Stamkos left last night's game after taking a knee to the head. Good news that the Lightning captain will be back for Game 4 with this team down 3-0 in the series.
Sissons had one goal and three assists in 17 games with the Predators. With Paul Gaustad returning to the Predators lineup on Saturday, Sissons has been returned to the AHL.
Forsberg has five points (1G / 4A) in 12 games with the Predators this season. While in Milwaukee he has 10 goals and 17 assists (27 points) in 36 games. He is expected to skate on a line with Colton Sissons and Richard Clune tonight in Chicago.
O'Reilly is having a career year having posted 25 goals and 30 assists (55 points) in 66 games. What is most impressive is his ZERO penalty minutes and his league leading 71 takeaways.
Stamkos has played over 21 minutes in each of his first two games back and said that he felt good. The team says he just took his option; Stamkos said he would pick and choose days to take off.
Stamkos has missed 45 games with fractured right tibia but his long awaited return will come on Thursday against the Sabres. This has to feel like the best trade deadline acquisition for the Lightning. Stamkos was excellent before getting hurt. He scored 14 goals and nine assists (23 points) in 17 games. He is a tremendous athlete and will probably be able to pick-up right where he left off.
Stamkos will meet with doctors on Wednesday as he awaits word on whether or not he can play on Thursday.
Stamkos underwent another set of X-rays this afternoon. The bone is reportedly healing very well but the Lightning are playing it smart. Stamkos is expected to return when the Lightning get back to Tampa Bay on March 6 vs. the Sabres.
After the brief rest, Stamkos returned to the ice last week along with the rest of his non-Olympian teammates looking as good as ever 14 weeks after suffering a broken right tibia. Though he pushed hard to be ready to return before the break and represent Canada at the Olympics, a CT scan performed on Feb. 5 revealed the bone was not quite healed enough to clear his return. "It did feel good (on Feb. 5), but it feels even better now," Stamkos said. "Maybe I wasn't as far along as I thought, knowing how much better it has felt now that I have kept working on it and taking a couple of days off. It's just going to continually get better, and that's positive knowing it's doing that.''
Stamkos fractured his right tibia on November 11 in a game against the Boston Bruins and he subsequently had surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital to place a titanium rod in the tibia. He has missed 39 regular season games to this point. "Today is obviously very disappointing for me," Stamkos said. "I honestly believe that we did everything possible in order to have my injured leg ready in time for the Olympics, but I realize you can't force healing.
It all depends how Stamkos responds to an increased workload. Stamkos is expected to begin 'light' contact on Saturday. So far things are trending in the right direction for Stammer to be ready for Sochi 2014.
Stamkos was active in multiple drills with the Lightning as he continues to progress towards a pre-Olympic return. Stamkos' recovery has been nothing short of spectacular, but there is still no timetable for his return.
O'Reilly missed the last two games with a freak shoulder injury that he suffered on Monday while celebrating a Paul Stastny goal. He is expected to hop back onto his usual line with Paul Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog.
O'Reilly will miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury that he suffered on Monday vs. Calgary. Monitor his status during Saturday to see if he will suit up against the Wild.
Forsberg was named MVP, Best Forward and a media all-star at the 2014 World Junior Championships, helping the host nation to a silver medal, his third time placing at the tournament. He has posted five points (1G / 4A) in 12 games with Nashville, and eight points (3G / 5A) in seven games with Milwaukee (AHL).
Forsberg had been loaned to team Sweden for the World Junior Championships, where he scored four goals and added eight helpers (12 points) in seven games, earning MVP honours. With Patric Hornqvist potentially out tonight, Forsberg would likely slide right back into the Predators lineup. He has one goal and four assists with a minus-8 rating in 12 games.
O'Reilly was injured while celebrating a Paul Stastny goal on Tuesday night. He is listed as day-to-day. Monitor his status prior to Friday's meeting with the Islanders.
O’Reilly hurt his left shoulder while celebrating the Avs’ third goal, by Paul Stastny. Essentially, he got it jammed while extending his left arm into the group hug. The Avs say he is day-to-day, so we’ll see tomorrow if he plays or not against Ottawa
Stamkos continues to skate as he works his way back from a broken tibia that he suffered on November 11. His recovery to this point has been extremely promising and impressive as he works his way back for early February and the Sochi Winter Olympics. He had 14 goals and 25 points in 17 games prior to breaking his leg.
Head coach Barry Trotz the team would allow him to play in the tournament, provided he’s cleared to return to action. “Only injury can stop him now,” Peter Forsberg, the team’s Vice President, told the Swedish media. The Ostervala, Sweden native has participated in the last two World Junior tournaments and served as his team’s captain last year.
