Signs point to a serious injury for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

There has been no official word from the Lightning regarding the status of their injured captain Steven Stamkos, but the early signs are already suggesting that the injury is a significant one.

Lightning insider Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that the Lightning superstar has been sent back to Tampa Bay for further evaluation following the injury he suffered on Tuesday night. This is particularly noteworthy due to the fact that Lightning are in the middle of a five-game road trip, and it indicates that the Lightning are confident he won't be able to play in any of those games.

The Lightning have been through this before with a leg injury costing Stamkos 45 games in the 2013-2014 season, and a blood clot forcing him to miss nearly all of the NHL's most recent postseason, but that won't make this any easier to digest. Stamkos currently has the second most points in the National Hockey League and his absence will hit the Lightning very hard.

[pub]