Steven Stamkos has become Steve Yzerman 2.0
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It’s been on my mind for a while now: Steven Stamkos is the second coming of Steve Yzerman.
And when the Lightning captain scored his 500th NHL goal Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels.
Stamkos and Yzerman both captained Stanley Cup winning teams. Both are lifers with one NHL organization. They’re prolific scorers. And so much more.
I think direct comparisons are really hard to make in sports. And no doubt, Yzerman and Stamkos have charted separate courses during their respective NHL careers. But whenever Stamkos decides to hang ‘em up, I believe they’ll be seen in a very similar light.
When I first met Stamkos in early February of 2009 – as teammates with the Tampa Bay Lighting – I didn’t see him blossoming into one of the greatest captains in NHL history. He was an 18-year old, red-cheeked young man trying to find his place within a rebuilding organization. The first overall selection in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos had been in and out of the lineup for the first part of the season.
I was a 25-year old goaltender less than two years removed from playing in the ECHL. Our paths couldn’t have been any different. Yet there we were, sitting next to each other on the team bus. Both rookies. Both learning what it takes to play in the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning players, including Steven Stamkos (91) congratulate goaltender Mike McKenna (30) after he shut out the New York Islanders 1-0 for his first career win during an NHL hockey game Saturday night, Feb. 7, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Looking back, we were so fortunate to have Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis in that Tampa Bay locker room. Lecavalier was the captain. St. Louis was his assistant. And even though I was only a member of the team for the final few months of the season, Lecavalier and St. Louis left such an impression.
But think about Stamkos. He spent six years playing with those guys. And when Martin St. Louis was traded to the New York Rangers in May of 2014, Stamkos was next in line for the Lightning captaincy.
Like any young captain, it was a work in progress. Being 24 years old and leading an NHL team isn’t an easy task. But what I really appreciate about Stamkos’ career is how he’s evolved over time. Just like Yzerman – who also happened to be the Lightning’s general manager during Stamkos’ formative years.
What he’s accomplished since is nothing short of incredible. Two Stanley Cup championships. Four appearances in the Final. Stamkos has been the heartbeat of the Lightning for almost a decade now.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Stamkos has started to resemble Yzerman, who captained the Detroit Red Wings for an astounding 19 seasons. He could skate. So can Stamkos. And while the Lightning center is a better pure shooter than Yzerman was, I think Stamkos sees the game in a similar way.
When you compare their respective careers, the similarities are striking. The production of each player – when adjusted for era – tends to mirror one another’s. Through 15 adjusted seasons according to Hockey Reference, they’d be 71 points apart. But take a look beyond point totals. Stamkos and Yzerman were both negative plus-minus players several times early in their career. That’s not to say either was irresponsible. But I do think it’s tangible that Yzerman spent the last 14 seasons of his career as a plus player. And it’s now been a decade since Stamkos finished an NHL season as a negative.
Yzerman may have been a more complete, 200-foot player earlier in his career than Stamkos was. But I think the Lightning forward doesn’t receive enough credit for his play away from the puck.
It’s so easy to focus on Stamkos’ one-timer, which was voted a top-five weapon earlier this year when I sampled NHL goaltenders. But there’s no way he’d be producing at over a point-per-game clip in today’s NHL without his work ethic. Stamkos hounds pucks on the forecheck and makes smart decisions in the defensive zone.
Sound familiar? Yzerman was a master thinker on the ice. And the older Stamkos gets, the more I see of that from him. He doesn’t make impulsive decisions. His game is calculated. And it’s a big reason why Stamkos – at 32 years of age – doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.
Recently I’ve seen some “what-ifs” about Stamkos’ career, like it’s in decline. Or he didn’t live up to perceived potential as a first overall draft choice. All I can do is shake my head. Sure, Stamkos has had to battle through some nasty injuries during his career. And his point totals are lower because of it. But think of his impact on the Lightning. For players, it doesn’t always come down to statistics. Sure, it’s fun to lead the league in categories and be rewarded for it. Stamkos has won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy twice as the NHL’s top goal-scorer.
The money that comes along with being a top player is fantastic. Stamkos has a big enough bank account that he can do whatever he wants when he’s done with hockey. But his legacy will forever be tied to the Stanley Cups won as captain of the Lightning.
Again, sound familiar? Yzerman wasn’t the best player in the NHL during his career. And frankly, Stamkos hasn’t been, either. Close at times. But neither won a Hart Trophy as league MVP.
To me, that doesn’t matter. What does, however, is the gusty performances of Yzerman and Stamkos when their team needed them the most.
I think back to 2002 when Yzerman – basically playing on one leg – captained the Red Wings to the team’s third Stanley Cup. His knee pain was so severe he could barely stand. Almost all of his cartilage in the joint was gone. Yet somehow, Yzerman managed to lead the Red Wings with 23 points in 23 postseason games. The damage was so significant that he missed almost the entire 2002-03 season recovering from knee surgery.
Stamkos has his own tale of heroics. During the 2019-20 NHL postseason, Stamkos’ only action was five shifts in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. He hadn’t touched the ice during a game since Feb. 25. And he scored on his only shot. Stamkos’ goal put the Lightning ahead 2-0, a lead they never relinquished.
It was one of the most surreal things I’ve ever witnessed in hockey. And it spoke volumes about Stamkos’ desire to win. And how he had grown into being one of the NHL’s premier captains. His teammates were well aware of the adversity he had faced and the pain he was in. Yet Stamkos battled through on behalf of everyone.
Funny enough, despite his impact on Tampa Bay, Yzerman didn’t end up hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Lightning. He had already departed the organization, leaving new GM Julien Brisebois in charge. But Yzerman’s fingerprints were all over the championship. And for that, he’ll always be tied to Stamkos’ legacy.
I think Stamkos has plenty of hockey left in him. His current contract runs through the 2023-24 season. And at this point, I’d be shocked if he wanted to play anywhere besides Tampa Bay. Surely the team can find a way to keep Stamkos in a blue and white jersey.
How often does that happen anymore? A player spending an entire career in one city? It’s so rare. But it’s something I believe Yzerman and Stamkos will have in common.
As Yzerman’s career wore on, his production inevitably wore down. But his two-way play and leadership remained as sharp as ever. The same will likely happen with Stamkos. But I can’t predict when. He’s still as dangerous as ever with the puck.
It’ll be interesting to see what Stamkos decides to do when he’s done playing. Does he follow Yzerman’s lead and go into management? Or does he ride off into the sunset after authoring a surefire Hall of Fame career?
Hard to say. But it’s never a bad thing to be like Stevie Y.
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