Halfway through the first period, Stamkos was battling for the puck along the boards and got tangled up with Red Wings winger Gustav Nyquist, twisting his lower right leg or knee awkwardly and falling to the ice. Stamkos rose to his feet and skated off under his own power, but was unable to apply pressure on the leg after he reached the bench and headed the locker room.
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Stamkos did not come out for the second period. The team later announced he would not return because of a “lower-body injury.”
Moments before going down with the injury, Stamkos scored his ninth goal of the season, tying him for the NHL points lead with 20 in 17 games.
Expectations are heightened for the 26-year-old this season after he signed an eight-year, $68 million contract to remain with the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2008. He managed just 64 points in the 2015-16 season, which was cut short due to a blood clot.
Last week marked three years since Stamkos broke his right leg, costing him most of the 2013-14 season.
