Tampa Bay lost faith in Hamrlik

By TOM JONES

©St. Petersburg Times, published December 31, 1997

TAMPA -- For the second time in six months, a former No. 1 pick is leaving the Lightning.

In July, Chris Gratton left. That was Gratton's choice. On Tuesday, Roman Hamrlik left. This time it was the Lightning's choice.

Really, though, it was no choice at all. Something had to be done with Hamrlik.

Roman wasn't built in a day. In fact, he wasn't built in six years. His totals look like those of an average NHL defenseman, not a guy who was supposed to be the cornerstone of the franchise.

Not counting what was supposed to be Hamrlik's breakthrough 65-point season in 1995-96, Hamrlik's tally was 36 goals and 84 assists in 295 games. That's one point every 21/2 games. Even including his All-Star season, Hamrlik averaged only a point every other game in his Lightning career.

His plus-minus ratings have resembled temperatures at the North Pole in the dead of winter, minus-15, minus-20, minus-25. Those numbers prove Hamrlik hasn't de-veloped into either an offensive or defensive defenseman.

Still, even though Hamrlik has not evolved into the player most thought he would, and even though he often created problems within the organization, and even though he openly feuded with former coach Terry Crisp, Hamrlik was the best trade bait the Lightning had. Hardly a week went by when some general manager wasn't calling general manager Phil Esposito asking for Hamrlik.

And what did Tampa Bay get for him? Two unprov-en centers and a defenseman infamous for dirty checks who joins his fifth team in six years.

Yes, the centers are young. Very young. Steve Kelly is 21. Jason Bonsignore is 21. Both were No. 1 draft picks. But neither has shown he will develop into an NHL regular, let alone a star. Kelly has excellent speed, but he has yet to prove he can score. He has one goal and two assists in 27 NHL games.

Bonsignore has shown even less. He is 6 feet 4, 220 pounds and gives Tampa Bay some much-needed size in the middle, but he is, at best, a project. A project Edmonton has given up on. He played only 21 games in an Oilers uniform -- the last two years ago.

Consider this: Tampa Bay's Jason Wiemer was picked three spots after Bonsignore in the 1994 draft and has played in 181 more games and has scored 24 more goals in the NHL than Bonsignore. And many are convinced Wiemer never will be more than a third-line player.

And forget the argument that it's tougher to crack the Edmonton lineup than Tampa Bay's. Starting with the 1992-93 season (Tampa Bay's inaugural season) through Tuesday, the Lightning has won three more games than the Oilers.

Edmonton GM Glen Sather is considered to have one of the most shrewd minds in the game. He's the guy who saw players such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr as 16-year-olds and predicted they would form a dynasty. If Kelly and Bonsignore had any promise whatsoever, would Sather be giving up on them at age 21?

What you see is what you get with Bryan Marchment. Big, mean, steady. But after knocking out Dallas' Mike Modano and Greg Adams with borderline checks in the past month, his every step is being watched by the NHL. Still, his acquisition allows Esposito to move another defenseman for more help up front.

But this is the big deal. This is the major shake-up Esposito promised. Esposito said last week that he was going to "take a chance." Boy, did he ever. The two kids brought in to improve the offense have scored a combined two goals and four assists in 48 NHL games.

Maybe Kelly will become a star. Maybe Bonsignore will, too. Then again, maybe not. Hope, not a track record, is the only thing Kelly and Bonsignore offer.

Perhaps Hamrlik's stock has dropped so much that this was the best offer Esposito could get. But what if he had packaged Hamrlik with another player? Could Hamrlik and Dino Ciccarelli have brought more? What about Hamrlik and a high draft pick? Or Hamrlik, Wiemer and a prospect?

Another Lightning No. 1 pick is gone. The Lightning's No. 1 trade bait is gone as well. Once again, Hamrlik has failed to deliver.