Steven Stamkos has an extra spring in his stride.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain, who suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery early last season, has begun skating with teammates ahead of training camp following a failed attempt to return for a playoff push in the spring.

It's hard to say whether he's game-ready at this point, but he's certainly chomping at the bit to find out.

"When you've been through the tough stretch that I've been through in the last four or five years, it's tough to know what 100 percent is," he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "I don't think I will know, but like I said it's the best its felt since the surgery, way better than where I ended the season off before the season ended when I was on the ice with the guys.

"It's just been getting better and better every day and I can see it continually doing so. It's just exciting. I haven't looked this forward to a training camp in a long time. I feel like I've put in the work and am seeing the results."

Stamkos added he believes his meniscus was partially torn prior to succumbing to the season-ending injury and going under the knife, and that it was the toughest rehabilitation process of all his injuries.

He missed a large chunk of 2013-14 with a leg injury, as well as the majority of the 2016 playoffs with a blood clot.

In 17 game prior to the injury, Stamkos scored nine goals and added 11 assists.

"My expectations are that I'm going to get back to that player," he said, per Smith. "Hopefully it's right away. That's the plan. We'll see how it goes."

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