It's been a rough couple of weeks for Tampa Bay, and things just got a lot worse.
The Lightning announced via their website on Saturday that captain Steven Stamkos will undergo surgery to repair a core muscle injury, with a recovery time of around six to eight weeks.
#TBLightning captain Steven Stamkos will undergo a surgical procedure on Monday, March 2 to repair a core muscle injury.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 29, 2020
Recovery and rehabilitation are anticipated to last approximately six to eight weeks.https://t.co/UzfkHwdJhs
The surgery will take place on Monday at Washington University in St. Louis.
After leaving Tuesday's game against Toronto early, the star forward was ruled out Thursday night for Tampa Bay's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He also missed games earlier in the month against Edmonton and Columbus with what the team called a "lower-body injury."
A six-week absence would keep Stamkos out until the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while an eight-week layoff would keep him out until at least the second round if the Lightning make it that far.
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The injury is a big blow to Tampa Bay, who lost four straight heading into Saturday after setting a franchise record with an 11-game win streak. Stamkos has been crucial to the team's success all season, chipping in 29 goals and 37 assists in 57 games.
The last time Stamkos missed extended time was during the 2016-17 season. He missed all but 17 games with a knee injury that year as the Lightning missed the playoffs by a single point.
The team is still one of the best in the league even without their star forward, but the pressure will be on players like Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point to pick up the slack while Stamkos is out. Nobody in Tampa Bay wants another early-round exit in the playoffs this year.
