Lightning center Steven Stamkos was a late scratch before their game tonight against Ottawa. The team announced (Twitter link) that the captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Stamkos is off to a nice start to his 16th NHL season, notching two goals and two assists in his first two appearances. However, he was banged up in last night’s game against Detroit. Stamkos is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has already expressed some frustration with the fact an extension isn’t yet in place. One won’t be coming anytime soon though with GM Julien BriseBois telling Stamkos that discussions about a new deal won’t come until after the season comes to an end.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren was a surprising scratch for last night’s game against Columbus. Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays that Lindgren sat with what the team called an upper-body injury. The defenseman took a shot off the hand in New York’s season opener back on Thursday but was a full participant in practice Friday and in the morning skate Saturday. The fact he was fine to participate in those two suggests that the Rangers are primarily being precautionary with Lindgren and that he shouldn’t be out for too long.
- Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea acknowledged to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Pittsburgh was the runner-up when NHL teams were pursuing him out of college back in 2020. The 26-year-old ultimately signed with Dallas at the time but never suited up for the Stars despite being recalled for a handful of days here and there. Shea somewhat surprisingly cracked Pittsburgh’s opening roster after signing with them this past summer with a good showing in training camp and could get a chance to make his NHL debut in the coming days.
What could happen to Julien BriseBois next summer: “Lets see, Stammer is #91 on my speed dial, so here goes. (Special Information tone) I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. If you feel that you’ve reached this message in error, you haven’t. You should’ve extended him BEFORE the season started! CLICK!” (Dial tone)
@Mac – That Jeannot trade makes me wonder if that was the beginning of BriseBois losing his touch.
ya mean that Y stopped giving him advice.
@Johnny Z – Thinking that the old umbilical wasn’t several hundred miles long? Might be looking that way now.
@Gbear – I’m really interested in seeing what he can do with a healthy season there. But, thanks to #88’s injury and their continued defensive issues, this first quarter could get away from them in a hurry. That was one very frustrated Dave Mishkin on the call this evening.
Great point. A succesful NHL GM losing his touch because a few of you babblers don’t agree with one move. Please keep posting! You and your yapping friends keep these forums entertaining.
Negative Nancy is back agaim
Did doghockey say something?
@Gbear – I couldn’t tell; Bonesy’s being a Chatty Cathy tonight!
I liked what I saw out of Shea in the preseason. We must upgrade Ruhwedel’s spot.
With the cap limit next year not being a certainty and TB being so close to the limit, Stammer and BB will have to wait until the upper limit is set in stone.