The Tampa Bay Lightning will begin their quest for a third Stanley Cup in four seasons without Tanner Jeannot. The physical left winger has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since leaving a game on April 6.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he isn't sure when or if Jeannot will rejoin the team during the playoffs.
“You’d have to sit here and say he’s more than day-to-day. Hopefully he’ll be back here at some point in the playoffs, but he’s definitely not going to start with us in the playoffs,” Cooper said.
The Lightning acquired Jeannot from the Nashville Predators via trade in February, giving up five draft picks and a player for the 25-year-old's services. After having a solid rookie season in which he led all first-year players with 24 goals last season, Jeannot has been unable to reproduce that output offensively this season.
In 76 games, Jeannot has just six goals and 18 points. He has one goal and three assists in 20 games with the Lightning. Despite his poor offensive numbers, Jennot has still been an impact player for Tampa Bay. He is sixth in the league with 290 hits and has won over half of his faceoffs with the Lightning.
Luckily the Lightning doesn't need Jeannot to be a prolific goalscorer as they boast five players with 25 or more goals this season. Still, depth and physicality are huge in the playoffs and the latter is something Tanner Jeannot has plenty of.
The Lightning are set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs in a rematch of last year's first round. Tampa took that series in seven games.
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