4-goal Stamkos proves he's still got more left in the tank, but what does it mean for his future in Tampa?

By Ryan Gagne

Modified Dec 15, 2023 21:36 GMT

On Thursday night, Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning had one task: halt the historic eight-game win streak of the Edmonton Oilers on their home ice.

After building a quick 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, the Lightning stumbled through the second period, going into the dressing room trailing 3-2. However, Stamkos, team captain since 2013-14, sparked a comeback in the final period to finish his night with four goals and a 7-4 victory.

Surprisingly, Stamkos is the latest player to enter the 500-goal club and never had a four-goal game in his 16-year career until Thursday. Moreover, the Lightning are not as dominant this season, leaving many to wonder if this could be the final season the roster remains intact, making this moment even more special.

Ultimately, many are talking about the future of Stamkos. Before opening night, the team opted not to extend their longest-tenured player. This forced their all-time leading scorer to go public with his disappointment with the lack of contract talks.

Even though Tampa Bay has had an up-and-down season, Stamkos continues to score and lead the team. Star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy returned after surgery after three months.

Despite what the critics say, Stamkos showcased on Thursday night that he can still be the guy to lead the team.

Stamkos now plays in the shadow of several of his teammates

Despite serving as the longest captain in Lightning history and the only player to surpass 1,000 points, the team's offensive attack now runs through teammate Nikita Kucherov, who won the Art Ross, Hart, and Lester B. Pearson Awards in 2018-19.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Stamkos is a two-time 50-goal scorer, reaching a career-high of 60 in 2011-12. He averaged 1.05 points per game throughout his career, which includes some down seasons when he struggled through injuries.

Although it is a consensus that Alex Ovechkin is this generation's greatest pure goal scorer, along with David Pastrnak, Stamkos is in the top three and, worse case, top five in today's game.

Additionally, since the shortened pandemic season of 2020-21, when the Lightning won the first of their back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, Stamkos has collected 90 goals and 130 assists for 220 points, earning a personal best of 106 in 2021-22. He's the team's leading scorer with 254 points during this stretch.

Despite this outstanding production, Stamkos is often overlooked by the media and fans because of the nightly performances of Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman.

Considering that he's in the final year of an eight-year contract paying him $8.5 million a year, it almost seems like a bargain price for someone who contributed so much to the team this decade.

Of course, it wasn't always like this because no one thought he was living up to his salary when he underperformed and was sidelined with injuries. So, as the player and franchise reach a crossroads, many wonder if Stamkos will finish his career in Tampa Bay or move on to ink one more mega deal.

At 33 now, Stamkos will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer upon retirement with an estimated $99 million in career earnings. Realistically, the Lightning are still contenders for the Stanley Cup, so it's not like he needs to leave and pursue that goal elsewhere.

Ultimately, he'll most likely take a pay cut to sign a lengthy extension to finish his career in the only place he's played while allowing management to keep the team competitive with some extra cash.

However, Stamkos could request a salary increase and force himself out of the market because, after his recent four-goal game, he's proven that he can still play at the highest level.

Hopefully, for the sake of the franchise and their fans, the two sides will find a place to meet in the middle because Tampa Bay may not realize what they still have in Stamkos until he's gone.