Lightning take two more injury hits in training camp

There is currently no confirmation as to the specifics of the injuries, as both players' issues are classified as undisclosed at this point in time. There’s no timeline for return, either, but it’s confirmed that they will not be ready for the start of the season.

Brown, 25, got into 30 games with the St. Louis Blues in the 2022-23 season, where he posted two goals, four assists, and six points. He also played two games with the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, garnering two assists in those games.

Brown was a former 11th overall pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2016 NHL Draft and spent his first four pro seasons with the Sens before he was dealt to the Blues as part of the return for Zach Sanford. Brown is currently on a one-year, $775,000 contract that he signed with the Lightning in the 2023 offseason after the Blues elected not to extend him a qualifying offer.

Schmidt, 20, is set to make his professional hockey debut this season, likely in the AHL regardless of if he had been hurt or not. He played 64 regular season games in the OHL last season with the Kitchener Rangers, with four goals, 24 assists and 28 points. He also played nine playoff games with the Rangers, where he had a goal, two assists, and three points as the Rangers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the London Knights after a surprise first-round sweep of the stacked Windsor Spitfires.

Schmidt was a third-round pick for the Lightning in the 2021 NHL Draft out of the USHL, joining the OHL after his draft year. He’s currently on the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract with an $805,833 cap hit that he signed with the Bolts midway through the 2021-22 season.