Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Andrej Sustr

As the off-season plugs on and Tampa Bay Lightning fans prepare for the 2015-16 season, we take a look back at the 2014-15 season of Andrej Sustr.

Tampa Bay Lightning fans are caught in the most arduous time of the off-season. The Free Agency period has run its course and many of the players that were destined for new homes have already found them. Prospect development camp has come and gone. Now, as we look down the long and winding road ahead of us, we await training camp and the start of the new season.

Before we divert all of our attention to the 2015-16 season, which is actually a lot closer than one would think, let’s take a look at the 2014-15 season of one of our current team members. As today marks the 62 day mark until the start of the new season, who better to take a look at than our very own number 62, defenseman Andrej Sustr?

Unfortunately for Andrej Sustr, he has not had quite the stellar season as have some of the players we have taken a look at before him. In fact, some could venture to say that he has had a bit of a rough season.

While defense is his primary responsibility, given the two-way talents of defenseman like Victor Hedman, we would be remiss in our duties if we didn’t at least take a glance at the scoreboard last season and see how Sustr matches up against everyone else.

Remember that rough season we mentioned a little earlier? Well, it seems that it started on the scoreboard. Sustr was unable to score a single goal in the 72 games he played with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season; however, he was able to net himself 13 assists, which would put him in 5^th place on the team in terms of active defensemen.

We think one of the biggest pitfalls that Tampa Bay Lightning fans have seen over the course of the last season is Sustr’s lack of grit in comparison to his size. Victor Hedman stands 6 foot 6 inches tall and weighs around 230 pounds. This is 10 pounds heavier than Sustr, who is actually one inch taller than Hedman. If Sustr could pack on a few more pounds, he could be an absolute powerhouse on the ice.

As nit-picky as this fact sounds, this is simply something that he is going to have to accomplish if he ever wants to truly be able to go toe-to-toe with someone like Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who stands a towering 6 foot 9 inches tall and weighs 255 pounds. Needless to say, it takes a lot to knock him off the puck, let alone his feet.

While there are some people in the Bolts Nation who are currently crying for Sustr’s head and looking for the next “bigger, faster, stronger” defenseman to take his place. We can certainly see why some people would be taking this route, but at the same time it may not be the fairest assessment.

This may be Andrej Sustr’s third season on Tampa Bay Lightning ice; this is his first real season in Lightning blue. In the 2012-13 season Sustr played in just 2 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, spending a majority of his time with the University of Nebraska – Omaha. In the 2013-14 season, he would play just over half a season with the Bolts recording 43 games. This leads us to last season.

At the end of the day, Sustr is still a very young talent and with a little bit more hard work and dedication, combined with proper guidance, Andrej Sustr could be developed into a powerful weapon on the ice; one that any Tampa Bay Lightning fan would like to have in their arsenal.

At the same time, this assessment is not going to stay with him forever. In the coming season, he is going to have to take his game up a notch and really show that he can be a force to be reckoned with. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be looking to take another run at Lord Stanley’s Cup next season, and it is going to be all hands on deck from the moment the first puck drops.

What are your thoughts on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr? Do you think he has what it takes to one day be a defensive leader, or are you one of the many who have been calling for his head? What do you think he will be able to bring to the ice next season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Who Will Lead The Charge Next Season

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