It’s safe to say Ryan Callahan is ready to forget about 2016-17.
The 32-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning winger was forced to miss 64 games last season, enduring two hip surgeries that had him sit out the Lightning’s late-season push for a playoff spot. The club came up short with Callahan sidelined, missing the post-season by just one point.
With a full summer of recovery now in the rear-view, it seems Callahan is ready to jump back into the mix.
“I’m full go, right from Day 1,” Callahan told NHL.com’s Corey Long on Monday. “It’s going to be nice to be able to do a hard training camp this year. … I had enough time to reflect on [frustrations] throughout the year, trust me, especially at the end of the year there when we’re fighting for a playoff spot.”
A healthy and motivated Callahan should be well-received by teammate Nikita Kucherov, the 24-year-old phenom who’s become the club’s most dangerous offensive threat in Steven Stamkos‘ absence.
And good thing, as last season’s disappointing finish didn’t leave the Russian superstar too thrilled about his fellow Lightning skaters.
“Some guys overstayed in team,” Kucherov told Russian outlet Sovietsky Sport in April, as translated by the Tampa Bay Times. “They’ve got their money and stopped working.
“You can see it in their stats and way of play. When we played together and I made a pass, they even were not expecting this. That’s why this season was hard for me despite good stats.”
It’s fair to assume that criticism wasn’t directed at Callahan, given that he missed the majority of the campaign. But with a hefty annual salary of $5.8 million attached to his name, Callahan – the second-highest paid forward on the roster – will be expected to pull his own weight to ensure Tampa Bay bounces back in 2017-18.
According to the former New York Rangers captain, missing the dance last season should help that cause.
“We have the talent in here, but now I think we have some of that hunger back,” Callahan said, adding that the team’s acquisition of a few fellow veterans should aid the Lightning’s efforts as well.
“First off, with [Dan] Girardi, I grew up with the guy,” Callahan said. “I played with him in juniors and lived with him and his wife in Hartford. I know what he can bring on the ice and off the ice especially. He’s a really good leader. He’s had a lot of deep playoff runs. He’s been in the League a while [and] he’s such a steady defenceman out there. I think that’s going to be huge for us.
“And a guy like [Chris] Kunitz, who has won four Stanley Cups. … He knows how to win, and that’s what we need.”
[relatedlinks]