Lightning's Oliver Bjorkstrand Narrowly Avoids Career-Ending Injury Thanks to Emergency Overnight Surgery

the Tampa Bay Lightning made a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline to acquire Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, but ultimately it didn't end well, as the team was defeated in the first round by their rival Florida Panthers.

However, Bjorkstrand had much bigger things on his mind, as the Lightning officially revealed their injury report after that defeat, showing a laundry list of issues the team were going through in their five-game loss.

According to that report, a 2am trip to the emergency room may have saved Bjorkstrand's career, as he suffered from compartment syndrome and immediately needed to rush to the ER for surgery.

Compartment syndrome reportedly happens when there's too much pressure around your muscles, and can lead to reduced blood flow and oxygen to your muscles and nerves, something that could lead to much more serious medical issues down the line.

Thankfully, everything is going to be okay with the veteran forward, and while questions remain about the future of the Lightning after their latest defeat in the post-season, Bjorkstrand figures to be a key piece of their middle six moving forward after the trade.

Ultimately, it appears that Bjorkstrand will be able to get back on the ice and continue his career when the 2025/26 season begins, but if he hadn't of gotten this addressed, who knows what could have happened, so it's safe to say that he'd trade in those five games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be able to continue his playing career beyond this year.