On the Tampa Bay Lightning …
Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times: Forward Steven Stamkos said yesterday that they may have “got a little bit ahead of ourselves” on his potential return to the lineup. He wouldn’t have been available for the start playoffs had the Lightning made it. Stamkos didn’t suffer any setbacks, it just didn’t progress as fast as he had thought.
“I don’t think it was as close as everyone thought, or maybe we had thought at one time,” Stamkos said. “I think we got a little ahead of ourselves. When it came out that it was day-to-day, I don’t think it was quite day to day. It was definitely improving, it was at a point where I was out there working hard and getting myself in position if we got in the playoffs, I was going to give myself a chance to be healthy. Obviously it didn’t work out.”
Stamkos will continue to rehab and skate this offseason and won’t take much time off. He’s confident that he’ll be a 100 percent for the start of next season.
Bryan Burns: Stamkos: “I’ve been hit pretty hard last couple years w/ 2 injuries & the medical condition…You hope this is the end. Things happen in 3s”
Joe Smith: Forward Tyler Johnson said that he doesn’t require a procedure for his lower-body injury. He added that he needed another week or two and he would have been able to go.
Bryan Burns: Johnson on his injury: “We couldn’t really do anything with it. It was just one of those things that you just need time. We didn’t have that.”
Bryan Burns: Forward Ryan Callahan: “My hip feels really good. That shouldn’t be an issue anymore. Now it’s just a matter of getting it strong.”
Tampa Bay Lightning: Forward Ryan Callahan: “I’ve only been on the ice maybe two or three times now, but everything feels good. Hopefully this is behind me now.”
On the New York Islanders …
Arthur Staple: Forward Casey Cizikas will need six weeks to fully recover from his finger surgery. Forward Ryan Strome (broken wrist) said that he would have been able to resume playing next week.
Arthur Staple: Forward Cal Clutterbuck said that his nagging injury was a groin strain. He won’t need surgery. Nikolai Kulemin has a shoulder injury that doesn’t require surgery.
Andy Graziano: Forward John Tavares said that if they made the playoffs, his injury was three to five weeks.
Brian Compton: Forward Andrew Ladd said that he was playing through some nagging injuries for the first few months of the season.
On the Buffalo Sabres …
John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Coach Dan Bylsma still didn’t have an update on Kyle Okposo‘s condition for now and if he’ll be OK for the start of next year. Okposo left the team on March 28th with an illness that landed him in neuro ICU at Buffalo General Medical Center.
On the Arizona Coyotes …
Sarah McLellan: Coach Dave Tippett can’t think of any players that will require surgery to fix any issues.