Last season, Michael (Mikey) Eyssimont bounced from one National Hockey League (NHL) team to another, trying to find a place he could call home. A one game stint with the Winnipeg Jets two years ago opened the door for him to see more action and playing time in 2022-23. He played 19 games, tallying five points and a plus-5 rating, but only averaged 10 minutes per game. That led the Jets to place the young forward on waivers, where he was quickly scooped up by the rebuilding San Jose Sharks. With eight points in 20 games and a willingness to get under the skin of opponents, he caught the eye of a few general managers.
Looking to add some more toughness to their bottom six, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien Brisebois acquired Eyssimont from the Sharks in exchange for top six forward Vladislav Namestnikov. He struggled early on, posting two points and a minus-3 rating in 15 games with the Bolts. However, after getting knocked out of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a concussion, he returned in Game 5 and had two points (one goal, one assist) in helping the Lightning stave off elimination. While they ultimately fell in six games to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brisebois rewarded Eyssimont’s postseason performance by signing him to a two-year, $1.6 million contract in early May of 2023.
One year later, Eyssimont is being rewarded yet again. His perseverance and dedication to the sport of hockey led the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) to name him as the Lightning’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
In his first season with the Lightning, Eyssimont is thriving. He has 24 points and a plus-8 rating in 76 games played while centering the third line. He also isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas in front of the net and is shooting the puck more, with 139 shots on goal thus far. More than that, coach Jon Cooper trusts him in some big situations, as he’s averaging nearly 12 minutes on ice as opposed to the 10 he saw last year.
The Masterton Trophy will be awarded at the NHL Awards Show, set to take place on June 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Will Eyssimont be named a finalist for the Masterton Trophy, let alone win it? It’s unlikely, as he has some tough competition across the league, but being nominated is proof that his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. For that, he should be proud.
ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing – Inside The Rink
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