One thing we know about Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers - Steven Stamkos isn’t going to play. Consider us officially nervous about his status for the start of the playoffs. When he first suffered the injury just prior to The Pause, missing the first round of the playoffs seemed almost a given. Then, with the four month break, hopes rose that he would be fully healthy and ready to go once hockey kicked back into gear.
Since training camp the organization has been cautious about setting expectations for his return to action. He would be seen working out alone on the ice between the group sessions, occasionally popping in for some special teams work.