The Lightning will start the season without two of their centers due to injuries.
Yanni Gourde underwent hip surgery during the offseason and is expected to be out of the lineup until December. Dominic James broke his right hand recently in offseason training and is expected to miss the first two weeks of the regular season. Both are expected to be around the team but will be limited as training camp practices are set to begin on Thursday.
The Lightning have a number of forwards eyeing a potential spot in the lineup. With the preseason shortened to just four games, they’ll have limited time to make an impression. Last season, the Lightning relied heavily on their AHL pipeline to fill holes in the lineup.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe absence of Gourde and James leaves the door open for first-round pick Sam O’Reilly, Conor Geekie and other prospects to make their case.
“They’re going to have to make the most out of every rep in practice and every shift they do get in games in order to make a good impression,” said general manager Julien BriseBois. “They can't afford to waste any reps or any shifts if they want to earn bigger and better opportunities for themselves. It will be a challenge.”
The first training camp practice is set to start Thursday at TGH Ice Plex in Brandon.
