Final thoughts on Stamkos season.

[NoThreat]

After 14 games and a slow start, there were a few talking about him being a bust. Having seen is full season, we cannot yet say if he is a bust but do you think he has lived up more to expectations? Do you think it was a successful rookie campaign? Or did he dissapoint?

For me, he had a very solid first season, especially given the circumstances surrounding Tampa. I think he's closer to 30 goals and 30 assists or so if the whole Melrose debacle never happens and he should not even be considered close to a "bust" at this point. Let's remember he is 18, a lot of players don't make the bigs until 20 or so, look at the calder finalists, 20,21,23 years of age.

Did you expect more? Or did he meet your expectations?

P.S. Anyone seeing the World Championships he's having? 7 goals and tied for team lead, ain't to shabby.

 

[Rockets Sports Cards]

he is the real deal. look at what he is doing at the Worlds.

 

[SkyFire47]

realistically, i don't think he should've been brought up so soon but considering Tampa's situation and what he's accomplished up to this point, i think he did alright.

 

[Brave]

He may have exceeded my expectations. 46 points is a good season. He put up points in 12 of his last 15 games, and was only a -1 in that stretch. In the games I saw, he didnt appear to shy away from too much physical action and even had the guts to fight big bad Zherdev wned:

 

[sprague11]

I thought enough of his play toward the end of the season that I went bargain hunting on his SPA RC. We've been spoiled post lockout with 2 generational talents in 05/06, 1 in 06/07, and a combination of exceptional play/hype between more than a couple rookies last season. I think the up arrows start next season, if his play at the worlds hasn;t started them already.

 

[jmatchett]

He may not be "the real deal" in the Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin sense, or even the Lecavalier/Kane sense, but he's a definite top 6 forward. It's a shame we'll have to see him on that Lightning squad, much like having to see Tavares on the piss poor Isles.

 

[SkyFire47]

He may not be "the real deal" in the Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin sense, or even the Lecavalier/Kane sense, but he's a definite top 6 forward. It's a shame we'll have to see him on that Lightning squad, much like having to see Tavares on the piss poor Isles.

the blackhawks were piss poor prior to Kane and Toews. the penguins were piss poor prior to crosby, malkin, staal, and fleury. both teams are hits now.

 

[NoThreat]

the blackhawks were piss poor prior to Kane and Toews. the penguins were piss poor prior to crosby, malkin, staal, and fleury. both teams are hits now.

Yes, but they only have him comming in next season(assuming they do draft him) and I guess Bailey if he can up his game, but those 2 alone won't make that team into a Pens or Hawks.

 

[Triple B]

The Lightning threw this kid to the fire and he's played admirably. I think he's going to be just fine. People who were expecting a 100 point season from this guy were hanging his hat a bit high for him.

 

[blkdodge2500]

The Isles lost over 600 man games to injuries. 600, thats an insane amount. Yann five hole Danis and Joey MacDonald, career AHL goalies started. Say what you want about DiPietro but but when he plays the Isles are playoff contenders. He is better then people give him credit for, when he is healthy. A healthy DiPietro is key for the Isles on the ice rebound. It all starts from the net out. Sorry for going off point, I am just tired of the Isles bashing

 

[jmatchett]

Well when he finally DOES play a full healthy season (more like IF) then maybe we'll see.

 

[timber09]

Stamkos will be good - I don't know if he is ever going to make a run at a scoring title but I would think that he will be it the top 20 for a good stretch of time once he gets established.

Again with this - "what have you done for me lately" tallk - listen, teams struggle, then they are good then the struggle and the circle continues. The Islanders will be a better team two years from now and so will the Lightning and everyone will have a new doormat to belittle. It wasn't long ago that Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh, etc were in the basement. Shoot, even the might Red Wings were the perennial doormat of the Norris Division.

No need to completely write off a franchise because they haven't made the playoffs in a couple of years.

 

[blkdodge2500]

Well when he finally DOES play a full healthy season (more like IF) then maybe we'll see.

He has played full years. And as I said they were playoff contenders when he was healthy. Again I appoligize for going off topic.

 

[Bossy22]

Back to Stamkos, he is a beast. He could easily get 80 points next season and 100 the year after. I am not saying he will, that would be pretty high expectations, but he could, he is that good.

 

[jasonspezza19]

I think he'll have a point per game over his career. His rookieseason was ok and good/better in the later half of it. Remember for example, Vinny had an awful rookieseason but manage to get back on track following seasons.

 

[pathshot]

Stamkos is a very smart and mature guy for someone entering the league at 18. However, as the season exhibited, the Lightning have bigger problems than an 18 year old can solve, and it took a while for him to integrate himself into the lineup. He truly looked lost during the early season games.

I haven't followed the team much during this season, but like Crosby had in Lemieux, I would hope that Lecavalier served as a good on and off-ice mentor for Stamkos.

I know he'll be a lot better than this season suggested.

-m.

 

[cburt]

I'm not going to write him off yet, but he definitely dissappointed me and a lot of other people. Sure 46 points was fine for a rookie, but remember how big this guy was hyped prior to the draft and then prior to the season? I think a lot of people expected big things out of him, and for him to have a rookie season similar to that of say Toews, or Kane, somewhere in the 70-point range. We'll see what happens - he has skills, but only time will tell. Some of the reasons for his season are valid, but I guess the next couple of years will be a good indicator of what we might be able to expect from him.

Not to compare Stamkos to Tavares, but I think I will definitely lower my expectations of the later, in light of what can happen when expectations can be so high for a given player before he has even played a single game. Tavares has the makings of being the next "big thing," but we'll see.

 

[fly4apuckguy]

Unlike Toews (who was older) or Kane, Stamkos was not "the guy" on that team from Day 1, so he did not have the luxury of big minutes early in the season. Plus, he was a baby, and I don't mean that is a cruel way. But at the start of the season, the guy looked twelve. He looked like a kid among men, but you can see that has already changed. Kane didn't look much older, but he had some seasoning (and so did Toews) that Stamkos didn't (internationally, etc.).

Having watched him play at the end of the year and during the World Championships, there is no doubt in my mind that Stamkos is the real deal, and gives Tampa the option of shipping Lecavalier this summer if they want to lower their payroll in order to make room for some up and coming players, like Stamkos and Hedman, assuming they are smart enough to take him.

 

[Burner]

Stamkos wasn't drafted to be a 100+ point scorer in the NHL. If you actually took the time to read the reports (and I don't mean those OMG STAMKOS = NEXT GRETZKY!! OMG reports), Stamkos was hailed as a productive 2 way center that can put up points on the scoreboard and play in all areas of the ice. He was never projected to be anything more than a point-per-game player in terms of offense and realistically, that's what Stamkos will be... someone good for 70-85 points a year that can play in all 3 zones.