Although all of the conversations involving players returning from injury has surrounded Tampa Bay's captain, Steven Stamkos is not the only Bolt returning to active duty this season.
After only playing 18 games in 2016-17, Ryan Callahan will make his return to the ice with the hopes of staying healthy and helping the Lightning achieve their goal of once again winning The Stanley Cup.
The Lightning are happy to welcome the 32-year-old winger back to the ice but what should they realistically expect from him this season?
Now on the wrong side of 30 and battling with injuries, it is safe to say that Callahan's best days are behind him. However, that does not mean he cannot contribute and have a positive effect on his team. With such a young roster, Tampa Bay can really use and are counting on his veteran leadership to provide guidance to the team's youth.
Unfortunately, veteran leadership is not going to provide Callahan with a ton of ice time all on its own. He is going to have to produce on the ice in order to show that he is still worth dressing for each game. Before Callahan was sidelined last season, he managed to score two goals after scoring 10 the year prior. People should expect him to post numbers similar to that this season. He could get up to 15 to 17 goals but it is more than likely that his days of scoring 20-plus are behind him.
Callahan will contribute most to the defensive aspects of the game. He has always been solid in that area of the ice. Unfortunately, he is going to have to modify his style of play as sacrificing his body to block shots will not bode well for his body and its current condition. In addition, it would not be surprising if he spends a lot of time on the penalty kill.
When we talk about Ryan Callahan these days, most conversations involve his incredibly unfortunate contract. The fact is, that is not going to disappear. He is never going to produce at the level that made him worthy of that contract again. Still, he can provide positive contributions to this team. Everyone just needs to hope he will stay healthy enough for it to happen.