Tampa Bay Lightning: 2015 Draft Pick Grades

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Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addresses the crowd before the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With the 33rd Selection in the second round, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected forward Mitchell Stephens.

After sending the 28th overall pick in the first round to the New York Islanders, the Tampa Bay Lightning received the 33rd and 72nd selections and used their first pick to take Saginaw Spirit forward Mitchell Stephens.

Stephens, an 18-year-old from Peterborough, Ontario is a right-handed shooting centerman who caught my eye in the scouting process with his skating ability and two-way ability.

Standing at 5’11 188 lbs, Stephens doesn’t let his small stature drive him away from going to hard areas of the ice and physically battling and coming away with the puck. After he has the puck, his ability to make the perfect pass to his line mates and get the rush going offensively always seemed to stand out on tape. He then uses his speed to get into the offensive zone and if not defended correctly his sneaky accurate wrist shot that seems to fool a lot of goalies becomes a dangerous weapon.

Another thing that really stood out on tape was the willingness to relentlessly pressure the opposing puck carrier. He has a high motor and a now quit attitude that makes him well respected by his teammates.

Stephens’ defensive game is also really well developed for someone at his age, and we all know how much two-way centerman are valued at the NHL level.

In only 62 games played, Stephens scored 22 goals and tallied 26 assists in his sophomore season with the Saginaw Spirit. There is a chance for Stephens to develop into a really good potential top-6 center, and at the very least a top-9 center that can win faceoffs and provide some depth scoring.

I really look forward to see how the Saginaw star develop and I really like this pick from Yzerman and company.

Grade: B

Next: Second Round: Matthew Spencer

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