you think to yourself, “No big deal. It’s the off-season.” Then, you do the math in your head and realize missing five months means Ryan Callahan will be on the sidelines until November. This means Callahan will miss the start of the upcoming 2018-19 season.
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Regrettably, this outcome has been a long time in the making. Callahan first injured his shoulder back in December when he got tied up with Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and collided hard with the boards. After missing a couple of weeks, Cally would return to the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens.
Things went from bad to worse for the veteran forward on March 20, 2018, when he would reinjure his shoulder after an on-ice altercation with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Josh Leivo. This time around, he would be forced to miss five games as a result of his injury. He would return on April 1, 2018, against the Nashville Predators.
Just when one thought Callahan was out of the woods and the postseason was kicking into gear, the injury bug was back to pester Cally once again. In Game 2 of the Opening Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New Jersey Devils, Callahan would aggravate his injury once again.
Thankfully, Callahan would return to the lineup on April 21 as the Lightning closed out the series against the Devils in Game 5. Callahan would not miss any more time during the postseason due to his injury, but this didn’t mean he was completely out of the woods.
Ryan Callahan is one of the hardest workers on the team right now. He lays everything out on the line when he’s on the ice and is one of the players who will dig deep to get the job done. Unfortunately, his injuries seem to be catching up with him. This is never a place a player wants to find themselves.
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If everything goes according to plan, Callahan should only miss the first couple of weeks of the season. Keep in mind; this is if his recovery stays on track. If there is any sort of bump in the road along the way, he could be forced to miss more time. Hopefully, this is not a bridge the Lightning needs to cross, but only time will tell.