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.
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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. Nonetheless, there have been no talks between him and Lightning Normal Supervisor Julien BriseBois.
Stamkos expressed his frustration initially of coaching camp when he mentioned he was disenchanted there have been no contract talks, as he noticed Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Erik Cernak get extensions earlier than he did. There had been speak of a Victor Hedman extension for months, and it was finalized this morning – 4 years at $8 million per.
All do respect to these gamers, they don’t seem to be Steven Stamkos. When assembly with the media on Monday, July 1 Stamkos knew he was seemingly transferring on final summer time despite the fact that he wished to remain in Tampa.
“Once I didn’t get approached to signal an extension final summer time that caught me abruptly and it was one thing that I expressed that at coaching camp,” Stamkos mentioned. “Definitely that was in all probability the beginning of it, the beginning of the writing on the wall.”
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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 finished, however ultimately, 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 robust half for certain,” Stamkos mentioned. “However like I mentioned, the reminiscences I’ve had in Tampa will at all times trump no matter unwell will or emotions I’ve had all through this course of. These are momentary, these are emotional selections and you already know 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 robust 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 already know, 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 are there. It simply appeared like perhaps not everybody thought that means, and hear; I’m an enormous boy; I can deal with that. We went about doing our enterprise. I assumed I performed extraordinarily properly this yr, whatever the contract distraction and, and simply, you already know, advised 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 happy with.”
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois was disenchanted that he couldn’t get Stamkos signed to an extension. Nonetheless, BriseBois acknowledged he went so far as he might with the supply and wanted to do what was greatest for the crew.
“He positively wished 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 satisfy and, finally, I felt and made the choice that, if I agreed to the phrases that he wished with a purpose to get a deal finished, I’d not be placing ourselves in the most effective place to chase championships going ahead. In the end, we have to make selections which are in the most effective curiosity of the crew’s success,” BriseBois mentioned.
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The largest query you will need to ask is how bringing again McDonagh at his full cap hit of $6.75 million will enhance the Lightning. It didn’t. It may need made them worse.
Whereas signing Jake Guentzel is an effective backup plan, he isn’t Steven Stamkos. You must marvel how this shakes the locker room initially of the season.
It will likely be an emotional recreation when Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa as a member of the Nashville Predators. This might have been prevented, however as an alternative right here we’re Stamkos is transferring on and so are the Lightning.
