NHL Rumors: Steven Stamkos is a Priority for the Lightning

With their season over, all eyes will turn to the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s decision regarding Steven Stamkos.

The narrative in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers was straightforward: did Stamkos play his last game with the Lightning?

The cameras were focused on Stamkos during the handshake line as he waited for the final two players to go through the line before he walked off the ice last. All we heard were announcers talking about Stamkos and the Lightning.

Even in the post-game media availability, head coach Jon Cooper was asked about Steven Stamkos’s status with the team moving forward and whether he could imagine the captain wearing a jersey other than the Lightning one.

“I don’t know if there will be much conversation. I hope not, anyway. He belongs here. We know it. He knows it,” Cooper said to the media following Game 5. “But, again, this is two seconds after a game. But he and I have grown up together. He’s a heck of a player. But he’s also, I suppose, in control of his own destiny. I don’t know what’s going to happen. He feels like a Bolt for life, but only he and Julien can answer that one.”

The Stamkos talk will not go away this offseason, either. It will be the talk of the offseason. It was like this when he hit free agency before ultimately re-signing with the Lightning. But the noise will not go away.

The debate ranges on. There is a strong belief he will stay with the Lightning. While there, others think he will leave.

“Yeah, I think he’s going. I saw the extra focus on him from the cameras just in case but I really feel he’s going. I feel like he is the best leader in hockey. The best captain. Has been for a while. I feel like he’s still got three good years,’ Russ Cohen of Sportsology.com told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. “You got John Cooper saying, Well, you know, Steve wants to stay here and we want him here. Yeah, that’s great. But it’s like, Where was the money? So, I think he’s going to test free agency again. And I think he’ll find some good offers.”

We all saw his displeasure when he addressed the media at the beginning of the season. Stamkos was unhappy that he was not cared for before the season and that no talks took place. The Lightning captain felt disrespected. We know Staamkos wants to be a Lightning for life. In addition, the team wants to keep him.

However, Lightning greats like Vincent Lecaivilier and Martin St. Louis left the Lightning. There is a chance Stamkos could as well.

Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois addressed Steven Stamkos’s future on Wednesday’s media availability. BriseBois told the media he had preliminary discussions with Stamkos and his agent once they got off their flight back from Sunrise.

BriseBois stated he was ‘hopeful’ about keeping Stamkos with the Lightning, and he is a priority this offseason.

“Obviously, Steven Stamkos needs a contract, and we want him to be part of that group,” BriseBois said. “The aim is for him to continue to play on a contending Tampa Bay Lightning team going forward.” 

According to reports, Stamkos confirmed that he spoke with BriseBois, but no discussions have occurred about terms or money.

“Yes, I had a short conversation with [Julien BriseBois] after the game,” Stamkos said to the media. “He reached out to my agent so that’s all that we have right now but, for sure, hopefully there are some discussions. You got to start somewhere so looking forward to that.”

However, from those inside the Lightning locker room, it appears Stamkos was unclear about his confidence on getting a deal done.

“It is tough to answer when we have not even had a discussion yet so we will have to have those discussions but I am certainly, like I said, excited that were going to have those hopefully soon and we can go from there,” Stamkos continued with the media.

In the final year of his contract with the Lightning before becoming a free agent, Stamkos finished with 81 points (41 goals and 40 assists), including 16 goals in the final 17 games.

He also recorded six points in five playoff games, including leading the Lightning in scoring with five goals in the playoffs. Steven Stamkos can still produce.

The question will be, does he take a discount to stay? And what is his discount? Remember, Anze Kopitar went from $10 million AAV to $7.5 million to stay in Los Angeles, but you can make the point that Stamko’s discount is still $8.5 million.

The Lightning are up against the salary cap and making other decisions regarding other players. But the focus will be on Steven Stamkos until a new deal is completed or he signs elsewhere.

Speaking of the other players, GM Julien BriseBois confirmed that head coach Jon Cooper is not going anywhere, and he has a term left on his deal.

In addition, BriseBois noted the salary cap and wants to keep and extend Victor Hedman. Hedman is eligible for an extension on July 1st.

“I talked to his agent yesterday, just very preliminary,” BriseBois told the media. “We’re going to circle back once we have time to debrief here. But, obviously, we’d love to keep Victor going forward.”

The Lightning added Matt Dumba and Anthony Duclair at the deadline and will look to keep them as they brought excitement and fire to the lineup. However, with $65 million tied up in nine players next season, it will be tough to keep everyone.

The Lightning will go through the proper discussions and debriefs before making any decisions. However, the priority for the BriseBois and the Lightning is Steven Stamkos.