Lightning's Steven Stamkos Says He'll Return from Injury If NHL Season Resumes

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos says he expects to return from injury if the 2019-20 NHL season resumes.

"With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning, because I thought I would be possibly missing some [Stanley Cup] Playoff games," Stamkos said in a video shared by the Lightning on Friday (h/t Mike Battaglino of NHL.com). "And the stoppage happened. We didn't know how long it was going to be, so the kind of silver lining in that was I'll be ready when we resume."

The Lightning were dealt a tough blow in February when they announced their captain would miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. That effectively ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season until the NHL postponed the campaign as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Any time you lose as big a part of your team as your captain, it's a loss," head coach Jon Cooper told reporters. "You can't replace him. He's one of the best in the world at what he does."

The injury derailed what had been a productive season for Stamkos, who had 29 goals and 37 assists through 57 games.

Cooper's comments underscored the center's value to Tampa Bay. The team has an embarrassment of riches among its forward group, including reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov, but Stamkos' absence would have left a significant void.

The Lightning were swept in the first round of last year's playoffs after reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2018.