Rumor: Steven Stamkos “will play” in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Sunday the Tampa Bay Lightning fan base was hit with some devastating news when they learned that star forward Steven Stamkos would be sidelined for the entirety of the Eastern Conference Final. It was a huge blow for the Lightning who will be taking on a very tough New York Islanders team lead by a talented and experienced head coach in the form of Barry Trotz, a man who not so long ago raised the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals.

Although nothing is going to soften the blow of Stamkos' absence if the Lightning fail to move on past the Conference Final, it does sound like there is good news on the horizon if the Lightning can managed to topple the Islanders. On a recent episode of Kyper at Noon, former National Hockey League general manager Doug MacLean revealed that he had received information indicating that Stamkos would return if the Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

"My sources tell me that Stamkos will play in the final if they get there," said MacLean during the podcast. "That he will play in the finals."

That does not mean that Stamkos will be back for the start of the final however and based on further comments made by MacLean it sounds like he would expect Stamkos' return to occur at some point in the latter stages of the series, again assuming that the Lightning get that far.

"Is it Game 6? Game 7? We don't know," said MacLean."I keep hearing it's going to be the final when he plays."

MacLean's comments were seconded by his co-host, National Hockey League insider Nick Kypreos, who confirmed to MacLean that he has been hearing the same information on the Stamkos front. We still have never received official confirmation from the Lightning regarding the nature of Stamkos' injury so there really has been no way to establish a potential timeline for his return, however if both Kypreos and MacLean are right here it sounds like some time in late September is when we would expect to see Stamkos in the lineup again.