|
The Story with Shattenkirk |
|
|
|
|
|
It is an overused cliché, but moments of adversity truly can breed opportunity. On August 5th, 2019, as the frenzy of free agency had decelerated and general managers were left eyeing the scraps, the Lightning inked Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year contract worth $1.75M. Shattenkirk, who was literally run out of the Big Apple via buyout after a disastrous stop there, was at his nadir in terms of assessed value. Often injured, widely believed to have lost a step in an NHL that was only accelerating in pace, the one-time coveted offensive defenseman looked like he was on his way out of the league. But the relationship between Shattenkirk and Tampa Bay was kismet.
Incredibly, Shattenkirk never missed a game, logging nearly 19 minutes a contest and collecting eight goals for Tampa Bay this last, abbreviated season. On a team desperate for shooting from the right side, Shattenkirk happily obliged. Just as importantly, Shattenkirk demonstrated that, with the right infrastructure, a defenseman who has lost his legs but still has the proper skill set can add utility during the regular season.
In 5v5 expected goals percentage, Shattenkirk slightly edged out Brayden Point and was .38 behind Victor Hedman. Shattenkirk led the team in high-danger-chances percentages. He equaled Mikhail Sergachev, who has been heralded for having a breakout season, in points. Shattenkirk was put in a position to succeed by Jon Cooper, trailing only Sergachev in highest percentage of offensive zone starts. But to Shattenkirk’s credit, he was not a liability even when his responsibility increased as his colleagues on defense were besieged by injury one by one.
More than maybe any other characteristic, the feature Shattenkirk injected into Tampa Bay was an ability to find the shooting lanes. The Lightning’s defensemen were plagued in playoffs past by opponents gapping up and taking away the shots from the point. Shattenkirk demonstrated the mobility to step a few feet to his right or slide down to open up an aperture, and his release had the power and accuracy to feed the traffic the Bolts were trying to create around the net.
Reflecting on Shattenkirk’s impact on the Lightning is a bit more buzzworthy because the NHL does in fact look like it is coming back. This means we will get to see whether the Shattenkirk signing late last summer was a keen steal by management or if the postseason will detonate whatever good will he earned through his better-than-expected play this season.
Sure, Shattenkirk can keep the forechecking pressure on against the mixed quality of teams the Lightning face on a day-to-day basis. His decision-making was rewarded when he pinched, and he had support over the top. When he spread the opponent out in the offensive zone, forwards worked back toward the puck to keep the cycle alive and assiduously retrieved missed shot attempts. Shattenkirk was able to overcome his lack of foot speed by relying on teammates to enhance and complement his offensive instincts.
But in the playoffs, Shattenkirk won’t see Detroit and New Jersey. Can he still be effective against Washington and Boston? In the two games the Bolts played against Boston in March, Shattenkirk comported himself fine, especially in the March 3rd game where he had the best expected goals among Tampa Bay defensemen. The same was true with the two Capitals contests in December. Shattenkirk was either a positive or neutral. He was never the weak point dragging down the team.
But the regular season isn’t the playoffs. If the NHL does come back and leaps straight to the postseason, opposing coaches will want to put Shattenkirk in one-on-ones on the rush. They’ll want him retrieving the puck under pressure and making quick decisions on breakouts. Shattenkirk can struggle boxing out, and against big, strong forwards like Tom Wilson and Charlie Coyle he will be challenged. We are near the end of the story, and Shattenkirk has the agency to determine what narrative is told.
Tampa Bay Lightning Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»