Marty St. Louis believed to have asked for a trade

[Bass56]

The guy is a human being who has feelings. I don't blame him at all.

I worked at a place where once you hit 5 years, they had a little presentation at one of their big Conferences, recognizing your time and highlighting some of the things you've done in that time. Not a huge deal, but a nice gesture that was accompanied by a cheque (a small one mind you, nothing major). When my 5 years came up, they ran through the list of names and I kept expecting to be up there. The thing is, my direct supervisor just totally forgot.

In the grand scheme of things it didn't matter too much, but I remember feeling very slighted by it, and it was just another piece of not feeling valued by the company. Within a year I was off and working somewhere else.

St Louis has been there 15 years, has been a top player in the league for much of that time, and has been disrespected for his skill and ability almost that entire time. He gets passed over at the last Olympics. Fine, that happens. These Olympics are his very last chance to have a crack at a gold medal. He's a brilliant player and his own GM is part of the process of picking the team. To say that I would be a little hurt by being passed over would be an understatement.

When you spend so much of your life working towards certain goals, feel like you've done everything possible to be recognized for your efforts, and then STILL get passed over, sometimes it's the final straw and time to go elsewhere. He didn't make it public, and since the team was the one that gave him the no-trade contract, he has every right to say that if they trade him (which he wants), then he wants to go wherever he bloody well feels like.

Good on St Louis. Even though, in isolation, his reasons might seem somewhat petty, when you put it in context with his "little guy" image, his age, what he's accomplished, and Yzerman's role on the team, it makes complete sense to me that he would react that way.

Hopefully he gets what he wants and does very well wherever he gets traded. He's earned it.

Everything that is said here makes sense, but am I the only one that feels that he was not ''passed up''? Your example about your workplace makes total sense... you busted your chops for 5 years, a system is in place for recognition, you were forgotten so your feeling is warranted. If St.Louis wanted to be on that team, he would have had to outplay the players that were comparable to him in terms of what he could bring to the team. On paper, I would say that MSL was the 4th or 5th best offensive forward on that team (Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares, Getzlaf). The team was built to have a mix of everything so that they could face the different scenarios during the tournament. If they solely focused on building a team of scorers and MSL was left out, then I would be on board here.
As for the other roles, we all know that St. Louis can play a great defensive game as well if needed, but was he better than Bergeron, Sharp or even Toews? Could they have used him in front of the net like Carter, Nash and Kunitz? Would he have played an all-around physical game like Benn and Perry if needed?
Sadly, he just didn't fit in the mix... Marty should have seen/understood that it was nothing personal and had nothing to do with his game.

If you want to compare it to your workplace example, pretend you would be one of the oldest people at your workplace and that that presentation/recognition had a limited number of spots for your given tasks (i.e. 12 people in all per year, but 3 for marketing, 3 for finance, 3 for...). If you weren't selected for your say marketing position because 3 younger and better marketing employees were taken over you but that all 3 employees from finance were not as good as you at your daily tasks; would you have been pissed and quit or would you have understood that they could not fit you in unless they changed the limit per department just for you? Should they have made it the 12 overall best employees and risk omitting certain important departments by doing so?!

Ok, this is not the perfect example, but I'm just trying to say that most people who say that they feel that he was snubbed are overlooking the big picture.

[rataylor22]

Totally agree with this ^. Like has been said, he wasn't left off the roster for Team Latvia or something. There are lots of Canadian player who would make lots of Olympic teams if they weren't Canadian. I'm sure they hate that they never got to go to the Olympics, but thats life. Sometimes other options are just better than you. If you are applying for a job at a company, and don't get it, do you never apply to that company again? No, next time they post a job you apply again. Different, but it's the same. Sometimes other options are just better. Think Brett Hull is happy with his Silver medal from 2002 to or do you think he wishes he would have stuck with Canada? If Tampa goes on a run and wins the cup this year, think Marty's going to be thinking "Phew, thank god I got away from that jerk Stevie Y and got to New York, this run has been fun to watch." Maybe all St. Louis is really doing with this is proving that he was never the right choice for captain and it should have been Stamkos from the moment Vinny was traded.

[Excelsior]

I understand "some" blame being on Yzerman (like very little, he didn't leave St. Louis off Team Latvia, he left him off one of the statistically most dominant teams ever), but at the end of the day St. Louis was on the team and won a gold medal. That should fix everything. I like St. Louis, and respect him as a player, but he is showing an extreme lack of character right now, especially handcuffing Tampa Bay with his single team trade request. A lot of players had to check their ego for that team, St. Louis is showing that his ego is more important than anything else. At this point, I'd have to think Yzerman would be better to wait until the draft than to trade him at the deadline. The package might not be any better, but it wont be any worse, and maybe you can get St. Louis to soften on his only NYR stance. Even adding in the Islanders would at least give Yzerman a modicum of bargaining power.

Very good points.

[doulos]

Marty should have seen/understood that it was nothing personal and had nothing to do with his game.

This is easy to say since we are not him, have not spent our lifetimes and careers given less respect due to our size, and were not just left off of our final attempt at winning a gold medal even though we "feel" as if we fully deserve it.

I don't dispute your points at all. There are good reasons for and against having him on the team and it's easy for us to say he should have just shrugged it off. However emotions don't work out like that I guess. Who knows, maybe St Louis' presence on Team Canada was the final step that they needed to win Gold. Hypotheticals are a funny thing.

All we know is Team Canada won Gold, and St Louis was a part of that team. I doubt his feelings are assuaged now, if anything perhaps he feels justified that he was right in claiming that he needed to be a part of the team.

At the end of the day us keyboard warriors can break down the who/what/where of Team Canada and St Louis' role, but we're not him and have not put in the hours and grind that he has to get to where he is. He's a human being, so while I might not intellectually agree with his reasons, I can totally see why he may react that way.

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

I don't know if you guys read the link Laidlaw posted in the rambling a today, but it was an interesting theory. So many of the players on the Lightning played together and won a championship in the AHL, maybe they just aren't buying into Marty as their leader. Just a theory, but if half the locker room isn't behind him maybe Marty just wants to move on for that reason.

[Bass56]

This is easy to say since we are not him, have not spent our lifetimes and careers given less respect due to our size, and were not just left off of our final attempt at winning a gold medal even though we "feel" as if we fully deserve it.

I don't dispute your points at all. There are good reasons for and against having him on the team and it's easy for us to say he should have just shrugged it off. However emotions don't work out like that I guess. Who knows, maybe St Louis' presence on Team Canada was the final step that they needed to win Gold. Hypotheticals are a funny thing.

All we know is Team Canada won Gold, and St Louis was a part of that team. I doubt his feelings are assuaged now, if anything perhaps he feels justified that he was right in claiming that he needed to be a part of the team.

At the end of the day us keyboard warriors can break down the who/what/where of Team Canada and St Louis' role, but we're not him and have not put in the hours and grind that he has to get to where he is.

I concur

[marshal]

Why would MSL be offended by what another team's owner said? If anything, he was probably thinking: Damn, at least that owner cares about his guy enough to lash out publicly about his snub. Then again, the whole thing is silly. Yzerman and Canada had the responsibility to select the team and if they decided to not select certain players so be it - they need to grow up and stop whining. Everyone from St. Louis to Snider. The only one who was done dirty was Bobby Ryan because he was humiliated when his game (and weaknesses) were ripped apart publicly.

Just trying to put myself in someone's shoes. Everyone is different in how they deal with things. Snider's comments were foolish and he asserted that Giroux is "better" than St. Louis - if I were in St. Louis' position and Snider had made that comment, I'd be pretty angry. I don't recall if Yzerman publicly stated the reason why St. Louis was chosen over anyone else to replace Stamkos, but it was also argued that Yzerman chose St. Louis based on his role as GM in TB. Maybe St. Louis was a bit peeved when Yzerman didn't dispute Snider's allegations. Who knows? Maybe I'm looking into it too much.

If St. Louis has asked for a trade, it was based on being excluded in the original Team Canada roster and he's named NYC as his only preferred desination, then I completely understand the criticism towards him. I don't ever think it's fair when a player ties a GM's hands into dealing him to one or two teams. And if this is based on not being named to the team, then that's really petty and immature.

[Bass56]

I don't know if you guys read the link Laidlaw posted in the rambling a today, but it was an interesting theory. So many of the players on the Lightning played together and won a championship in the AHL, maybe they just aren't buying into Marty as their leader. Just a theory, but if half the locker room isn't behind him maybe Marty just wants to move on for that reason.

That is an interesting point. I've been saying all along that I feel there has got to be more to the story and that I was in disbelief that this was just about the Team Canada omission. Let us know if you hear anything else.

[rataylor22]

In terms of Yzerman "defending" St. Louis on Snider's comments, what was he supposed to say? "Nuh-uhhhhhh, Giroux sux, St. Louis is better." Like really, did he his GM to degenerate to arguing tactics of a 5 year old? Babcock came out and said it was a unanimous decision between all six of them. I guess Yzerman could have come out and said "Giroux is a great player and was considered but we feel this decision is the best for the team" but really. There is no way to address those comments and defend his player without it sounding like a kindergarten argument. Yzerman and the rest of the Canadian brass defended St. Louis against Snider's comments by putting him on the team. You can guarantee he was saying that about more than just MSL. Carter isn't asking for a trade because Lombardi didn't say anything. Crosby didn't ask for a trade when Snider said Giroux was "the best player in the world" and Shero didn't respond.

[deantime419]

Maybe he's wanted to be closer to his family for a while and the snub was the final nail in the coffin to bring this up firmly to Yzerman. Even if all is better as far as those hurt feelings go but now that the word is out as far as the trade request goes he doesn't want to take it back if the Northeast is where he wants to be.

[Shiva Blaster]

A real captain and leader that cared about his team-mates and the hard work and sacrafice they've put in to make the playoffs without Stamkos would have waited until the offseason to very quietly ask for a trade rather than pulling this BS a month before the playoffs start. And I don't buy all the bogus "he wants to be closer to home" nonsese......the guy has willingly played in Tampa for almost his entire career, and signed multiple deals to stay and play there. He's been there for a dozen years, pretty sure he can suck it up and tough out a few more months for the sake of his fellow team-mates.

This isn't even his coach, it's his GM! He doesn't have to see or talk to Stevie Y once from here till the summer if he doesn't want to. How you can wear a 'C' and act like this is beyond me.....if I was one of his team-mates I would be livid.

[Big Ev]

Comparing this to a normal workplace is pointless.

[MXHockey]

I don't know if you guys read the link Laidlaw posted in the rambling a today, but it was an interesting theory. So many of the players on the Lightning played together and won a championship in the AHL, maybe they just aren't buying into Marty as their leader. Just a theory, but if half the locker room isn't behind him maybe Marty just wants to move on for that reason.

Interesting article - I could totally see this being a big factor in his trade request. I remember watching a Tampa game just before the Olympic break and one of the Lightning young players took a penalty. St. Louis skated by his side all the way to the box - it looked liked he was giving advice or making a teaching moment out of it. You could tell his teammate was irritated.

I doubt it's a rift in the locker room, likely a bunch of guys just tuning MSL out. Add in the initial Olympic snub and now you have him wanting out.

[marshal]

In terms of Yzerman "defending" St. Louis on Snider's comments, what was he supposed to say? "Nuh-uhhhhhh, Giroux sux, St. Louis is better." Like really, did he his GM to degenerate to arguing tactics of a 5 year old? Babcock came out and said it was a unanimous decision between all six of them. I guess Yzerman could have come out and said "Giroux is a great player and was considered but we feel this decision is the best for the team" but really. There is no way to address those comments and defend his player without it sounding like a kindergarten argument. Yzerman and the rest of the Canadian brass defended St. Louis against Snider's comments by putting him on the team. You can guarantee he was saying that about more than just MSL. Carter isn't asking for a trade because Lombardi didn't say anything. Crosby didn't ask for a trade when Snider said Giroux was "the best player in the world" and Shero didn't respond.

How could Yzerman have "defended St. Louis from Snider's comments by naming him to the team" when Snider made the comments in reaction to St. Louis being named to the team...?

[als_revenge]

i am not sure i understand what you are saying here to be honest

are you saying that MSL shouldn't care because you don't

What I was trying to say is that I don't agree with people who say MSL should have been named to Team Canada because of his individual statistics in the NHL. Yzerman's job was to put the best TEAM forward. MSL has been in two Olympics and looked near invisible in both of them. To be quite frank, I think there were half a dozen better replacements for Stamkos.

As for MSL....I don't see Giroux or Thornton or Hall or Neal whinning like a spoiled little brat. I've lost all respect for MSL. He's acting like an idiot, in my opinion.