Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports
Most of the time, great NHL players get their due. But some stars are never praised as much as they should for one reason or another.
For example, take Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. The 32-year-old led the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins and generated 1,010 points in 954 career regular-season games. And he’s not done yet.
Still, he’s taken a backseat to high-profile superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. This is despite 15 seasons in hockey’s best league and an international hockey imprint that includes a World Junior Championship gold medal in 2008 and a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Wherever he’s played, Stamkos has flourished.
Perhaps Stamkos doesn’t get more love because he’s had injuries over the years: he played nearly every regular-season game in his first four NHL seasons, and he’s played in at least 77 games for another four years, but he’s had multiple serious injuries. to his knee, neck, arm and core, and as a result, he’s missed a fair amount of playing time. But that’s no fault of his own.
Rather than being a weakness, Stamkos’ health should be seen as a strength. Sure, you wish he’d played every game, but his determination to battle through injuries and return to action is precisely what you want to see from your top players.
And this season, when he’ll turn 33 in February, Stamkos is rolling along again. In 32 games, he’s amassed 16 goals and 38 points. That puts him on pace to generate 41 goals and 97 points – amazing for most players, but a shade off his 2021-22 totals of 42 goals and 106 points. That point total was a career high for Stamkos. When you’re headed toward your mid-thirties, and you’re still able to be among the NHL’s leaders in key areas, you’re an exceptional player.
Another reason Stamkos is underrated? Well, he’s fortunate enough to play on a marvelously-constructed Lightning team that includes fellow stars Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. Of course, all those players deserve to be recognized for their elite talents, but Stamkos has almost always been the focal point of the opposition’s defensive plans, and yet, he continues to shine.
Stamkos also is a low-key personality who doesn’t crave any hype or fawning fan base. When he had the chance to leave Tampa Bay for his hometown of Toronto as an unrestricted free agent in 2016, Stamkos chose to stay and signed an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million. That feels like a bargain, which is saying something.
Stamkos is one summer away from becoming a UFA. Although the Lightning aren’t likely to give him a raise when he’s 35, he’s also not going to sign a Mark Giordano type of deal where he accepts the league minimum salary. And that’s as it should be. He’s earned the respect and admiration of the hockey world, and he’s a no-question Hall of Famer still adding to his legend.
He doesn’t have a wealth of individual trophies, but Stamkos is a two-time Rocket Richard-winner as the league’s top goal-scorer. And if he were healthier, he’d likely have a few more of those and maybe a Hart Trophy.
But for good reason, people in Tampa Bay will tell you they’re thrilled with how things have worked for him. He’s been a foundational player for a modern NHL dynasty team, and they’ll probably have a statue for him in Tampa Bay.
His career hasn’t been perfect, but nobody’s is. Stamkos does deserve more accolades, but we’re sure he’s OK being somewhat out of the spotlight. He has taken the cards dealt to him and found ways to still be as good as, or better than, virtually every player on the planet. That’s impressive.
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