Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos will be out about four months after having arthroscopic surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee Thursday. Stamkos had the procedure in Vail, Colorado.
The Lightning captain was injured during a 4-3 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday after he fell awkwardly against the boards while killing a penalty in the first period. He was unable to put pressure on his right leg as he skated to the bench. He played four shifts and had 2:07 of ice time. Stamkos' 20 points were tied for second in the NHL with Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin, one behind Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele and Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. Stamkos signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Lightning on June 29.
Injuries have slowed Stamkos' NHL career. He broke his right tibia after crashing into the goal post during a game at the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11, 2013, and missed 45 games. He also missed all but one game of the Lightning's run to the 2016 Eastern Conference Final while recovering from a blood clot near his collarbone that had to be treated with surgery. The Lightning continued a five-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday. Read: Fantasy impact: Steven Stamkos' injury
