Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos said Friday he was hopeful he would be able to return to the ice for the Eastern Conference final, but didn’t have any sort of time line in place.
Stamkos, a four-time All-Star with 314 career goals, has been out since April 4, when he had surgery to remove a blood clot in his right arm. The initial prognosis was that he would miss 1-3 months. He participated in the team’s optional skate Friday morning before Game 1 at Consol Energy Center, but does not have a clear idea of when he’ll be able to return to game action.