Lightning's Callahan 'full go' for training camp

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan is fully healthy after missing 64 games last year and is excited about the prospect of a bounce-back season.

"I'm full go, right from day one," Callahan told Corey Long of NHL.com. "It's going to be nice to be able to do a hard training camp this year."

Callahan missed training camp and the start of last season due to offseason hip surgery. He returned and played 18 games, only to undergo a second procedure in February to deal with a stitch from the previous surgery that had come out and was pulling on his femur.

In his abbreviated campaign, Callahan picked up a measly four points.

"It goes without saying this is the most excited I've been in a long, long time going into a season after only playing 18 games last year and feeling the way I do now," he said.

If Callahan is feeling like his old self again, it would go a long way in helping the Lightning return to the postseason. In his first season in Tampa, he scored 24 goals, added 30 assists, and was counted on to play crunch-time minutes as one of the league's most reliable defensive forwards - much like his time with the New York Rangers.

However, over the last two seasons, he has totaled just 32 points in 91 games, bringing into question whether or not the 32-year-old - who carries an annual cap hit of $5.8 million over the next three years - can still be an effective player.

"I know there's chatter and people doubt me - if I can come back and what I'll be like when I come back," Callahan said. "I've always tried to use it as motivation. That's how they propelled me to the place I am right now in my career. I'm looking at this the same way. I'm excited to get going this year. I think it's going to be one of the best years I've ever had."

Callahan wasn't the only member of the Lightning to miss significant time last season. Their top three centers - Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, and Brayden Point - missed a combined 95 games. Nikita Kucherov, their leading scorer, missed eight games, and Ondrej Palat missed seven.

Despite this adversity, the club fell short of the playoffs by just a single point.

"We have the talent in here, but now I think we have some of that hunger back," Callahan said. "Just talking to the guys in the room, we're all excited about what could be and to prove to everybody that last year was a fluke."