Steven Stamkos is truly lucky that he plays for Tampa Bay

[The Macho King]

I'm looking for the lie and coming up empty.

I can count on one hand the number of playoff games in his career where he was in the conversation for the best player on the ice. Meanwhile guys like Point, Hedman, and Kucherov elevate their games on the regular.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

How is he "lucky" when he got their first?

The program was literally built around him..

He came up when Marty St Louis and Vinny Lecavalier were still around and good players. Stamkos has always had other superstar players around him. He's always taken a backseat to those players come playofff time.

He's obviously a good player who's had a really good career but he hasn't had to be the savior and carry the Lightning as much and as consistently as other first overall picks with his talent have.

 

[Szechwan]

I think his lack of production has been masked a bit by his injury troubles. Any other first overall would get raked over the coals for not showing up in the post season, but Stamkos doesn't really take much flack because people are never really sure if he's actually healthy or playing through some debilitating injury.

That in itself is a knock, but not really something you can fault a guy for.
"The best ability is availability"

 

[theimmortal1]

"Steven Stamkos is truly lucky that he plays for Tampa Bay"

I mean yes, that's accurate, but so everyone on that team is lucky that they play on that team.

Vasy's lucky to be on a team that can score its way to a win if he falters, the D is lucky to have Vasy behind it, all the forwards are lucky to have Kuch either feeding them or drawing the opponents' top defensemen. That's just the nature of playing on a thoroughly talented team, everyone's lucky to be there vs. say Edmonton.

Perhaps the one guy on the whole team it doesn't hold for is Kucherov, he's talented enough to lift whoever he's playing with. It's why the triplets line looked dominant and why Point (while very very good) looks like a league top-10 F when Kuch is playing. But still, he's certainly lucky to not be playing for, say, Edmonton.

Every player is lucky to be avoiding Edmonton. Luckily only one team ever has to travel there in the playoffs

 

[slapKing]

Anyone that watches Tampa closely would know that Stamkos is at best their 5th best player and I would say that McDonagh is also a more important piece in their lineup so he’s #6 at best when it comes to importance to their success.

That's a good point. McDonagh has been good, with not much power play time to boot as well.

 

[Bolt32]

I remember watching him before his injuries and thinking. "Dude is legit the best sniper in the league, but when is he going to take a game over?" That is usually the eye test for me that he never could pass. The fact that I've seen Tyler Johnson do it (In a playoff game no less against the Redwings.) and not Stamkos always caused me to raise an eyebrow. He is what he is, and what hes not is someone you rely on for points in the playoffs.

 

[WarriorofTime]

If this guy played for a team like Toronto, New York and Vancouver and had those teams level of postseason success he would get absolutely massacred by the media. He's lucky he's what like the 6th(?) best player on Tampa.

 

[HF007]

Stamkos lowkey washed from injuries

 

[WarriorofTime]

I always forget he is the 'Captain'. It feels like such a figurehead title because he was the big star earlier in his career and is long tenured. Of course since he's an Ontario center it's going to go on his resume as though he was some incredible leader who elevated his teammates or something in the postseason. Hedman should be the Captain IMO.

 

[JoVel]

Anyone that watches Tampa closely would know that Stamkos is at best their 5th best player and I would say that McDonagh is also a more important piece in their lineup so he’s #6 at best when it comes to importance to their success.

Honestly, I don't see much of an argument for Stamkos being more important than Killorn this playoff run either.

 

[Bolt32]

I always forget he is the 'Captain'. It feels like such a figurehead title because he was the big star earlier in his career and is long tenured. Of course since he's an Ontario center it's going to go on his resume as though he was some incredible leader who elevated his teammates or something in the postseason. Hedman should be the Captain IMO.

I think if Stamkos wasn't here, then Hedman for sure would take over. I can't really say what goes on in the locker room. Maybe he truly is a great locker-room captain. If that is the case there is no point in rocking the ship, the rest of the team clearly love the guy. Watch last years cup final goal that he scored. The bench went crazy, they really cared and pumped them up that he did that. That wasn't faked theatrics. They really do love the guy. So I guess he has that going for him. Just on ice he always left me wanting more. Since his Injuries it has gotten worse but understandable now.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

injuries injuries injuries

 

[WarriorofTime]

I think if Stamkos wasn't here, then Hedman for sure would take over. I can't really say what goes on in the locker room. Maybe he truly is a great locker-room captain. If that is the case there is no point in rocking the ship, the rest of the team clearly love the guy. Watch last years cup final goal that he scored. The bench went crazy, they really cared and pumped them up that he did that. That wasn't faked theatrics. They really do love the guy. So I guess he has that going for him. Just on ice he always left me wanting more. Since his Injuries it has gotten worse but understandable now.

True don't know what goes on in the lockerroom obviously, but just watching them on the ice, Hedman has the poise and demeanor of a leader while Stamkos looks like he's just kind of... there.

 

[JT Kreider]

If this guy played for a team like Toronto, New York and Vancouver and had those teams level of postseason success he would get absolutely massacred by the media. He's lucky he's what like the 6th(?) best player on Tampa.

Nah not New York Rick Nash was even worse and never got eviscerated in the media like you'd expect

 

[WarriorofTime]

Nah not New York Rick Nash was even worse and never got eviscerated in the media like you'd expect

I feel like Nash always had a reputation as a huge playoff letdown

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

It's not like they're heaping praise on Stamkos in the press. His 2020 Cup is no different than a guy like Sykora. Ridiculous to say he doesn't "deserve" it. It doesn't matter if he deserves it. No one deserves a Cup. You win or you don't.

 

[FinnLightning26]

True don't know what goes on in the lockerroom obviously, but just watching them on the ice, Hedman has the poise and demeanor of a leader while Stamkos looks like he's just kind of... there.

When we went down 4-2 against Carolina in game 4 he rallied the troops on the bench and we scored three goals in five minutes with him scoring one and assisting on another.

I'd say that's some pretty nice leadership.

 

[zeykshade]

How is he "lucky" when he got their first?

The program was literally built around him..

True, but the longest tenured Lightning player is actually Alex Killorn. Guy is a staple for this team and has been forever. His penalty killing and big ass, despite how often he falls down(Scott Hartnell Skating Academy) are invaluable for this team to be honest. That line is being carried by Killorn imo. Stamkos hasn't been nearly as engaged as he can be. I think it's pretty obvious he's playing injured or has aggravated the injury that sat him out for the last month of the season.

 

[Beneven Stanciano]

Lots of Kyle Dubas team building experts in here, wow. Has anyone here ever been paid to play hockey, in any capacity? Ol Stamkos thought he would get two Stanley Cups without breaking a sweat; the media missed it, his team doesn't speak out on the free-loader, but thankfully the Pick-Up Hockey All-Star team from HF boards called him out with their expert analysis, saying what the rest of the league sees but is too scared to say. Buffalo ownership probably scouting their next GM here haha, I hope you all have a good day at your 9-5 jobs that you're probably mediocre at.

 

[Rschmitz]

I don't buy the idea that when Stamkos entered the league he just wasn't a playoff performer, it's 100% due to injuries that he's really a shadow of what he promised to be.

Look at the year he easily won the Richard, he had 48 even strength goals that year....48. That was almost as many total goals as the runner up.

Stamkos didn't just beat you with his world class shot, his speed couldn't be stopped either. He wasn't Bure fast, but he was Bure-esque. If you could somehow match his speed and limit his time and space, he could still beat you with his wrist shot. He was able to apply an unbelievable amount of torque on the puck from in close and with good accuracy, goalies didn't stand a chance. He wasn't Hull, but he was Hull-esque. You NEVER see that from him anymore, he's a completely different player and has become really a 1 trick pony with most of his goals coming from a slapshot at the right circle. He doesn't even try to go to the scoring areas much these days. No speed to get inside position on defenders, no wristshot to dominate form the hashmarks, it's really sad.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Lots of Kyle Dubas team building experts in here, wow. Has anyone here ever been paid to play hockey, in any capacity? Ol Stamkos thought he would get two Stanley Cups without breaking a sweat; the media missed it, his team doesn't speak out on the free-loader, but thankfully the Pick-Up Hockey All-Star team from HF boards called him out with their expert analysis, saying what the rest of the league sees but is too scared to say. Buffalo ownership probably scouting their next GM here haha, I hope you all have a good day at your 9-5 jobs that you're probably mediocre at.

This might be the saltiest post I've seen this week.

 

[HF007]

I don't buy the idea that when Stamkos entered the league he just wasn't a playoff performer, it's 100% due to injuries that he's really a shadow of what he promised to be.

Look at the year he easily won the Richard, he had 48 even strength goals that year....48. That was almost as many total goals as the runner up.

Stamkos didn't just beat you with his world class shot, his speed couldn't be stopped either. He wasn't Bure fast, but he was Bure-esque. If you could somehow match his speed and limit his time and space, he could still beat you with his wrist shot. He was able to apply an unbelievable amount of torque on the puck from in close and with good accuracy, goalies didn't stand a chance. He wasn't Hull, but he was Hull-esque. You NEVER see that from him anymore, he's a completely different player and has become really a 1 trick pony with most of his goals coming from a slapshot at the right circle. He doesn't even try to go to the scoring areas much these days. No speed to get inside position on defenders, no wristshot to dominate form the hashmarks, it's really sad.

playoffs are a different game mate, more pressure less room, you got to be able to create you own shot

 

[Rschmitz]

playoffs are a different game mate, more pressure less room, you got to be able to create you own shot

I just explained to you why he's not able to create his own shot if you cared to read.

 

[HF007]

I just explained to you why he's not able to create his own shot if you cared to read.

Guilty, good analysis

 

[ORRFForever]

I'm looking for the lie and coming up empty.

I can count on one hand the number of playoff games in his career where he was in the conversation for the best player on the ice. Meanwhile guys like Point, Hedman, and Kucherov elevate their games on the regular.

As a Canadian, I've been saying this forever. Put Stamkos in a big game, as a Tampa player OR on Team Canada, and he disappears.

NO to Stamkos Team Canada 2022