The Tampa Bay Lightning have to hold out hope that their latest run of injuries won’t leak into the playoffs.
The Bolts announced that Victor Hedman (upper-body injury) and Ryan Callahan (lower body) won’t be able to play against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The somewhat positive news is that both players are considered day-to-day, even if such prognoses can stretch out for quite some time in their own right.
Hedman is the biggest concern, as he joins a list of very painful injuries for the Lightning that includes captain Steven Stamkos (out one-to-three months with a blood clot) and Anton Stralman (on IR with a fractured left fibula).
#TBLightning defenseman Victor Hedman (upper body) and forward Ryan Callahan (lower body) will not play tonight. Both are day to day.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 5, 2016
No doubt, this is a serious concern for the limping Lightning.
So were you to pick the four players #TBLightning could ill afford to lose, three of them are now out - Stralman, Stamkos, Hedman
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) April 5, 2016
These issues do allow some solid fringe players to get more reps:
With both Hedman and Callahan out, that means Koekkoek and Marchessault back in #tblightning
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 5, 2016
The most optimistic thought is that, in the case of Hedman and Callahan, it’s at least conceivable that those two may be ready when the playoffs begin next week.
Either way, this Lightning team looks like it will already begin the bruising playoffs with some serious headaches.