Is Conor Sheary The Next Marin St. Louis?

There is an interesting development brewing in Pittsburgh. Conor Sheary has defied the odds and come up through the minor league ranks as an undrafted free agent. He has been planted on the top line playing valuable minutes with Sidney Crosby, proving that head coach Mike Sullivan thinks he's transferred his AHL game to the NHL level.

Why is this important? I mean, everyone has to go through the minor league ranks in some capacity. Well he is 5’8” tall standing at roughly 175 pounds. Told throughout his entire career that he couldn't play a successful game at the NHL level, Sheary, a University of Massachusetts-Amhearst product, has proved everyone wrong using his speed game and quick shot as an advantage to beat his bigger counterparts.

About 16 years prior, the same situation happened with Martin St. Louis. An undrafted free agent out of the University of Vermont, St. Louis stacked up some nice numbers, but doubts about his size are what kept his elite talent from being drafted. The Calgary Flames took a low risk-high reward move by signing, and attempting to develop, St. Louis so that he could potentially become a successful NHL player. Little did they know, he'd become a hall of fame caliber player throughout the rest of his career.

He played most of the entirety of his career for the Tampa Bay Lightning and was granted the captaincy in 2013 when Vincent Lecalvier was no longer employed by the Bolts. He was named to the All-Star Game on six different occasions. He won the Hart Trophy, award to the NHL’s most valuable player, in the 2003-2004 season. He's been able to amass many honors throughout his hall of fame career, so is Sheary the next man up?

In St. Louis’ first season, he played 56 games and scored 18 points. Sheary played 44 games and only had 10 points. But his game compared to St. Louis is identical. They both, at the beginning of their careers, weren't guaranteed roster spots beyond that season. They used their speed and smarts to outwit opponents and earn top line minutes on their respective teams. It worked for St. Louis and if Sullivan’s playing of Sheary on the top line in the postseason has any indication of things to come, it sure as hell is working for Conor Sheary.

St. Louis didn't have the opportunity to play in a postseason game until the 2002-2003 season and amassed 12 points in 11 playoff games. Sheary’s getting his first opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and has amassed 3 points in 7 playoff games, but he's had many missed opportunities and bad bounces that have prevented him from potentially being a PPG player.

Sheer hustle and outdoing of the competition has given Sheary a chance to be the new small phenom of the NHL, but he's still got more room to improve if he wants to reach Martin St. Louis status. Sheary’s incredible start and playing with Sidney Crosby won't be a deterrent in doing exactly what everyone said he couldn't do.