On April 2, 2016, the Lightning announced Stamkos was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, the same injury that sidelined teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy at the start of the 2015–16 season; it is a condition that is rare among hockey players. Stamkos said he first felt some discomfort in his arm after the game against the Montreal Canadiens. He was scheduled for surgery on the following Monday with Dr. Karl Illig, who performed Vasilevskiy's surgery. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said there would be no long-term impact on Stamkos' health or his career. In addition, Yzerman indicated Stamkos recovery time would be between one and three months, but the club would have a better idea in a couple of weeks where he falls within that time frame. Yzerman also said the team's desire is for Stamkos to remain with the organization, which came after a question of whether Stamkos had played his last game in a Lightning uniform. On April 4, 2016, Stamkos had successful surgery at Tampa General Hospital. Stamkos' surgeon said they plan on evaluating him in approximately two weeks and that should clear up his prognosis. On May 26, 2016, Stamkos dressed for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite still being on blood thinners following surgery. He registered five shot attempts during the game, but the Lightning lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the playoffs.