Will the Calgary Flames move on from special teams specialist Trevor Lewis?

Calgary Flames veteran forward Trevor Lewis brought more of what he did in the 2021-22 season to the 2022-23 season. He is a defensively reliable, smart, veteran player who Darryl Sutter could rely on in tough, defensive situations.

Let’s take a closer look at his 2022-23 season.

The numbers

It might surprise some fans to find out that Lewis had his most productive season in four years. Lewis scored nine goals and added 11 assists for 20 points in 82 games. It was solid production from a 36-year-old, fourth line player.

With most NHL players you base a lot of your evaluation on their production. But that is not the case with Lewis. He is not going to put up a ton of points in today’s NHL. But what he lacks in goals and assists he makes up for with some intangibles. Lewis is known for being a strong voice in the Flames locker room. He is a smart, reliable, defensive player that Darryl Sutter trusts.

He also plays a lot on the penalty kill and blocks shots. A lot of the stuff that can go unnoticed at times.

(Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick)

Lewis’s underlying numbers were not good this season at 5-on-5. The Flames were outscored 36-27 with Lewis on the ice. Among the 11 Flames forwards to play at least 400 minutes at 5-on-5, Lewis ranked 9th in CF%, xGF%, HDCF%, and was 10th in GF%. He put up some of the worst results on the team this season.

The eye test

The one thing you can never discount with Lewis is the effort level he brings to the game each night. He is one of the hardest working players on the Flames roster. He never cheats you in that department.

He is a solid player on the penalty kill as he was third in total ice time on the PK among Flames forwards. He did all the hard things that not every player wants to do like blocking shots and battling hard for every puck. You have to respect those intangibles that he brings to the game.

But at 36 years old, you could start to see signs of the game starting to pass him by. His skating and skill level is not where it is needed to be on a successful fourth line in the NHL. There is little to no play making ability from Lewis as there are times when the plays die on his stick in the offensive zone. His shot is also not very strong. Lewis takes a lot of shot attempts, but rarely are they dangerous.

Lewis is what he is. He is a 36-year-old depth forward who was brought in to bring some veteran leadership and play in hard situations. He played that role well. But you have to wonder if there are some better fourth line options for the Flames next season.

Highlights