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Scouts See Savvy, Strength In Stamkos

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 20, 2008

OTTAWA - Sporting a playoff-like beard that Steven Stamkos admitted took about a week to grow, the next franchise center for the Lightning felt loose enough to crack a couple of jokes Thursday, one day before he is expected to become the first overall pick in the NHL entry draft.

While discussing a recent dinner with new Tampa Bay owner Oren Koules, the 18-year-old fan of horror movies was asked if he inquired about a role in any of Koules' upcoming sequels to the "Saw" movie franchise.

"Maybe I should work that into my contract, to get a couple of cameo appearances in," said Stamkos, whom the Lightning are expected to select with the No. 1 pick shortly past 7 tonight. "Maybe it would kick-start my acting career, just in case this hockey thing doesn't work out."

From all accounts, Stamkos won't have to worry about a fallback career. His journey into professional hockey is expected to get under way quickly.

But is he ready to make the jump from junior hockey to the NHL? Can the teenager step into the Lightning lineup next season?

Those who have seen him play have little doubt the next time Stamkos suits up for a game that counts he will don a lightning bolt across his chest, and will do so for a number of years.

"Steven is the best player that I've had the opportunity to draft and work with for two years. He's that good," said Sarnia general manager Alan Millar, who selected Stamkos with the top pick in the 2006 OHL draft. "A lot of scouts compare him to Steve Yzerman or Joe Sakic in terms of his smarts and the way he plays.

"But my feeling and thinking is that, right now in the league, you have a tier of young guys with Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin and those guys, and then you have another tier of high-end guys. Now, I'm not saying that Steven is going to be in the Crosby tier, but he's going to be in the next one and he's going to be real close. I think he's that good."

What separates Stamkos from the other players in this year's draft is his willingness to compete, combined with his ability to see the game at a different level than most players his age.

"There are a lot of players who have exceptional skill and talent comparable to his, but while a lot of players have to slow down or think before they do things, his reaction time and knowledge are better," Sarnia coach Dave McQueen said. "Just like the old Wayne Gretzky, knowing where the puck is going to be rather than where it is. Stamkos goes to where he thinks it's going to be, and nine times out of 10 he's right.

"His hockey sense is very good. But the thing that really stands out is his ability to accomplish a lot at a very, very high speed, which obviously makes him a legitimate star player for the National Hockey League."

There is more to Stamkos' game, however, lending many to believe he is ready to make an impact in the league next season. His offensive skills are there - he finished with 58 goals, second-most in the OHL last season - but he also is committed to playing in both ends and has the determination to get to the high-traffic areas on the ice.

He is considered one of the top skaters in the draft and uses that speed both on the forecheck and backcheck.

"He's like those Bugs Bunny cartoons - he's everywhere," Hockey Canada head scout Al Murray said. "You look out and he's the first guy on the forecheck and you look in your own zone and he's the first guy back. He doesn't only play well offensively, but plays well defensively and he's not afraid to get his nose dirty."

Lightning general manager Jay Feaster thinks highly enough of Stamkos that he has him penciled in to play on the second line next season.

Like any teenager about to embark on an NHL career, playing against grown men on a nightly basis, Stamkos will need to improve his strength. He has been working with a personal trainer for a number of years, and with the success players such as Chicago's Patrick Kane and Edmonton's Sam Gagner enjoyed in their first seasons, Stamkos thinks the size/strength issue is being blown out of proportion.

"You look at guys like Patrick Kane and Gagner, they are not the biggest guys on the ice, but they are still successful because of their skill and smarts," Stamkos said. "For me, I think I'm bigger than them. I think I have pretty good size."

There is little doubt he's ready to take on the next level.

"I would hesitate to put him in the super-elite category of a Wayne Gretzky or a Sidney Crosby," said E.J. McGuire, head of central scouting for the NHL. "Now, he may evolve to that, but it's too much pressure to put on him. But to the extent that Joe Sakic has been a star in the NHL, Stamkos has every bit of that potential."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.

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