May 12, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jason Garrison (5) shoots in game six of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-1 to win the series 4 games to 2. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Jason Garrison
DFC’s Prediction: GP: 80 G: 7 A: 22 Pts: 29
Actual Production: GP: 70 G: 4 A: 26 Pts: 30 +/-: +27
Regular Season: Jason Garrison was acquired as part of Steve Yzerman‘s week long frenzy of moves last year that led up to the 2014 NHL Draft. Yzerman paid a second round pick, and also picked up the entirety of Garrison’s $4.6 million contract, which runs through to the end of the 2017/2018 season. In short, the Vancouver Canucks were dumping salary, and Yzerman picked it up.
And what a pick up it turned out to be. Garrison is a survivor of one of the NHL’s worst playing environments in recent memory, also known as the 2013/2014 Canucks. As soon as he was removed from that situation, he proved he was worth every penny of his contract. And then some.
Production-wise, Garrison had a solid year. He outpaced my pre-season prediction slightly on a per-game basis. But what I don’t think anyone predicted was the stabilizing presence Garrison would provide on the blue line. Wire to wire, he was the Bolts’ most consistent defenseman. His gaffes were few, far between, and minor in nature.
By the time Garrison went down with a shoulder injury down the stretch, he had long since supplanted Matt Carle as Tampa Bay’s #3 defenseman.
It’s hard to find much to criticize about his regular season.
Regular Season Grade: A
Playoffs: In these playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the respect of the hockey world, not only for their offensive skill, but also for their attention to detail in their own zone. Keep in mind, most hockey fans who don’t watch the Lightning regularly still have last year’s panicky defensive play versus the Montreal Canadiens burnt into their brains (which panic, I maintain, was largely induced by the team’s lack of trust in Anders Lindback, but I digress).
So when these same hockey fans got a load of the 2015 Lightning, they came away impressed. And a lot of that had to do with the Lightning’s second pairing, which prominently featured Jason Garrison. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all peaches and cream.
Later on in the post-season, when the Bolts came up against faster teams, Garrison and his new partner, Braydon Coburn, struggled at times. Was he as steady in the playoffs as he was in the regular season? No. But Garrison, by and large, had a solid playoff performance, and even wound up potting a couple of goals. It’s hard to complain about that from a second pairing guy.
Playoffs Grade: B
Looking Forward: Garrison is about as perfect as a fit gets for the Lightning’s second pairing. He’s a left-handed defenseman who can play the right side occasionally and he’s steady defensively while making a solid contribution to the team’s offense. What’s more, having Garrison around allows Jon Cooper to ease promising young lefties like Nikita Nesterov and Slater Koekkoek into the lineup in ways that will be best for their development, rather than simply because the team needs them.
Next: Next Up: Anton Stralman
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