Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos will undergo core muscle surgery and is expected to miss approximately six-to-eight weeks, the team announced Saturday.
Even if Stamkos returns exactly six weeks from now (April 11), he wouldn't make it back for the end of the regular season, which wraps up on April 4. If he requires the full eight weeks to recover, his availability for the entire first round of the playoffs will be in jeopardy.
The 30-year-old finishes the 2019-20 campaign with 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games.
While there's no replacing a player of Stamkos' ilk, the Lightning are well-equipped to remain competitive during his absence. The club has depth at both left wing and center, especially since the trade deadline additions of versatile forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow.
