Player Discussion: Tyler Johnson

Tampa Bay Kiwi

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Apr 23, 2013
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Now that Tomas Hertl is out for a long period of time, does this make Tyler Johnson a contender for the Calder?

He leads all rookie forwards in time on ice per game, is 4th for points and arguably holds one of the biggest roles on his team for any rookie (only while Stamkos is injured).

I think his scoring rate will only increase when Stammer is back since he won't be competing against other teams top defensive units.

Thoughts?
 

NiceGuyDrP

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Nov 15, 2013
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My question is what happens when Stammer comes back - TJ back to 3rd line minutes behind Stamkos and Filpulla on center depth chart?

Also, who's going to play LW with Stamkos and St. Louis - Malone? Or will the emergence of some of the younger players shake up the first line?
 

Werewolf

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Oct 29, 2013
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Also, who's going to play LW with Stamkos and St. Louis - Malone? Or will the emergence of some of the younger players shake up the first line?

Killorn plays with Stamkos and MSL on first line - that was a great line before the injury. Maybe Kuch stays on second line with Filp and Purcell. And yes, Johnson/Palat go back to third line.
 

HoseEmDown

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Mar 25, 2012
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I think the problem Johnson is going to have is the same problem Gudas will have trying to win the Calder, we have too many rookies who'll steal each others votes. We have 7 rookies in the top 45 of rookie scoring. I'm sure they all won't keep up that pace and who knows who goes down when we're fully healthy. As long as we keep winning and stay high in the standings it'll make ours look better then the rest. I also don't see any of ours, besides Kucherov, slowing down because they've played a full AHL season or two plus playoff runs so the long season won't affect them.
 

DFC

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Sep 26, 2013
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He should be in the discussion now, given his two-way play and role. I don't see how Nate McKinnon is somewhere around 2nd in the race and Johnson's not even in the conversation.

I also hope Johnson remains with MSL when Stamkos gets back. Stamkos/Killorn/Flip would be either very good or great, and I'd rather have two lines we can depend on than just one. If Johnson centers a second line with MSL, his production will increase.

To me, the silver lining of the Stamkos injury is we found MSL/Johnson/Palat. I'd rather have a great 1-2 punch than one great line.
 

Tampa Bay Kiwi

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Apr 23, 2013
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My question is what happens when Stammer comes back - TJ back to 3rd line minutes behind Stamkos and Filpulla on center depth chart?

Also, who's going to play LW with Stamkos and St. Louis - Malone? Or will the emergence of some of the younger players shake up the first line?
That is the "Question" that where all wondering. Several ways it could play out really..

Killorn plays with Stamkos and MSL on first line - that was a great line before the injury. Maybe Kuch stays on second line with Filp and Purcell. And yes, Johnson/Palat go back to third line.
I can see Cooper staying with the TJ Marty Palat line as they are putting up good numbers against teams best defensive units. Let Stammer find some chemistry with Flip and Killer/Purcell. Then we have 2 killer lines if Martys line is still performing. Also Flip centering Stammer would possibly get him ready for his future role on the wing once Drouin is centering him.

He should be in the discussion now, given his two-way play and role. I don't see how Nate McKinnon is somewhere around 2nd in the race and Johnson's not even in the conversation.

I also hope Johnson remains with MSL when Stamkos gets back. Stamkos/Killorn/Flip would be either very good or great, and I'd rather have two lines we can depend on than just one. If Johnson centers a second line with MSL, his production will increase.

To me, the silver lining of the Stamkos injury is we found MSL/Johnson/Palat. I'd rather have a great 1-2 punch than one great line.
I 100% agree with this, I think we've found common ground on this before.

Only reason TJ isn't in the conversation for Calder I believe is that no one still knows who he is. He doesn't have the luxury of having the big profile like Hertl and Mckinnon have.
 

ultra63

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Feb 27, 2008
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at least he is in the top 10 now.

"10. Tyler Johnson, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
Signed as a free agent in March, 2011

The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to be this year's version of the 2012-13 Ottawa Senators, with as many as eight rookies in the lineup each night. But the key to Tampa Bay's success to this point has been the play of the diminutive Johnson.

The 23-year-old native of Spokane, WA continues to play top-end minutes with Tampa Bay and has been a big part of the Lightning's success so far, particularly with leading scorer Steven Stamkos out due to injury.

In 13 games in December, Johnson scored four goals with four assists and was +6 while averaging 19:59 minutes of ice time (over two minutes more than he averaged in November)."

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articl...mpaign=kreider-heads-calder-poll-for-december
 

ultra63

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Feb 27, 2008
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Cullen: Notes

"Lightning rookie C Tyler Johnson has been thrust into a more significant role in the absence of Steven Stamkos and, while he's not making anyone forget one of the game's premier goal-scorers, Johnson has been great.

...............

The challenge will be figuring out where Johnson fits once Stamkos returns. At this rate, Johnson is going to give Valtteri Filppula plenty of competition for second-line centre minutes"

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=442330
 

Callum

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Jun 8, 2012
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Melbourne, Australia
"Lightning rookie C Tyler Johnson has been thrust into a more significant role in the absence of Steven Stamkos and, while he's not making anyone forget one of the game's premier goal-scorers, Johnson has been great.

...............

The challenge will be figuring out where Johnson fits once Stamkos returns. At this rate, Johnson is going to give Valtteri Filppula plenty of competition for second-line centre minutes"

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=442330

I'd still like to see the Palat Johnson St. Louis line stay together and Filpulla center Stammer. Should be interesting to see what the line combos are when Stammers back
 

DFC

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I'd still like to see the Palat Johnson St. Louis line stay together and Filpulla center Stammer. Should be interesting to see what the line combos are when Stammers back

Me too. Despite how well he's played, Flip hasn't really found great chemistry with anyone just yet (aside from glimpses with Kucherov), but his game looks like it'd be a nice fit for Stamkos. It would also give us two lethal scoring lines. I think the overall offense would just be better in general to keep 91 and 26 apart for a bit, because if Stamkos can find chemistry with Flip we'll have elite players on not one but two lines, and we'll be that much harder to defend.
 

walle

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Sep 9, 2008
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i would just put Flip with Brown and Kuch. Let Stammer replace him and see if anything can come out of that. If both top lines are cold for same game you can spark em by putting old 17-91-26 & 18-9-16 back without having to mix up every line. Someone is gonna face 3rd lines either way and everyone should be able to blast em out. Good luck to matching up to that.
 

DFC

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I wonder if 18/51/9 is a possibility. Just thinking outside the box in the case that Cooper has 17/91/26 chiseled in stone already. And I'm desperate to get Flip away from Purcell.

I also can't help but wonder what 86/91/26 would look like. Lots of great options. The team has grown up in Stammer's absence.
 

Rschmitz

Finding new ways to cheat
Feb 27, 2002
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Palat is the linchpin in the argument IMO. Break him up from Johnson, or break him up from St.Louis? Or you have to move Stamkos to the second line. Make no mistake, Palat has been the guy out there making the plays, and he has had tremendous chemistry with both Johnson and St.Louis.

It probably opens up a lot more questions, but how would you all feel about Flippula moving over to the wing for Stamkos? Or, Stamkos moving over to the wing for Flippula?
 

DFC

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Palat is the linchpin in the argument IMO. Break him up from Johnson, or break him up from St.Louis? Or you have to move Stamkos to the second line. Make no mistake, Palat has been the guy out there making the plays, and he has had tremendous chemistry with both Johnson and St.Louis.

It probably opens up a lot more questions, but how would you all feel about Flippula moving over to the wing for Stamkos? Or, Stamkos moving over to the wing for Flippula?

Regardless of what happens, whatever line Stamkos is on has to be considered the first line. Although I guess if you spread the ice time right it doesn't really matter. But Stamkos is going to draw the tougher match up. I think that works to our advantage if we keep 18/9/26 together.

As for Flip or Stamkos in center, Flip game seems to be the more prototypical center. He's the guy I would want gaining the zone, but I think it would work regardless of who plays where. Having Stamkos on the ice will open up a lot of space for a guy like Flip to work some magic. Imagine what all that space would look like with Kucherov on the other wing.

I would go with something like:

91 - 51 - 86
18 - 09 - 26
17 - 44 - 16 (I get the feeling Purcell won't stay this low. :shakehead ...Honestly I'd like to put him lower)
23 / 11 / 19 / 12

Optimally, I'd trade Purcell and put together 23 - 44 - 17. A true grind line.
 

LightningStrikes

Champa Bay Lightning
Nov 24, 2009
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I think it's gonna be 18-91-26. Or 18-9-26 as our 2nd line with some variation of 91, 16, 17 or 51 on the 1st line. That said I'd love to see 86 get bumped up a line or two.
 

ArmchairGoalie

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May 18, 2011
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Regardless of what happens, whatever line Stamkos is on has to be considered the first line. Although I guess if you spread the ice time right it doesn't really matter. But Stamkos is going to draw the tougher match up. I think that works to our advantage if we keep 18/9/26 together.

As for Flip or Stamkos in center, Flip game seems to be the more prototypical center. He's the guy I would want gaining the zone, but I think it would work regardless of who plays where. Having Stamkos on the ice will open up a lot of space for a guy like Flip to work some magic. Imagine what all that space would look like with Kucherov on the other wing.

I would go with something like:

91 - 51 - 86
18 - 09 - 26

17 - 44 - 16 (I get the feeling Purcell won't stay this low. :shakehead ...Honestly I'd like to put him lower)
23 / 11 / 19 / 12

Optimally, I'd trade Purcell and put together 23 - 44 - 17. A true grind line.

You just made me drool with those two lines. :vhappy:
 

42

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Sep 8, 2013
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I wonder if 18/51/9 is a possibility. Just thinking outside the box in the case that Cooper has 17/91/26 chiseled in stone already. And I'm desperate to get Flip away from Purcell.

I also can't help but wonder what 86/91/26 would look like. Lots of great options. The team has grown up in Stammer's absence.

17/91/26 was really clicking before Stammer's injury. I would imagine we see it again when he comes back.
 

DFC

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Sep 26, 2013
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17/91/26 was really clicking before Stammer's injury. I would imagine we see it again when he comes back.

Yeah, it was deadly. The only reason I wouldn't go for it is because I think we have the opportunity to have two slightly less deadly, but still pretty deadly, lines. We could have 35 minutes per game where we have an elite forward on the ice with good chemistry, rather than 20 minutes with two elite forwards.

That said, I think you're right and Cooper does go that way. I'm just hoping he doesn't. Not right away, at least.
 

DFC

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Sep 26, 2013
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Lebrun piece: http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?storyId=10369408&src=desktop&wjb

Here's a more eye-friendly version: http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/1...tning-tyler-johnson-standing-tall-rookie-race

I liked the piece. Johnson might draw comparison's to St. Louis throughout his career. I remember when Lightning fans were comparing Conacher to St. Louis, but that one never felt right to me. Very different players. Johnson's a very different player too, but there are some similarities that go beyond height and draft status.

Anyway, once again, all hail Al Murray.
 
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Callum

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Jun 8, 2012
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Melbourne, Australia
Lebrun piece: http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?storyId=10369408&src=desktop&wjb

Here's a more eye-friendly version: http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/1...tning-tyler-johnson-standing-tall-rookie-race

I liked the piece. Johnson might draw comparison's to St. Louis throughout his career. I remember when Lightning fans were comparing Conacher to St. Louis, but that one never felt right to me. Very different players. Johnson's a very different player too, but there are some similarities that go beyond height and draft status.

Anyway, once again, all hail Al Murray.

Really good read, thanks for that.
 

Steve Yzerman

A New Season Begins
Mar 11, 2013
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http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?storyId=10369408&src=desktop&wjb

I know this article is linked above, but just want to highlight the interesting bit on how Murray and Yzerman bring over gems in the rough.

"He was actually the first guy I met from the Tampa organization," Johnson said Tuesday morning before a game versus the Maple Leafs, recalling his meeting of Murray. "I remember one game exactly that he came to, I thought I played well but I was upset that we lost. When he saw me afterwards, I told him it was a bad game for him to watch. But he said, 'I have a lot faith in you, I think you're going to be a great player. We'd like to keep in contact and see how things go.' He's just one of those guys that the Tampa organization does a great job of having honest people who just tell you how it is. And I love that."
Said Murray: "It was a pretty easy to start talking to him to come on board, then Steve did the final sales pitch and the rest is history. We're fortunate that he chose us because he had other teams interested in him. Steve is a great finisher."

"Obviously, playing with Marty has helped a lot," Johnson said of his linemate, 15 years his senior. "One of the main reasons I signed with Tampa is the fact that Marty was here and he's done so much."
 

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