Stamkos: There was no injury setback, 'it just didn't progress'
The Tampa Bay Lightning missed out on a playoff spot by a mere point.
Their final crusade down the stretch came up just short, but now that the dust has settled, there's little doubt the Lightning would be preparing for a Stanley Cup run if not for an injury that kept Steven Stamkos sidelined for the majority of the season.
Stamkos' knee injury - suffered Nov. 15 - limited him to just 17 games, and while there was growing optimism he could return in the season's final two weeks, it simply wasn't to be as the injury just didn't progress as quickly as expected.
"There was no setback. It just didn't progress as fast as I originally thought," Stamkos said Monday. "I'm confident I'll be (back to) 100 percent. It just takes time ... I have no doubt I'll be feeling good at the end of the summer."
The latter comment is welcome news for the Lightning. As for how the team performed in his absence, Stamkos liked what he saw, especially from his younger teammates.
"We know what they can do at this level now and that will only benefit us in the future," Stamkos said.
Stamkos on Drouin: "He has the ability to be a game-breaker and not too many teams have that kind of guy on the ice."
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 10, 2017
With their eyes set on next season, the Lightning should be better positioned with a healthy captain at the helm.