If the Tampa Bay Lightning want to find itself in a healthy run for the Stanley Cup in the upcoming season, one thing they will need is a healthy Steven Stamkos.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have come to know a lot of success in the past couple of seasons. Unfortunately, last season the Lightning experienced an abrupt end to its season, as the team failed to earn enough points to capture a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There were many contributing factors to this sudden downfall for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but if one had to put their finger on what they considered to be the main issue last season, there is no doubt the answer would be the number of injuries the team had to deal with over the course of the season.
In addition to this, it would be the particular players who were taken away from the ice thanks to a multitude of different injuries. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and alternate captain Ryan Callahan both spent a significant amount of time away from the ice in the 2016-17 season, and their absence was deeply felt.
Tampa Bay Lightning
When the Lightning takes the ice on October 6 to open up their season against their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers, the hope is the team will have a full lineup of players who are 100 percent ready to go. At the same time, there is one player in the lineup who the Tampa Bay Lightning must have healthy in the coming season.
This player would be Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
Now, we here at Bolts By The Bay have always stood by the saying, “No one player makes or breaks a team. It is as one says, a team effort.” This still remains true today. At the same time, when you have a player the caliber of someone like Steven Stamkos, it can be monstrously detrimental to the team’s success.
Goal Scoring Ability
The Tampa Bay Lightning organization, both those on the Lightning’s main roster and those representing the organization as a member of the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, is packed to the brim with talented players, both at forward and defensive positions.
At the same time, there are very few players (other than Nikita Kucherov, that is) who can keep pace with a player like Stamkos. If the Lightning wants to remain consistently successful in the coming season, it will need someone who can put the puck on the net from all different areas and someone who is not afraid to dig deep for a shot and shoot from some of the more dirty places.
In the 2011-12 season, Steven Stamkos was able to set a new personal record for himself in terms of both goals and overall points. Stammer’s record-setting 60 goals and 37 assists came together for a grand total of 97 points. These numbers were enough to earn Stamkos the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy that season.
If the Tampa Bay Lightning had a healthy Steven Stamkos last season, combined with the tremendous numbers posted by Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning’s history may read a little differently. Hopefully, Bolts Nation will get a chance to see how this scenario plays out in the coming season.
Leadership
One of the most important aspects of a team’s success is its leadership. This extends far beyond the back office and those behind the bench. Where it really counts is on the ice and in the locker room. This is something Steven Stamkos has become particularly good at since seizing the reins in the 2013-14 season.
It’s difficult enough for the team to lose its captain to an injury, but it’s a whole other animal when the team loses both their captain and one of its veteran alternate captains at the same time. This, combined with the other injuries to key players the Lightning suffered last season, caused quite a bit of chaos on the ice.
Steven Stamkos is well respected by his teammates and has the ability to not only keep everyone together as a team but to lead them in the right direction so they may be successful throughout the season and make a real, solid run for the Stanley Cup in the postseason. This is what the team desperately needs if they want to get back to their winning ways in the coming season.
As we said before, no one man makes or breaks a team. Overall, it is a team effort that determines the course of destiny for a team. At the same time, a player like Lightning captain Steven Stamkos brings a lot to the table and should be considered a key asset to the organization.
Next: Steven Stamkos Kept The Lightning's Core In Tampa
If the captain can manage to stay healthy throughout the course of the season, barring the occasional bump, bruise, and minor injury a player may face, the Tampa Bay Lightning has the potential to find themselves back at the top of the National Hockey League and fighting for Lord Stanley’s Cup when the postseason begins.