He hasn't been on the ice, or in the public eye, but Steven Stamkos is still there, providing the Tampa Bay Lightning a lift.

The Bolts captain - who underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a blood clotting issue - is with the club, staying involved in the postseason run from behind the scenes.

"It's awesome having him around, he can still bring that leadership," Ryan Callahan said of his captain, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "He's been there before, he knows what we're going through, how we're feeling.

"It's good, it's uplifting to have him around the room."

Presence, by its very definition, is hardly an onerous task. But it might be one of the harder things Stamkos will do, explains his coach, Jon Cooper.

"It's just killing him not being able to play," Cooper said.

He added: "He's been in touch with a lot of guys, he's staying out of the public eye, but it's just hard, we want him playing. He wants to be playing so bad."

Stamkos was given a one-to-three-month timeline for a return. He remains scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

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