Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Believin' in Steven

Down here in Humidity Bay, one of the biggest stories during training camp and preseason was whether Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, the top pick in June's NHL draft, would live up to the hype.

If you ask Hound Central 4.0's readers, that answer was as easy as an empty-netter, unless, of course, you're former NHLer Patrik Stefan, another No. 1 overall pick. Fourteen of the 15 people who voted agreed that Stamkos will, indeed, fulfill the Lightning's expectations.

After watching him over the past five weeks, I have to agree. He's a great skater, is defensively responsible and possesses the skills necessary to easily make the leap to the NHL from the Ontario Hockey League.

Rather than heap all kinds of pressure on him, though, I hope the team and fans just sit back and enjoy what he'll bring to the Bolts. It's going to be, I believe, an A-ticket ride.

Question: Will Steven Stamkos fulfill the Lighting's expectations?

Yes: 14 votes out of 15 cast (93.3 percent)
No: 1 vote out of 15 (6.7 percent)

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