Three players now officially out
Dallas defenseman Roman Polak and Vancouver forward Sven Baertschi on Saturday joined the list of players who won’t be reporting to training camp for the resumption of the NHL season.
Baertschi told the Canucks he would be opting out of participating in the expanded 24-team playoffs, following Calgary defenseman Travis Hamonic informing the Flames he won’t be playing because of family reasons. Polak is not on the Stars roster for the start of training camp Monday, and a team spokesperson said the 34-year-old veteran won’t be attending at this time.
Polak is a pending free agent who a month ago agreed to a deal in his native Czech Republic next season and told reporters there he wasn’t planning on returning to the NHL if play resumed. Baertschi, who spent much of this season in the minors, is under contract through 2020-21.
“Sven informed us late yesterday that he has chosen to opt out of the NHL return to play program,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. “It was a difficult decision but ultimately one we respect and understand.”
Lightning
Captain Steven Stamkos will be limited at the start of Tampa Bay Lightning training camp because of a new lower-body injury.
General manager Julien BriseBois said that Stamkos fully recovered from core muscle surgery in early March but was injured again during voluntary workouts. Stamkos is expected to be ready for the start of the NHL’s expanded 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs in early August.
“We don’t have a specific timeline for when he will be a full participant in camp, but we expect he will be ready in time for games,” BriseBois said. “He’s here, he’s skating, he’s been getting treatment, he’s been coming to Amalie [Arena] doing his dry land work. But he will not be a full participant on Day 1 of training camp.”