Tampa Bay Lightning 2012-13 Season Awards

With the Tampa Bay Lightning’s (18-26-4, 40 points, fourth in the Southeast Division) 20^th anniversary season over, it’s time to look back at the results and hand out our end of season awards.

Our staff, composed of Editor In Chief W.B. Philp, Senior Writer Alexis Boucher, Prospect Correspondent Alex Muscat, Writers Jason Haas, M.J. Workman and Jane Juran has provided their picks for Most Valuable Player, Best Defenseman, Most Improved Player, Most Overlooked Player, Most Overrated Player, Rookie Of The Year, Top Prospect, Best Defensive Forward, Untouchable Player(s) and Player(s) That Should Be Moved. (Photos/Susan Ferlita)

Most Valuable Player

W.B. Philp – Steven Stamkos – Led the team in goals (29), power play goals (10), game winning goals (2), shots (157),and shooting percentage (minimum 15 games) (18.5). Led all forwards in total time on ice (1057 minutes), average time on ice (22:01) and penalty minutes (32). His 22:01 average time on ice was second in the NHL among forwards. On a team that had to score four goals per game to win, Stamkos was the most important player on the ice.

Alexis Boucher – Martin St. Louis – It’s hard to argue with a 60 point season. He also assisted on a large number of Steven Stamkos’ goals. Even though he did have some struggles with his play over the course of the season, his production didn’t wane. It’s a cliché, but he really is the heart and soul of the team. As Marty goes, so go the Lightning. It’s hard to imagine this club without him in the lineup..

Jason Haas – Martin St. Louis – No doubt.  He won the Art Ross Trophy and that’s phenomenal at 37 years old.  Here’s hoping the Bolts can do better by him next season

Jane Juran – Martin St. Louis – His performance, especially in the second half of the season was special.

Alex Muscat – Martin St. Louis – He keeps getting better with age. He surpassed Bill Cook as the oldest player to win the scoring title (Art Ross Trophy). Thanks, Calgary.

M.J. Workman – Martin St. Louis – Critics throughout the hockey world continue to debate when the 37-year old veteran’s production will drop off. Becoming the oldest player to capture the Art Ross Trophy (though tainted due to Crosby’s injury) is nothing short of remarkable. Though his defensive game suffered this year, his chemistry with Stamkos fuels the offense. He continued to be the quintessential professional and the very heart and soul of the Lightning.

Best Defenseman

W.B. Philp – Matt Carle – Carle led all Lightning defensemen in goals (5), assists (17), points (22), power play goals (2) and shooting percentage (7.6). Led the team in games played (48), total ice time (1,140 minutes) and average time on ice (23:45) while maintaining a positive (+1) rating. He was second on the team in blocked shots (87).

Alexis Boucher – Victor Hedman – After another season with a veteran partner, Hedman is becoming a very dominant presence on the blue line. He’s become more physical, but even better than that is his improved positioning. With Jon Cooper’s arrival, he is even being called upon to do some offensive zone work. It is incredibly fun watching him develop. This guy is going to be a workhorse for the Bolts for years to come.

Jason Haas – Victor Hedman – Especially under Jon Cooper. Hedman has been a little more willing to rush the puck and that’s the side of his game that this defensive core really needs.

Jane Juran – Victor Hedman – Hedman is the strongest and most consistent Bolts defenseman.

Alex Muscat – Sami Salo – Nice acquisition from Vancouver. Led defensemen with a +5 rating and chipped in 17 points.

M.J. Workman – Sami Salo – One of, if not the only, offseason signing success story for this season, Salo anchored the blue line and led the Lightning blue liners with a +5 rating. Though his 17 points were modest, he was a key contributor on the point on the power play and shook the injury bug, playing in all but two games. 

Most Improved Player

W.B. Philp – Victor Hedman – Hedman had four goals, 16 assists, 20 points and a +1 rating in 44 games this season as compared to five goals, 18 assists, 23 points and a -9 rating in 61 games in 2011-12. At only 22 years old, Hedman is right on track to having a long and successful NHL career.

Alexis Boucher – Keith Aulie – Given his start with the Bolts prior to the lockout, it was difficult to know what to expect out of Aulie. Ice time in the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals and Syracuse Crunch has done wonders for his game. A big kid with more than a little sandpaper in his style, he is going to be fun to watch.

Jason Haas – Brett Connolly – He only had a cup of coffee with the Bolts this season but it was easy to see that he has grown exponentially.

Jane Juran – Victor Hedman – Hedman is leading the rush more and contributing offensively while playing stellar defense in all situations. He’s right where he should be in his development.

Alex Muscat – Victor Hedman – His overseas stint during the lockout may have been the best thing to happen to him.

M.J. Workman – Alex Killorn -The Lightning have to be thrilled with the growth from Killorn, who among others seemed to thrive under coach Jon Cooper in Norfolk/Syracuse. Still, some questioned if this growth could translate to the next level. Killorn made his NHL debut this season and never looked back, accumulating seven goals, 12 assists and19 points in 38 games, outperforming other more heralded players and showing he has the energy and skill to be a solid third-liner player for the Lightning.

Most Overlooked Player

W.B, Philp – Dana Tyrell – It’s hard to understand why Tyrell can’t find a solid spot as a bottom six forward. He’s a tremendous skater with an engine that is always running.

Alexis Boucher – Cory Conacher – Seriously…he was traded, but the joke’s on the Lightning as Conacher’s going to the playoffs.

Jason Haas – Keith Aulie – He doesn’t do anything spectacular out there, but he’s been solid this season.

Jane Juran – Nate Thompson – Often dismissed as just a grunt player, Nate has been scoring goals, dishing assists, hitting, winning faceoffs and doing a good job keeping the puck in our offensive zone.

Alex Muscat – B.J. Crombeen – He does the dirty work for the Bolts and is popular with his teammates.

M.J. Workman – Victor Hedman – It has to be Hedman, who has developed into an ice-time-devourer on the Lightning blue line, playing 23+ minutes nightly. He still has to fine tune his game, as he can occasionally be caught out of position, but without him the Bolts defensive situation would be even direr. He also has shown ability to pinch in on the blue line and flashes of skill in offensive zone, which should endear him to Coach Cooper’s new system moving forward.

Most Overrated Player

W.B. Philp – Nate Thompson – Thompson is a true fan favorite and it’s hard to argue that he plays with passion and is a good faceoff man. But, to sign a third/fourth line player that is very limited offensively to a four year deal is ill advised.

Alexis Boucher – Ryan Malone – This is a tough choice because he is such a fan favorite. He goes into the tough spots and battles…. when healthy. The intangibles that his size and strength bring to the ice have stopped paying dividends when you consider how much time he has missed due to injury over the past few seasons.

Jason Haas – Ryan Malone – He’s lauded for his big body but he really doesn’t play that edgy anymore.

Jane Juran – Brett Connolly – He’s a good player and has definitely shown improvement during his time in the AHL, but has yet to live up to the hype.

Alex Muscat – Vincent Lecavalier – Not the player that he was a few years ago, plus he’s the sixth-highest player in the league. It doesn’t add up.

M.J. Workman – Vincent Lecavalier – Lecavalier’s game has shown improvement as he has fought through injuries for the past several years, but his best days are clearly behind him. He did finish the year with ten goals and 32 points, but again had a foot injury which caused him to miss several games. More worrisome, his effort on the defensive end has waned, and the fact of the matter is that his contract is the most onerous on the Lightning’s books right now.

Rookie Of The Year

W.B. Philp – Alex Killorn – In his first season on NHL ice, Killorn had seven goals, 19 points and two game winning goals in 38 games. The Harvard graduate never looked out of place next to the Bolts seasoned forwards while earning an average of 16:49 ice time per game. He is rock solid on his skates and can throw his body around when needed. Killorn has never met a shot he didn’t like as he fired off 82 of them in just 38 games.

Alexis Boucher – Tyler Johnson – Johnson had three goals, six points and a won 59.5% of his faceoffs in 14 NHL games. He might be small, but he is quick, agile, and very difficult to get off his feet. Very easy to see why he is such a force in the AHL and it translated very well with the big club. 

Jason Haas – Radko Gudas – He stepped in midseason and has not looked out of place on a weak blue line.

Jane Juran – Tyler Johnson – Johnson notched six points in 14 games with limited ice time. He made a difference is every game he played.

Alex Muscat – Alex Killorn – Killorn had 19 points in 37 games. He’s Ryan Malone version 2.0

M.J. Workman – Radko Gudas -At one point this would’ve been hands-down Cory Conacher’s award, and though a strong argument could be made for Killorn, Gudas showed a mixture of youth, grit, a willingness and desire for physicality, and even some offensive prowess from the blue line, something the Lightning have lacked for almost its entire existence. In 22 games Gudas had over 100 hits and chipped in with five points from the blue line.

Top Prospect

W.B. Philp – Tyler Johnson – The reigning AHL MVP had 37 goals and 61 points in 62 games with the Syracuse Crunch and contributed six points in 14 NHL games. Johnson is an excellent skater and faceoff man with great hockey sense and can be used in every situation. Needs to get stronger but has huge upside potential.

Alexis Boucher – Andrey Vasilevskiy – The goaltender of the future, no exaggeration there. He’s big (though not as big as some recent Lightning goalie acquisitions), quick and covers the net. He hasn’t had too much visibility here in North America yet, but seems eager to come over. Very interested to see how he does on this side of the pond.

Jason Haas – Brett Connolly – He could be a 20-30 goal man in the NHL next season if his development continues on its current path.

Jane Juran – Tyler Johnson – AHL MVP and contributed nicely in his 14 NHL games.

Alex Muscat – Andrey Vasilevskiy – First goalie taken in 2012 NHL Draft is a big-framed netminder in the Carey Price mold.

M.J. Workman – Tyler Johnson – Steve Yzerman clearly was higher on Johnson’s game and long-term NHL potential when he decided to move Corey Conacher, last year’s AHL MVP. Johnson proved that Yzerman might be right, winning this year’s AHL MVP and leading the Crunch to another Calder Cup run. More impressively, he flashed a potent future in his NHL debut, scoring three goals and six points in his 14 games with the Lightning while proving to be a dominant force in the face-off circle.

Best Defensive Forward

W.B. Philp – Tom Pyatt – Pyatt is a grinder with great instincts and good hands. He has learned to use his good skating ability and tenaciousness to contribute heavily on the penalty kill and match up with the opposing team’s top six forwards. In this abbreviated season, he chipped in with eight goals, eight assists (career high) and a +5 rating (career best) while averaging 13:35 ice time per game.

Alexis Boucher – Nate Thompson – One of the go to guys on the penalty kill, Thompson isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body to keep the other team from generating offense. Whether it’s blocking shots or going into the corners, he has really carved out a role for himself on the lower lines.

Jason Haas – Alex Killorn – Alex hustles at both ends of the ice and he’ll likely be counted on for his size next season too.

Jane Juran – Nate Thompson – Matching up with the opposing team’s top line, night in and night out and doing a solid job at it.

Alex Muscat – Tom Pyatt – He was one of their best checkers and penalty killers this season.

M.J. Workman – Tom Pyatt – This is a bit like differentiating between a set of octuplets, but Pyatt played a high energy game on the third/fourth line and finished the year with a +5 rating without providing much offense. He played a key role on the penalty kill (that admittedly wasn’t very good) and dedicated himself to both sides of the ice.

Untouchable Player(s)

W.B. Philp – Unquestionably Steven Stamkos.

Alexis Boucher – Steven Stamkos – If anyone suggests Stamkos should/could be moved, they have taken a bottle of crazy pills.

Jason Haas – Brett Connolly – If Yzerman is going to deal another forward prospect, it should be Richard Panik…though both are talented, we’ve not even scratched the surface of Connolly’s potential.

Jane Juran – Steven Stamkos – No explanation necessary.

Alex Muscat – Steven Stamkos/Martin St. Louis – Need I say more?

M.J. Workman – This is a small list including Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop and Tyler Johnson.

Player(s) That Should Be Moved

W.B. Philp – Ryan Malone – Moving Malone will be difficult for GM Steve Yzerman. His injury history may keep him in TampaBay for the duration of his contract. He again missed half of the Lightning’s games this season. He’s a candidate for a buyout, but it may not be financially responsible for the Bolts to do that. Malone “should” be moved, but the Bolts may have to keep him and hope the Hockey Gods deem him healthy for a full season.

Alexis Boucher – Ryan Malone – It’s difficult to pick “Bugsy” because he is so likeable, but he’s missed 89 games in his five seasons with the Lightning. That makes it difficult to sign off on his cap hit, especially with the salary cap coming down next season. He could be valuable IF he remains healthy. Given recent history that’s a very big if, and not one the Lightning can afford to gamble on.

Jason Haas – Ryan Malone – The call gets louder and louder every day for him to be a compliance buyout. At this point he won’t be back next season. Brewer will be mentioned often here, but Malone is much more easily replaced at this stage.

Jane Juran – Teddy Purcell – It’s time for Purcell to go. He scores goals but stays away from the “dirty areas.” Huge consistency problem. Need to unload him while he still can bring something back.

Alex Muscat – Vincent Lecavalier – If he agrees to be moved, it’ll be over $7 million off the books.

M.J. Workman – Ryan Malone – Malone is likely gone and if the Bolts could find a home for Vincent Lecavalier and his massive contract, they should strongly consider it.

There it is puckheads. Our 2012-13 award winners. Tell us if you agree or disagree. Leave your comments below.

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