Ever since Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos broke his tibia during a game back in November, his Olympic future was left hanging in the balance. On Wednesday, the Lightning announced that Stamkos hasn’t fully recovered from his injury and will withdraw from the Sochi Olympics.
According to a Tampa Bay press release, Stamkos underwent a CT scan Wednesday afternoon and a callus that surrounds the fracture hasn’t fully healed, meaning that he would still be at risk to reinjure himself if he were to participate in the tournament.
Although he has played in only 17 games this season, Stamkos has scored 14 goals, which is good for fourth on the team in scoring. His presence will surely be missed if the Canadians hope to defend their gold medal.
While Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has yet to name a replacement for Stamkos (Yzerman is also the general manager for Team Canada), two names being floated around for some time are fellow Tampa Bay right winger Martin St. Louis and Philadelphia pivot Claude Giroux.
What do you think? Would St. Louis or Giroux be the best bets to replace Stamkos or is it someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
