Jon Cooper Praises Lightning Rookie Defenseman

A Breakout Opportunity in Tampa Bay

Injuries opened the door for D’Astous this season, and the 27-year old didn’t hesitate to walk through it. With several regulars sidelined, Tampa leaned heavily on young players to stabilize the back end, and D’Astous has done just that.

He scored his first NHL goal in his third career game, a quick shot off the rush set up beautifully by Brayden Point in a 5–2 win over the Nashville Predators (video below). A week and a half later, he recorded his first multi-point night, picking up two assists in a tight 3–2 win against the Washington Capitals.

It hasn’t all been smiles and sunshine for the rookie. In Tampa’s wild 7–3 loss to the Rangers, which may have included the most exciting period of the season, D’Astous took the brunt of it and finished with a +/– rating of –5.

Jon Cooper Praises D’Astous

After Tampa Bay's dramatic 2–1 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers, head coach Jon Cooper was asked what stood out most about D’Astous’ early play. He answered the question by praising the rookie

“Well, he’s a really heady player and he’s super strong on his stick, and so he doesn’t — especially in the D-zone — there’s no panic button with him. He’s got poise, composure and strength. 99 times out of 100 he makes the right play out of the zone. You can see this guy is a well-developed defenseman, and you see why he’s won awards all the way up. He knows the game, and he’s starting to figure this one out — and it’s helping us.”

For Tampa Bay, a team used to leaning heavily on its stars, getting this kind of presence from a rookie is enormous. To compete with powerhouse teams like Florida, the Lightning need big, strong, positionally sound defensemen who can win battles and clear space. If D’Astous continues on this trajectory, he could become one of the most quietly valuable pieces on the roster.

And now, after years of working his way through nearly every league imaginable, he finally has a real NHL opportunity. The question is simple: how far can he take it — and how big a role will he play in Tampa Bay’s future?