Stamkos: I'll be ready to return if season resumes

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos, who's been recovering from core muscle surgery, says he'll be ready to play if the NHL season resumes.

"With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning, because I thought I would be possibly missing some (Stanley Cup) Playoff games," Stamkos said, according to NHL.com's Mike Battaglino. "And the stoppage happened, we didn't know how long it was going to be, so the kind of silver lining in that was I'll be ready when we resume."

Stamkos underwent surgery March 2, causing him to miss the club's last seven games before the current hiatus.

"I've been able to still use this time to rehab," Stamkos said. "I've been going to the rink three times a week to skate, and just start feeling normal again. So, I guess I have a chance to get out of the house and do that, obviously safely, with all the guidelines we have within our community."

Stamkos ranks second on the team in both goals (29) and points (66) through 57 games. The Lightning sit second in the Atlantic Division.

The 30-year-old Lightning captain isn't the only player who's benefited from the stoppage in play. Carolina Hurricanes blue-liner Dougie Hamilton also said he'll be ready to return after suffering a broken fibula in January, while Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan expects forward Jake Guentzel to be back in the lineup following shoulder surgery in December.

The NHL and NHLPA have reportedly intensified talks regarding a potential plan to finish the season that would see teams play in up to four NHL cities that are not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots. Toronto and Columbus are apparently the leading contenders to become host cities.