Steve Yzerman can’t afford to stand pat, changes must take place

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 22, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. – This is painful to watch.

Those are the words of somebody involved with the Lightning when I asked them about that state of affairs surrounding the on-ice situation with the Lightning. And that was over two weeks ago.

I can’t imagine what it must have been like on Saturday night watching Tampa Bay get burned in the desert by the 29th ranked team in the league, dropping a 5-3 decision to the Arizona Coyotes, which had two victories in the previous 15 games.

Tampa Bay woke up in last place in the Atlantic Division standings. Now it’s time to wake this team up.

{mprestriction ids=”1,2″}The big question Steve Yzerman has to ask himself as he awoke on Sunday morning is this: Is the season salvageable? Is there an inclination that the Lightning, predicted by The Hockey News to win the Stanley Cup this season, will be able to climb back up the standings and in to a playoff position?

Here’s the catch on that question though: no matter the answer, the answer needs to result in changes.

The easiest solution is to dismiss the coach. It might not be the right decision, but that doesn’t mean it would be the wrong move.

Just watching how things have transpired since the end of December, some alarming trends have been noticeable. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m starting to wonder whether or not this team is responding to the coaching staff anymore.

Following a loss to Pittsburgh on Jan. 8, the Lightning used two open practice days to concentrate on improving their defensive play, getting back to zone coverage in their own end. Put the work boots back on and play the gritty style the coaching staff wants.

For the next five games, that’s exactly how the Lightning played. Blocking shots. Being physical. Cleaning up the area around the crease in their own end. Playing the style that has helped bring the team success over the past couple of years.

But the results were not coming as hoped, or anticipated. In those five games, the Lightning posted a 2-2-1 record. Not good enough for a team desperate for points.

Then, against Arizona, a team Tampa Bay could not afford to lose to, it’s almost as if the team looked around at the lack of results coming and decided that wasn’t working either. And now they just look like a complacent team, one that doesn’t display the type of determination it’s going to take to climb back up the standings.

”We have to be great every night,’’ Brian Boyle said after the game on Saturday. “Good is not even good enough and we were neither of those things. … It’s disgraceful and we only have ourselves to blame. The three games we played prior to this (in California) was hard work and even though we didn’t get results, at least we weren’t embarrassed’’

”To come in and play like this, is unacceptable,’’ defenseman Victor Hedman said. “With our playoff lives on the line, we can’t have efforts like this.’’

So, if Yzerman wants to try to salvage this season, then the change needs to be made. There is only one way to snap a team out of the doldrums this team is experiencing right now and that’s to give them a different voice.

Tampa Bay is not so far out of it to say the season is over. It’s a tall task having to climb over so many teams at this juncture of the schedule, but the deficit is five points, which is not insurmountable even as the Lightning fell to the cellar in the Eastern Conference standings. But there is no more time to be patient and hope this team figures it out.

Making a coaching change seems to be the only viable option if he wants to save this season. The trade market is one big giant clogged pipeline, bogged down by the salary cap. The type of shake up required cannot be fixed with a minor roster move, it requires an overhaul. Hard to see that type of move available in-season, it can only be done in the summer months.

Unless, of course, Yzerman wants to start the blow-up of the roster right now. It’s very obvious that there are going to be changes this summer. The salary cap is going to dictate that, as well.

So if Yzerman has no interest in making a change behind the bench and no trade is available that will help the team right now, then it’s time to look toward the future. Start the process, just like in 2012, of moving players out and securing more assets ahead of the trade deadline.

Start looking at your roster and determining who you can keep moving forward and who can’t be part of the team moving forward.

That means it might be time to start looking at moving out Ben Bishop, assuming he is not part of the future. Time to start exploring the market for Tyler Johnson, who is a restricted free agent at the end of this season. What might the market be for Alex Killorn, a proven playoff performer the past two seasons, even with six more years left on his contract.

Brian Boyle is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the summer and is the exact type of player a team heading toward the playoffs would be looking to acquire, especially with the type of season he’s having. So if Boyle is not going to be re-signed, the team has to look at moving him.

The defense needs to be overhauled, so no time like the present to try to start that process.

Bring back Slater Koekkoek and let him play, see exactly where he is at in his development. Play him in a top-four role, let him learn from the mistakes he’s going to make. Just let him play.

Use the forward depth within the organization and try to find some defensemen, not necessarily to help right now – though that would be ideal – but to build up some depth on the back end because Tampa Bay has very little of it throughout the organization.

Call Winnipeg, see what the asking price might be for Jacob Trouba because the Jets are going nowhere this season, either.

But do something. The fans deserve more than the status quo; they don’t deserve complacency.

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