It’s the finish of an period with the Tampa Bay Lightning as Steven Stamkos went to free company and signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Stamkos’s new deal carries an AAV of $8 million.
2024 NHL Free Agent Signings Tracker
The connection between Steven Stamkos and the Lightning grew to become strained final low season. Stamkos was eligible for an extension on July 1 as he was getting into the ultimate yr of his deal. Nevertheless, there have been no talks between him and Lightning Common Supervisor Julien BriseBois.
Stamkos expressed his frustration in the beginning of coaching camp when he mentioned he was upset there have been no contract talks, as he noticed Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Erik Cernak get extensions earlier than he did.
All do respect to these gamers, they aren’t Steven Stamkos. When assembly with the media on Monday, July 1 Stamkos knew he was doubtless transferring on final summer time though he needed to remain in Tampa.
“Once I didn’t get approached to signal an extension final summer time that caught me without warning and it was one thing that I expressed that at coaching camp,” Stamkos mentioned. “Actually that was most likely the beginning of it, the beginning of the writing on the wall.”
NHL Rumors: Is There a Fractured Relationship between Steven Stamkos and the Lightning
This was an extended negotiation course of, and Stamkos didn’t let it have an effect on his play. However because the season wore on, the sunshine light on him staying with the Lightning. He hoped a deal would get carried out, however in the long run, he needed to do what was greatest for him.
“That’s the hardest half is making an attempt to hold on to one thing that perhaps isn’t making an attempt to hold on to you and that was the powerful half for certain,” Stamkos mentioned. “However like I mentioned, the recollections I’ve had in Tampa will all the time trump no matter ailing will or emotions I’ve had all through this course of. These are short-term, these are emotional selections and you understand as time passes, these often go away.”
Many individuals are asking what occurred between the Lightning and Stamkos. We all know BriseBois has a historical past of enjoying heel along with his gamers. He makes powerful selections. He moved out Ryan McDonagh after which introduced him again. Then he simply despatched out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot. Ondrej Palat was not introduced again, nor had been Alex Killorn or Tyler Johnson.
However this felt completely different, and Stamkos requested himself this query all through the method. Colby Armstrong on Sportsnet requested him about this.
“Yeah, to be fully trustworthy, Military, I lastly discovered myself asking the identical query and the extra individuals I talked to, you understand, everybody appeared to share that very same sentiment, which is puzzling and unusual and on the finish of the day, there was no query that I used to be keen to place all that stuff apart to stay a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Like I mentioned, my household and I completely love enjoying for that metropolis and enjoying for the gamers which might be there. It simply appeared like perhaps not everybody thought that approach, and hear; I’m a giant boy; I can deal with that. We went about doing our enterprise. I believed I performed extraordinarily effectively this yr, whatever the contract distraction and, and simply, you understand, instructed them on the finish right here that it wasn’t gonna have an effect on my play. And that’s one thing that I used to be pleased with.”
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois was upset that he couldn’t get Stamkos signed to an extension. Nevertheless, BriseBois acknowledged he went so far as he may with the supply and wanted to do what was greatest for the workforce.
“He positively needed to remain in Tampa however, on the similar time, it was clear all through our course of he additionally had monetary expectations that he anticipated us to fulfill and, in the end, I felt and made the choice that, if I agreed to the phrases that he needed to be able to get a deal carried out, I might not be placing ourselves in the most effective place to chase championships going ahead. Finally, we have to make selections which might be in the most effective curiosity of the workforce’s success,” BriseBois mentioned.
NHL Rumors: Might Steven Stamkos find yourself someplace apart from Tampa subsequent yr?
The most important query you could ask is how bringing again McDonagh at his full cap hit of $6.75 million will enhance the Lightning. It didn’t. It might need made them worse.
Whereas signing Jake Guentzel is an effective backup plan, he isn’t Steven Stamkos. You need to surprise how this shakes the locker room in the beginning of the season.
Will probably be an emotional sport when Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa as a member of the Nashville Predators. This might have been prevented, however as a substitute right here we’re Stamkos is transferring on and so are the Lightning.
