When Conor Geekie scored his first goal of the season against Washington on Oct. 3, there was a buzz. Maybe this was a sign that the young Tampa Bay Lightning forward would have his breakout campaign.
Maybe this can still be the year, but so far, that goal is still the only score he’s had all season. Through nine games, he has one point.
Shots for him have dropped off too. After coming out firing with seven shots over three games, he has just four over his last six. He has back-to-back games on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15 where he didn’t record a single shot on goal.
You almost wonder what’s up. He’s a former first-round pick, and he made a lot of progress down in the AHL with Syracuse last season.
He records some of the hardest shots in the league. According to NHL Edge, his hardest shot is in the 99th percentile this season. His average shot is in the 93rd percentile.
He’s got the speed. He’s in the 86th percentile with his 25 speed bursts (over 20 mph), and his max skating speed is 22.58 mph, which is in the 85th percentile. He’s got traits that can make him successful.
It could be a sign the Lightning need to switch things up that could better allow him to succeed.
It might be time to try Geekie on another line
This season, he’s been in the bottom six - or in this case, the bottom five since it’s been an 11-forward offense.
He’s a center. They need him in that role, which makes it harder for him to move up. He’s done well enough on faceoffs, so he’ll likely remain the fourth-line center for now. Maybe when Yanni Gourde returns, they’ll be able to try him elsewhere. Geekie can also play right winger.
Geekie might benefit from working with some of the top players on the team. Gage Goncalves hasn’t found the scoresheet this season while taking the ice with Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel. Geekie might be able to.
At some point, they have to try something different with him. He’s at a crucial point in his career, the final season of his entry-level contract.
They need to get a better idea of what they have with him. This current plan isn’t going to give them much of a clue.
There’s no reason to try a bunch of things and see what sticks. It can only benefit this team.
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