Lightning's Callahan expected out 5 months after shoulder surgery

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan is expected to be out for approximately five months after undergoing shoulder surgery Thursday, the team announced.

If Callahan recovers within the expected time frame, he would miss training camp, preseason, and the first month of the regular season.

The 33-year-old is no longer the offensive threat he once was, as injuries, age, and poor footspeed have caught up with him. He was relegated to fourth-line duties for most of the 2017-18 campaign, tallying five goals and 13 assists in 67 games.

Callahan still has two years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.8 million.