While some of this is true, I think it's avoiding the reality that Stamkos isn't the same player, physically, that he used to be. His skillset, particularly his skating, has diminished significantly. Watch him start from a standstill. It's way below average for a 2018 forward. Last game, he struggled to get by Trevor Daley, who was skating backwards. It was a play where anybody on our team not named Killorn would have blown by him and been in the clear. But Stamkos no longer as that ability.
Why does Stamkos suck this year?
- Thread starter Hellraising Senator
- Start date
While some of this is true, I think it's avoiding the reality that Stamkos isn't the same player, physically, that he used to be. His skillset, particularly his skating, has diminished significantly. Watch him start from a standstill. It's way below average for a 2018 forward. Last game, he struggled to get by Trevor Daley, who was skating backwards. It was a play where anybody on our team not named Killorn would have blown by him and been in the clear. But Stamkos no longer as that ability.
...How did it not work? It actually worked very well to finish the regular season (Miller scored 10 goals after the TDL). Even so, that was past the point where Kucherov was "white hot." When Kucherov cooled down, Namesntikov was removed from the line because it was no longer effective. It didn't heat up again until Miller was added at the TDL. But the line was only ever, ever, as hot as Kucherov. When he was bad, the line was bad. And Kucherov went stone cold in the playoffs, to the point where there were nights he was a liability.
LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
- 26,179
- 9,994
It didn't work? Miller finished with 10 goals and 8 assists in 19 games on that line. They started cooling off in the playoffs and completely imploded in the ECF against the Caps. As soon as Kuch did not score that line was not intact anymore. Same thing happened with Namestnikov on that line just before we got Miller. It's all linked to Kucherov who had that great of an impact on his linemates and especially Stamkos. Miller was just the right spark at the right time before the TDL to get him going again.
Does he still train conditioning with Gary Roberts in the off season?
If not, there's the reason. One does not simply stop training conditioning with Gary Roberts.
If not, there's the reason. One does not simply stop training conditioning with Gary Roberts.
LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
- 26,179
- 9,994
It's interesting because we suddenly saw him take shifts on the PK. It was like he was trying to become a light version of his idol Steve Yzerman. As he becomes older and slower it's not idiotic by him to try and find a new mold and to help his team in other areas. Yzerman himself turned from bonafide top scorer into one of the greatest two-way forwards in the game over his career. Until his last shift he was a key player on his team. The problem is, Stamkos, the occasional successful PK shift or defensive faceoff aside, has never had the playmaker or the defensive expert in him. Heck, he was never even the guy carrying the puck up ice, leading the rush, and distributing it tape to tape across the ice. In fact he's been the guy who needed a St. Louis or a Kucherov on his line who did the heavy lifting, to work and produce. Not sure he can ever be that guy. I won't blame him for trying to improve and find a new role as he grows older but right now he's merely a PP specialist with below-average ES contribution.
It's not as bad as it seems, as hockey fans - and mostly Stamkos fans - we sure are overreacting at times. We've seen this young player grow and become one of the league's best goal scorers. We have a lot of great memories and we won a hell of a lot of games thanks to him and his play. The season is still young, slumps are part of it, sure, but that said, there have been red flags in his game over the past few months and seasons. And his play sure has changed - for the worse.
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Johnny Hoxville
The Return of a Legend
Lol, so much overreactions in this thread. Reminds me of every year when Iginla would have like 2-3 points at the end October. From November on he would torch the rest of the season and end up with 80-90pts.
This is hockey folks. Crosby has had slumps and so does Ovechkin. It’s not gonna last, he’s a premier scorer and he will break out of this sooner than later.
This is hockey folks. Crosby has had slumps and so does Ovechkin. It’s not gonna last, he’s a premier scorer and he will break out of this sooner than later.
This sums it up nicely. Stamkos is no longer a great skater, nor even a "very good" skater. He also no longer has a top 2 or 3 shot in the NHL, but he DOES still have a very good-to-great shot. If he starts utilizing it more appropriately, and not trying to turn himself into Steve Yzerman, he can still be an effective player, capable of 30+ goals with the right linemates. Just get in position and shoot, which is what he did last night.
But those days of blazing up the wing and blowing a wrister by some frozen goalie are more/less over. And he knows it. He's trying to figure out how to adapt and be effective with his new, lesser skillset, and it kind of looks like he's just wandering the wilderness for the time-being.
The Panther
Registered User
We're actually, on our board, wondering if this could be contributing to the problem, that he DOES still, we assume, train with Roberts.
Anecdotal evidence: Tyler Johnson appears to have found a time machine, after two years spent adding strength. He took some muscle off this past off-season and re-discovered his "extra gear," which is the thing that made him so effective when he first came into the league. Even in hindsight, he was our best forward in 2015. And that version of him appears to be back, given the speed he's showing in games, which came from focusing a lot less on strength. It's hard not to wonder if this kind of thing is at least a small contributor in Stamkos's skating decline, even if injuries are the main culprit.
TB fans said this last year when Stamkos put up 86 points. We've been saying it since the broken leg. We said it in his contract year, and we said it after he signed. His skillset has changed dramatically, and it's on a sharp, progressive, decline.
12 ES goals last year. Same as Chris Kunitz. He's on about that same pace right now, and it's not a thing I expect to change.
Also, our reaction isn't really about how much Stamkos is scoring. It's about the way he looks on the ice, and how he's getting more and more ineffective at even strength as time goes on. It's been this way since the broken leg, and it's getting worse. He's losing mobility every year.
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I think you're right that he envisions himself making an Yzerman-type transition, into a two-way force. Yzerman did it because he had a coach call him out on putting his own achievements ahead of the team's achievements. There might be a little of that in Stamkos too, but I think it's more that he, more than anybody else, is aware of his new limitations. He can no longer get a shot off before the goalie realizes he's set to shoot. That was one of his main weapons. I don't know that he can still shoot off either leg either.
But Yzerman had an all time great hockey IQ. And that's never been Stamkos's strong suit. Stammer's strengths were always skating and shooting, and those are the exact two things that have been taken away from him, at least in part. He's lost more skating than shooting ability.
VoluntaryDom
Formerly DominicBoltsFan / Ⓐ / ✞
Stamkos isn’t an elite goal scorer anymore but he’s become one of the best playmaking centers in the league and his defense has improved quite a bit. He hasn’t been bad so far this year though I know he can be a lot better.
Stamkos will be fine, but the lightning is team butter. They need more guys outside of the top talent, Stamkos-Kucherov-Point to provide the two-way sandpaper and energy needed in the playoffs. JT Miller ain't that guy. Super talented, but the light turns-off in crunch time, and they already have so much scoring talent. I was shocked at the Miller extension after the playoffs and not a trade, but who knows how things will change at this year's deadline...
Dzonna
Registered User
- Mar 28, 2017
- 1,034
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I'm not aware if anything showed up in the news, but I assume if Stamkos changed his training, it would have gotten to one of our beat writers, so my guess is he still trains with Roberts. But it's "the new NHL," where speed is everything, and I don't think it's a given that Roberts has caught up with that trend just yet.
RegularSznAllStars
Registered User
- Sep 23, 2014
- 1,996
- 805
No, stamkos has not become one of the best playmaking centers in the league. He is easily one of the worst playmakers in the league.
Among top-tier players, this is true. His hands aren't in the same league as most 1Cs. He always made up for that with his ability to shoot.
God King Fudge
Championship Swag
- Oct 13, 2017
- 6,308
- 6,793
God King Fudge
Championship Swag
- Oct 13, 2017
- 6,308
- 6,793
Which is ironic, because Stamkos was one of the best Tampa players in that series.
Gotta get those burns in when you can, I guess.
Critical13
Fear is the mind-killer.
This is the safe post. Very easy and sure to rack up some likes, but I don’t think it’s correct and tastes of appeasement.
I will make sure I bump it later this season and we will see.
Some of the Lightning fans here have posted some apt explainations that match exactly with the on ice product. I personally think his injuries have taken away any chance of him being elite again, but perhaps he can remake himself. Watching him in Sarnia was some of the most fun I’ve ever had watching junior hockey and I am glad I got to see his career play out.
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