Steven Stamkos announced today that he will not return to the lineup tonight when the Tampa Bay Lightning face Pittsburgh in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Steven Stamkos confirms he's out for Game 4 tonight.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 20, 2016
Stamkos has not played since March 31 after being diagnosed with a blood clot near his right collarbone. Stamkos’ disorder is called Effort Thrombosis, which is a type of vascular thoracic outlet syndrome. He was originally ruled out for 1-3 months after having surgery on April 4 to remove the clot.
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The main concern with Stamkos at this point is safety. He confirmed that he isn’t experiencing pain from the ailment, it’s simply a matter of when it’s safe to endure the grind of an NHL game. He has been practicing with the team in full equipment but hasn’t received clearance for game action.
