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This is for you, Arty!
Since the Tampa Bay Lightning’s magical run to the Eastern Conference final in 2011, a lot has gone wrong for the franchise that calls the Tampa Bay Times Forum home. Between injuries and inconsistent play, the last two campaigns have been a struggle. Ultimately, the Lightning’s demise culminated with the dismissal of now former head coach Guy Boucher just a few days ago. Whenever a team struggles and fires a head coach, the blame game logically follows. Since Boucher’s firing, everyone and their mother have chimed in. A number of fans, some bloggers, and even the odd mainstream media personality have all pressed the panic button; the Lightning's own version of Armageddon is officially upon us.
One of the most popular pieces of rhetoric thrown around in recent days goes a little something like this: “don’t blame Boucher, blame Yzerman.” Simple. Poignant. Targeted. For a lot of people, it’s easy to blame Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman. It was Yzerman who didn’t acquire a proven netminder after last season’s disaster, they say. It was Yzerman who failed to fix all the holes on defense, they say. It was Yzerman who built this losing team, they say. Hogwash.
Contrary to what so many will try to tell you, Steve Yzerman’s mark on the Tampa Bay Lightning is an overwhelmingly positive one. Since joining the Lightning in 2010, the man they call ‘Stevie Y’ has been incredibly busy. In addition to adding core players to the roster via trade and free agency, Yzerman and company have drafted well, developed prospects successfully, and created a culture that players want to be a part of. That’s his stamp, and it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t been good for the Lightning.
One of Yzerman’s greatest qualities is his ability to attract and retain talent; it didn’t take Bolts Nation long to realize that. Shortly after taking the reins to the Lightning machine, Yzerman signed Martin St. Louis to a four year contract extension that carries a cap hit of $5.625M. That negotiation, which has kept St. Louis in Tampa at a dollar amount well below market value, continues to pay dividends for the Lightning. Add to the St. Louis signing the fact that Yzerman has been able to attract top talent like Cory Conacher, Tyler Johnson, JT Brown, Andrej Sustr, Matt Carle, and Sami Salo, resign the likes of Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, and manage the team’s cap situation, and it’s pretty clear that he has done more good than bad for this franchise.
Specific to this season, it’s not Steve Yzerman’s fault that the roster has been plagued with injuries. It’s not Steve Yzerman’s fault that ill-timed giveaways and defensive breakdowns have been commonplace. It’s not Steve Yzerman’s fault that Guy Boucher’s system wasn’t producing wins. It’s not Steve Yzerman’s fault that the former head coach couldn’t react to the team’s on ice struggles. Instead, give Steve Yzerman credit for making a coaching change before things got even worse. ‘Suck for Seth’ was never an option.
At the end of the day, this Lightning team is better today than it was before Steve Yzerman took control. He has added young pieces, cut dead weight, and kept important veterans on reasonable contracts. The core of this team is respected and dangerous, the prospect pool is deep and successful, and the culture of hockey in Tampa hasn’t been this strong in years. Simply put – Steve Yzerman has made the Lightning a force to be reckoned with in more than one way. He’s smart, he’s patient, and he’s the kind of guy who knows how to win. Give him time and you won’t regret it. Steve Yzerman will turn the Tampa Bay Lightning into a Stanley Cup contender before too long; you can count on that.
As always, thanks for reading.
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