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URL: http://www.tbo.com/sports/lightning/with-injured-stamkos-out-bolts-still-win-season-home-finale-20160402/
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos out 1-3
months with blood clot
By Erik Erlendsson
Published: April 2, 2016 Updated: April 2, 2016 at 11:20 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning's Steven Stamkos will undergo a procedure on Monday at Tampa General
Hospital to alleviate the clot. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE
TAMPA - Life without Steven Stamkos has been a constant story line surrounding the
Tampa Bay Lightning this season.
Now, it’s the story line.
Stamkos will miss up one-to-three months after being diagnosed with a blood clot
near his right collarbone that will require surgery. The condition was diagnosed
Friday and he will undergo a procedure on Monday at Tampa General Hospital to
alleviate the clot. He will be on blood thinners for an indefinite period of time before
he can resume normal hockey activities.
The type of Vascular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, called Effort Thrombosis, is the
same diagnosis as goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who underwent a procedure to
remove the top rib on his left arm on September 3. Vasilevskiy was cleared to return
to full activity on October 21 and practiced with the team on Oct. 26 before returning
to action in a rehab start on Oct. 28.

2. “We do not anticipate any negative impact on his return to his playing career moving
forward,’’ Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said. “Strangely and ironically
we dealt with this situation, we know what we are dealing with and are comfortable
with the medical team we have and the procedure we are doing.’’
The news was delivered on Saturday less than an hour after Tampa Bay won its home
regular season finale, 3-1 against New Jersey to take one step toward clinching a
playoff spot for the third consecutive season on the heels of a three-point game from
Nikita Kucherov - who scored his 30th goal - and a goal and assist from Victor
Hedman.
But now one has to wonder how far this team, which made the Stanley Cup Final last
season, can go without the team’s top goal scorer and captain after already losing top
defenseman Anton Stralman to a fractured leg last week.
And with Stamkos scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season,
the real possibility that Stamkos has played his final game with the Lightning became
a reality. Any contract talks have not proven to gain any traction to this point and he
will be free to sign with any team on July 1 should the two sides not come together on
an extension before then.
Until then, Tampa Bay will learn exactly what life could look like with Stamkos in the
lineup as they look to clinch a playoff spot on a four-game road trip to end the season,
which starts Monday at the New York Islanders. Tampa Bay would have to advance
at least past the first round for Stamkos to have any chance to suit up in a Lightning
uniform again this season.
“Obviously this situation is extremely disappointing because I wanted to help my
team clinch a playoff spot and prepare for the start of the postseason,’’ Stamkos said
in a statement released by the team. “During my recover I will do all I can to help my
teammates and I hope to rejoin them soon in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.’’
The Lightning will have a difficult time filling the void left behind by Stamkos, who
will finish the season with 36 goals and 64 points. Throughout his NHL career he has
proven to be durable as Saturday was just the second time he’s missed games due to
injury. He had a streak of 209 consecutive games played, including the playoffs.
Stamkos had not missed a game since returning from a broken leg on March 6, 2014.
Before that he missed just two games in his career, a pair of healthy scratches as a
rookie.
One option to consider is Jonathan Drouin, the former 2013 No. 3 overall pick who
has had his issues with the team this season after going public with a trade request that

3. led to a suspension when he refused to play for Syracuse in the American Hockey
League. But since his return to the Crunch, Drouin has nine goals in 10 games and has
scored in five consecutive games.
“That is something we will have to take into consideration,’’ Yzerman said.
eerlendsson@tampatrib.com
Twitter: @erlendssonTBO