Stamkos was added to the COVID-19 list due to a false positive, so he is eligible for Monday's game vs. the Panthers. However, Stamkos is dealing with a lower-body injury as well, so he's questionable to play on Monday.
Stamkos was added to the COVID-19 reserve list on Friday but he took to Twitter to say that he believes it's a false positive. Even if that's the case, he has to follow NHL's COVID-19 protocol until he's cleared to play, so don't expect to see him on Saturday.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that he doesn’t think Stamkos will play in Game 2 but didn’t rule it out either. That makes Stamkos a game-time decision but more doubtful than probable. The Lightning have scored just four goals in their last three games (1.33 GF/gm) so they could use a 400-goal scorer.
When head coach Jon Cooper met with the media on Monday he said that everything is "status quo" which suggests that Stamkos is still "out indefinitely." Unless he's keeping things close to the vest ahead of Game 1, don't expect Stamkos to be out there on Tuesday afternoon.
Stamkos will miss his third straight round-robin game on Saturday and Jon Cooper's update on his status was not very positive. He noted that Stamkos is "working his tail off" to get back but added that for now "Stamkos is out indefinitely." The Lighting did not need him during the round-robin but that could change come Round 1.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper expects Stamkos to skate on Tuesday but will not play tomorrow vs. the Bruins. Tampa Bay won their first round-robin game vs. the Capitals without Stamkos and it's evident they won't rush him back for these pre-playoff games.
Stamkos didn't practice Saturday after training in three-straight sessions with his teammates in Toronto on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Head coach Jon Cooper said they never really had plans for Stamkos to play in Game 1 of the round-robin. With Stamkos likely out, Ondrej Palat will move to the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.
When the season was paused, Stamkos was out after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He was 100 percent healthy in his return to the ice but suffered a new lower-body injury in a training session in Tampa Bay. Still, GM Julien BriseBois fully expects Stamjos to be ready for the round-robin that starts for the Lighting on August 3rd.
Stamkos will undergo a surgical procedure Monday and will miss at least six weeks. That will keep Stamkos sidelined through the rest of the regular season but he should be ready during round one of the playoffs.
Stamkos left Tuesday's game vs. the Maple Leafs when an old injury popped back up. Stamkos is not on the ice for the morning skate, so don't expect him to play tonight vs. the Blackhawks. Ondrej Palat moved up to the top line after Stamkos left Tuesday's game and Mitchell Stephens was recalled from the AHL on Wednesday.
Head coach Jon Cooper said that the injury that Stamkos has been dealing with came up again. Stamkos has only missed a total of six games this season but has been dealing with a lower-body injury on-and-off. With Tampa Bay sitting comfortably in second in the Atlantic Division, don't be surprised if Stamkos misses some time to ensure he's 100 percent for the playoffs.
Stamkos did not come out for the Lightning's morning skate and will not play tonight in Columbus. Stamkos is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, so Mathieu Joseph was recalled from Syracuse (AHL) and will draw into the lineup. Ondrej Palat will move to the top-line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.
Stamkos missed the last three games with a lower-body injury but will play Saturday in Washington. Stamkos, who has 20 points (7G / 13A) in 19 games this season, will skate on a line with Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli in his return to the lineup.
Head coach Jon Cooper called Stamkos "day-to-dayish" and said he hopes he'll play by the end of the week. With Stamkos out, the Lightning are leaning heavily on the Anthony Cirelli line for secondary scoring. After tonight, Tampa Bay has three more games this week--Wednesday vs. St. Louis, Friday in Washington and Saturday vs. Carolina.
