The Tampa Bay Lightning headed out Wednesday to begin a three-game California road trip, but they are not sure whether they will be showing off their top offseason addition.
After a strong first half, the Lightning will complete their season series Thursday with the San Jose Sharks and rookie star Macklin Celebrini to open the Western swing.
However, the status of the Lightning’s Jake Guentzel remains uncertain.
The organization had a tough decision to make over the summer: re-sign aging captain Steven Stamkos or find scoring elsewhere.
The Lightning said goodbye to the 16-year franchise icon and traded with the Carolina Hurricanes for Guentzel, 30, before free agency opened and the latter became an unrestricted free agent.
Tampa Bay then signed the Omaha, Neb., native to a seven-year, $63 million contract to replace the famous No. 91.
Following a slow start on a line with productive forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, Guentzel has stepped up with 20 goals and 17 assists in 33 games.
However, he went headfirst into the boards late in Tampa Bay’s 6-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday, did not return and was scratched for the matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
“There’s been improvements since a couple games ago, so hopefully that continues and see what happens,” coach Jon Cooper said at practice on Tuesday.
Guentzel participated in a non-contact jersey but skated on the top line. Cam Atkinson would likely slot in if Guentzel cannot go on Thursday.
A 13-year NHL veteran — the first 10 with the Columbus Blue Jackets followed by two with the Philadelphia Flyers — Atkinson has three goals and two assists in 21 games for the Lightning.
The Lightning blew out San Jose 8-1 on Dec. 5 behind a five-goal first period. Point finished with four assists.
The Sharks, meanwhile, had to weather a December to forget. That came after they had started to play fairly well, putting a dismal 0-7-2 start to the season behind them.
San Jose went 2-10-1 in December and is mired in an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1) that was punctuated by a 4-0 New Year’s Eve loss to the Flyers. Philadelphia managed the shutout despite losing its starting goalie, Samuel Ersson, after two periods due to an injury.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky found little useful after his club was shut out for the second time this season. San Jose has yet to register a point in a six-game homestand that is halfway done.
“It’s very disappointing. No desperation,” Warsofsky said of his young group. “And now you’re seeing teams find their identity in this league. Earlier on, I think we were probably catching teams by surprise. Now teams, this is full go.
“It’s every night, it’s going to be a dogfight. Every night, it’s going to be, we’re going to get teams’ best because they’re fighting for playoff spots. … We have to realize that.”
The last-place Sharks have mustered a .350 point percentage — better than only the woeful Blackhawks (.342). Warsofsky’s team has played a Western Conference-high 40 games but has more points than only Chicago.
Although he has played in eight fewer games, Celebrini has 12 goals to tie him with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov for tops among rookies.
The Sharks are without forward William Eklund (seven goals, 20 assists), who was placed on injured reserve before the Philadelphia contest. They called up Collin Graf, 22, from the AHL San Jose Barracuda in a corresponding move, but he did not get into the lineup against the Flyers.
–Field Level Media
