Tampa Bay Lightning captain and leading scorer Steven Stamkos will miss their Thursday night game against the Florida Panthers. Joe Smith reports that he’s out with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
Stamkos leads the Bolts with 14 points and seven goals through their first 11 games. He’s also the most heavily used forward with 203:18 in ice time while being deployed across all strengths. His absence means that Tyler Johnson will likely be promoted to the top-line and should also see increased powerplay usage. Johnson carries a modest $3,800 salary and should easily surpass his 6.