We’re finally getting around to reviewing the 2022-23 season. Instead of assigning grades or any of that nonsense, we’ll start by looking at the player’s best goal from the season and go from there. For some it’ll be easy, others have way more to choose from.
Player
Steven Stamkos
Stat Line
81 games played, 34 goals, 50 assists, 46 PIM, 240 shots, 15.66 iXG (5v5), 92 hits, 19:01 ice time
Playoffs – 6 games played, 2 goals, 2 assists, 9 PIM, 19 shots, 1.36 iXG (5v5), 15 hits, 19:10 ice time
Goal of the Year Video
Goal of the year description
Wait. That’s not goal number 500. Shouldn’t a milestone goal like that, something only 47 humans have every accomplished be the goal of the year for Mr. Stamkos? Sure, you could make that argument. You could also say it was the easiest goal of the year for him. Alex Killorn did all the work and Stammer just had to stand there and knock it in. Heck, goal 501 was prettier than number 500.
As for the goal we choose, it was goal number 497, (only 48 people have scored that many in the NHL) and it was, in our humble opinion, Stamkos’ best goal of the year.
It started with not one, but two Seattle turnovers – first in the neutral zone, and then Adam Larsson’s pass that ate Vince Dunn alive in the defensive zone. Anthony Cirelli was first to the loose puck and maintained possession after a stick check. He found Victor Hedman for the all-important cross-ice pass and Hedman knew what he was going to do with the puck before it hit his stick.
The one-touch pass found Stamkos alone in front of the net, but he wasn’t in prime one-timer position. He took the pass on his forehand and skated backwards through the crease and twisted to get the shot off. Martin Jones did all he could to make the first stop, but Stammer is able to poke the rebound up and over him for the goal.
While the footwork was impressive, it was the stickwork in tight, where avoided Larsson’s attempt to lift his stick was the best part of the play.
How did 2022-23 go for them?
Steven Stamkos was the Milestone Man in 2022-23 as he hit three big career markers: 1000 games played, 500 goals, and 1000 points. Not a bad collection of game pucks to add the mantle for the future hall of famer. He also added a trophy, the Mark Messier Leadership Award, becoming the first Lightning player to win the award in its 11-year history.
Stamkos came out on fire as he opened up the season with a 5-game goal streak where he scored 7 times. It was the most productive stretch of the season, though he added a 6-goal-in-4-games stretch in late January. There was also a 14-game point streak during November and December. It wasn’t all rosy, though as The Captain also mixed in a couple of slumps, including a 10-game goalless stretch following that hot start to the season, and a 2-goals-in-14 games stretch in late December that carried into the new year.
That is the life of a goal-scorer, though. Insanely hot stretches followed by cold streaks where they can’t buy a goal. He still ended up with a respectable 34-goal, 50-assist season as a 32-year-old. The 84 points is the seventh best offensive season of his career and the eleventh time he’s averaged more than a point a game for an entire season.
The goal-scoring droughts cost him a shot at back-to-back 40 goal seasons, something he hasn’t done since the three-season stretch in 2009-2012 when he went 51, 45, 60.
It was, however, the second season in a row that he appeared in 81 games which was good to see for a player that has had more than his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Not only was he healthy, he was on the ice a lot. The 19:01 ice time was his highest average since 2015-16 and 30 seconds more than he averaged in 2021-22. Stamkos’ solid play and Coach Cooper’s need to rely on the top two lines for offense contributed to that increase. Stamkos averaged almost 30 seconds more at 5v5 and 20 seconds more on the power play than he had in the previous season (his penalty kill time was down, though).
Stamkos wasn’t the best player on the team last year, but he was still among the best. The 84 points was third on the team while only Brayden Point scored more goals than he did. Stamkos is at the stage of his career where he’s not going to be mentioned in the same breath as the top players in the league, but he is still extremely effective at scoring goals.
As you can see, he still ranks in the 90th percentile for offense in the league. Yes, the defense isn’t great, but it’s not like he was drafted, signed, and re-signed to win Selke Trophies. Stamkos is here to put the puck in the net, and while he might not be the best, he’s among the best.
2023-24 Contract Status
The Captain enters the final season of the 8-year, $68 million contract that he signed back in June of 2016. His cap hit for the season is $8.5 million and an actual salary of $6.5 million ($5.5 million signing bonus and $1 million salary).
Do we expect them to score more or less next season?
This is actually a pretty tough question. Thirty-five goals seems like it would be a lot and is a level he’s reached just twice in the last seven seasons. He’s also 33-years-old and facing a contract year for the first time in eight seasons.
Still, he’s Steven Freakin’ Stamkos and age is just a stage of mind. We’ll find out in training camp where Coach Cooper decides to put him in the line-up. There is the choice to put him on the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and let the three best offensive players on the team cook. Or, he could keep Stamkos on the second line with Anthony Cirelli and a mystery winger to spread things out, allowing Coach Cooper to play some match-up games.
We know he’ll be on the top power play unit and that should be good for 12-14 goals, maybe more if he decides to shoot it a little more. His 2.6 goals-per-60 was the lowest number he had posted on the power play since 2011-12 so there is a little room for improvement there.
The team will be leaning on their big stars to either maintain their production from last season, or improve a bit. If Stamkos can stay healthy and avoid the lengthy goalless streaks that popped up a couple of times last season, there is a good chance that Stamkos could threaten the 40-goal mark again.
