Opportunity was difficult to come by for Mitchell Stephens in a championship organization like Tampa Bay, but the Detroit Red Wings offer a much better chance for the 24-year-old center to establish himself in the league.
“Coming into this organization, they wanted to give me a shot, an opportunity to play a bigger role,” Stephens said. “I’m grateful for my time in Tampa. I played with a lot of great players. For the next chapter of my career, it’s growing, establishing myself and coming in here to do what I can to help the team, wherever that may be.”
It most likely will be as the fourth-line center, a spot Detroit needs to fill after Luke Glendening signed with Dallas.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acquired Stephens for a sixth-round pick in 2022. The Lightning, under Yzerman’s watch, selected Stephens 33rd overall (second round) in 2015. But he appeared in only 45 NHL games over the past two seasons (three goals, seven points).
Stephens has looked good the first few days of training camp. He scored two goals in Sunday’s Red and White scrimmage in Traverse City, utilizing his skating ability.
“I think the skating can lead to momentum and that’s important,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “From a skating aspect, he’s definitely been involved and brought energy. Ultimately, if he’s in this spot on a fourth-line role, it doesn’t mean you can’t add offense. We need offense from all four lines if possible.
“So, I’ve liked him. He’s certainly come to work every day. He brings an element of speed, he’s a right shot. He seems to have done a pretty good job on the penalty kill. If he can win face-offs on that right side, it would be huge.”
Stephens, who spent 3½ seasons with the OHL Saginaw Spirit and three-plus years with AHL Syracuse, is eager to show coaches and teammates what he can bring.
“For me, (the scrimmage) was about getting to play in a game situation,” he said. “It was exciting to have some of that competition.”
Stephens hopes to do what Adam Erne, another 33rd overall pick of the Lightning (2013) Yzerman acquired in a trade (2019), did last season (20 points, including career-high 11 goals, in 45 games).
“He came in and ran with that opportunity,” Stephens said. “I want to put my best foot forward every day and show that I can contribute and play inside the structure and the system that the coaches want.”
Stephens benefited from the winning culture on a two-time defending Stanley Cup championship team.
“There were obviously a lot of superstars, but there were guys that aren’t playing those top minutes but also did the grittier things in terms of trying to win a Stanley Cup,” Stephens said. “To have everyone up and down the lineup pulling for each other and doing grittier little things to win, whether it’s blocking shots, playing tight, hard-structured systems, it takes everyone on the team being a part of that. It was a special team to be a part of.”
Said Blashill: “When you’re on good teams, those teams tend to do it right on a consistent basis, so you bring that maturity to your game and make sure you’re practicing right and you’re doing it right in games. You’ve had a chance to see how the very best team in the league kind of attacks every practice, attacks every day, and I think just bringing that by example is important. We can all learn from different people and certainly when you get a chance to learn from a group that’s had as much success as Tampa, you’re going to get a chance to impart some of that wisdom.”
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