Stamkos practices with Lightning for second straight day

TAMPA -- Steven Stamkos participated in a full-team practice with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday for the second straight day at training camp.

Stamkos stayed on for extended work on the power play and then left the ice during line rushes. On Saturday, the forward joined his teammates for power-play drills for the second straight day and stayed on the ice for the first session of practice.

"The plan is to ease him back in. The plan is to get him in as soon as we can, but it's when he's ready," coach Jon Cooper said Sunday. "We've got off days and on-ice days set for him as they come along. So next week, we'll have to see. We have a plan, but it's all dependent on how he feels, so we're just cautiously going along here."

Stamkos missed the first four days of camp with a lower-body injury sustained during voluntary workouts before joining power-play drills Friday. He skated on his own Monday and Tuesday.

The Lightning will have a scrimmage Monday. They are scheduled to then practice three more times and have another scrimmage before leaving for Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, on July 26.

Cooper said that Stamkos' availability for the scrimmages or Tampa Bay's exhibition game against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena on July 29 is dependent on where he is in his recovery.

"If he is able to play in the exhibition game, he will, but … if he doesn't play, it might not be because of health but where [the game] fits in his timetable to come back," Cooper said. "I don't think the exhibition game is [as important] as getting him in one of the round-robin games.

"We haven't really sat down, [general manager Julien BriseBois], myself and the staff, to see where he is because we're just trying to get him into practice. The exhibition game is still a little ways away, but if he's healthy and wants to give it a go, we're not going to hold him back."

BriseBois said Monday that he expects Stamkos to be ready when the Lightning begin the round-robin portion of the Qualifiers against the Washington Capitals on Aug. 3. The round-robin, which also involves the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, will determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Stamkos had surgery March 2 to repair a core muscle injury and missed the final five games before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He was second on the Lightning with 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games behind Nikita Kucherov (85 points; 33 goals, 52 assists in 68 games).

Forward Brayden Point said that Stamkos' return is especially big for the Lightning power play. Stamkos led Tampa Bay with 10 power-play goals.

"Obviously, he's the captain of our team, huge part of our team," Point said. "It's great to see him playing and it was good to play with him [Saturday]. Hopefully, he keeps progressing and is ready to go for the games. He's a guy you can't replace, so it was awesome to see him out there, for sure."