Conor Sheary seeks to rebound from tough 1st season with Lightning

TAMPA — Conor Sheary doesn’t want to use injuries as an excuse for his struggles in his first season with the Lightning, but he clearly found himself shorthanded while trying to prove his worth to his new team.

The Lightning’s top free-agent acquisition last offseason, Sheary struggled to meet expectations, scoring just four goals and 14 points in 57 games. He found himself a healthy scratch during the first-round playoff series against the Panthers.

This time last year, Sheary walked into a Lightning room where he really knew no one. He also shouldered the burden of a three-year deal from a team with little salary-cap flexibility to bring in new players.

Ten games into the season, and while still trying to solidify his role, Sheary injured his left thumb. It made gripping his stick difficult, affecting his left-handed shot. Then, he injured his right pinkie, which forced him to change the way he held his stick because he had to tape two fingers together.

“I don’t want to use it as an excuse for not playing well, but it’s definitely contributed to certain factors in my game that I feel like I’m usually pretty good at,” he said. “They were both hand injuries, one on each hand. So, if you can’t control the puck as well as you maybe normally do, or go into battles with the confidence that it’s not going to hurt, it can definitely play a role in it.”

“Hopefully, I can try and avoid those injuries again and just have a good start to the year.”

Sheary looked lost at times in his first season with the Lightning and never really got untracked. He scored just one goal in his first 45 games, including a stretch in which he went 35 straight games without a goal.

“It was definitely frustrating,” Sheary said. “I obviously want to contribute to the team and play in the playoffs and be a part of that first round. But this year coming in, I just have to have a fresh mindset, leave that behind me. I’ve played in the league long enough to know what I do well and know how I can contribute and help the team. So, just trying to bring that this year and leave the past in the past.”

It will help that Sheary is healthy again. His injuries didn’t require surgery, and after taking a month off to allow the pinkie to heal he was able to train normally in the offseason.

The Lightning will depend on him, likely in a top-six forward role.

Right now, he’s slotted as the right wing on the second line, alongside left wing Brandon Hagel and center Anthony Cirelli. Though he didn’t play with them last season aside from a shift or two, Sheary is a strong forechecker who can put pressure on the puck, helping to form a strong matchup line.

Newcomer Cam Atkinson also saw reps on Cirelli’s line early in camp but played mostly on a third line centered by Nick Paul.

Forward scoring depth is a question as the Lightning open the season. They could have one of the top scoring lines in the league with Jake Guentzel joining Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, but they’ll need more consistent supplemental scoring.

If Sheary can rediscover his offensive chops — he averaged 16 goals and 34 points in three seasons with the Capitals before signing with the Lightning — it will help a line that needs more scoring punch. In a short stint on the top line with Point and Kucherov at the end of the season, Sheary showed he could contribute offensively.

“I think the more comfortable you become with the guys and with the room, the staff, everyone, the coaches, I think that’s when you kind of start to flourish and play your game a little bit more,” Sheary said. “Last year, I came into a team that I didn’t know one player on. I played with a couple guys, but not necessarily friends, and now this year you grow into a group and you feel more comfortable. So, hopefully that will translate to the ice.”

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