It’s pretty simple—this is what happens when you give Barry Melrose an NHL coaching job.

This dude is so behind the times he could probably screw up the Wings.

Posted by Nathan on 10/22/08 at 02:06 PM ET

Stamkos is probably a mediocre talent. All Canadian top draft picks are hyped by the hockey press…..The Russian/Euros are always denigrated….until they score 50 goals in their rookie season that is

Posted by kevin from boston on 10/22/08 at 02:10 PM ET

So… the Lightning draft Stamkos, then acquire about 736 forwards in the offseason… and now people are wondering WHY Stamkos isn’t getting playing time?

The Lightning should have taken Doughty or Bogosian, with that plan in mind.

Stamkos is being wasted though, no doubt.  It’s partially Melrose’s inept coaching, but it’s also management for getting way, way too many forwards.

Posted by Primis on 10/22/08 at 02:26 PM ET

Kevin,

If you’d seen Stamkos play, you would know that that is not the case.  Melrose is not giving him the ice-time that he needs to succeed.

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 10/22/08 at 02:30 PM ET

Stamkos is a great talent, no doubt. And you are right Primis. While I stand by the fact that Melrose is a horrid coach, management has not made his job easier. With the moves they made they clearly expect to make the playoffs, which makes it difficult for a coach to let his young talents go out and learn from their mistakes… what with the difference between the playoffs and golf being shootout prowess.

Posted by Nathan on 10/22/08 at 03:05 PM ET

Maybe he doesn’t want to burn the kid out.  Any time you draft a player and put him right in the lineup you risk putting too much on his shoulders and having him possible crumble under the pressure.  It takes a special kind of 18 year old to be the spine of a team.

Sure, he could be Sid Crosby (and if he is, he can easily emerge as such) or he could be Joe Thornton who, because he was relied on to lead a shitty team as a kid, needed extra years to grow into the player he is.

I can’t believe people are complaining that this kid isn’t being used as a crutch for a shitty team.  They’ve got a leader in Lecavalier, let the kid grow into the role at his own rate.

Posted by Garth on 10/22/08 at 03:36 PM ET

Yeah but he has to play to grow. He’s better off playing 20 minutes in the AHL than < 10 in the NHL.

He’s best, IMO, playing 13 - 16 minutes in the NHL.

But hey, don’t take my word for it, ask the Red Wings how to develop talent.

Posted by Nathan on 10/22/08 at 03:58 PM ET

On The Fly was really ligthing into the Lightning last night (or the night before?) for not playing him.  They share my sentiments—he’s a smart enough player it seems, that you should put him out in all positions and let him fail.  Because if he fails once, he’ll learn from it and not let it happen again.  That’d fast-track him.

“Protecting” him only stunts his growth and development.

Then again, who’d Melrose ever manage to develop as a coach?  Anyone?

And Nathan, I don’t think Stamkos is AHL-eligible.  They’d have to send him back to juniors, where he’d likely be very bored…

Posted by Primis on 10/22/08 at 04:28 PM ET

I was lucky enough to see the kid play during the preseason, and really I didn’t think he stood out. He is good, no doubt, but I don’t believe he is one of those few players that can seamlessly go from one level of play to another and make it look easy. I think the lightning would be better off sending him to the AHL and letting him play 20+ minutes of first line hockey. Get him playing even, PP and PK. I think that would get him going much faster. The lightning simply can’t afford to put him on a top line and have him out there for too many minutes right now because he isn’t yet producing, but they also can’t have him sitting on the bench, because that could really slow down his development. The way I see it, the AHL for a while is the only realistic way to deal with him.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 10/22/08 at 06:14 PM ET

As good as Stamkos is, and as good as he could be, he’s not quite Vinny Lecavalier or Martin St. Louis to get first line TOI. The Lightning is six games in to the season, and Brophy is just making stuff up again. He did it at THN, now with Rogers. A lot of hot air…

Posted by Todd from Tampa on 10/22/08 at 09:24 PM ET

No one here said he needs first-line minutes, but 2nd line minutes wouldn’t hurt him.

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 10/22/08 at 09:27 PM ET

Or first line minutes…in the AHL.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 10/22/08 at 10:34 PM ET

Or…they can’t send him to the AHL!  If they sent him anywhere else it would have to be back to Juniors, and he has hit his peak of development that he can get from Juniors.

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 10/22/08 at 10:40 PM ET