Adam Erne has seven goals and 11 assists in 52 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Getty Images)
When you’re a grinder and you’re on a team with Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov leading the offense, the last thing you need to worry about is scoring goals.
And that’s why New Haven, Conn., native Adam Erne didn’t seem the least bit concerned when he went 17 games without putting a puck in the net for the Tampa Bay Lightning early in 2019.
The important number for Erne, a 23-year-old left wing, might be 5, as in plus-5, which happened to be better than that of Stamkos or another veteran, J.T. Miller.
As of late February, Erne already had played in a career-high 45 games for the Lightning and appeared to be on the brink of establishing himself as a regular. Does he consider this a breakthrough season?
