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"Going to maybe flirt with it"- NHL agents speculates end of Steven Stamkos's Tampa Bay Lightning re-signing saga
In a recent piece by Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, various NHL agents shed light on the potential resolution of Steven Stamkos' re-signing saga with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Wyshysnki spoke with executives and agents who reckoned that Steven Stamkos might consider exploring other options, but will ultimately choose to remain with the Bolts.
"I think Stamkos is going to maybe flirt with it, but I suspect he'll stay with Tampa," one NHL agent said. "Instead of giving him a high average annual value, maybe they give him an extra year."
"I think he stays, ultimately" an NHL GM concluded
Another NHL agent opined that Stamkos might get a chance to test free agency on purpose:
"Knowing the people involved, they might be letting him test the market, see what's there, with the understanding that they have a number and they're sticking to it," they said. "I think he heads back to Tampa. There's loyalty. There's good tax dollars there. But you never know for sure."
When the Bolts were eliminated in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Panthers, there was a sense that he might have played his final game with the organization. GM Julien BriseBois earlier mentioned that he's "very hopeful" about keeping their franchise icon and sees Steven Stamkos as a key part of their squad.
Ahead of the start of the 2023–24 season, Stamkos expressed his disappointment with the organization for the lack of talks about an extension, as he aimed to finalize a deal before the season kicked off.
The veteran wrapped up the last year of his eight-year, $68 million contract. Stamkos' future with the Lightning is still up in the air at this point, and it remains to be seen how things develop regarding the extension in the coming weeks or months.
Steven Stamkos expresses his desire to stay and play for the Lightning
Following the Lightning's early playoff exit, Stamkos emphasized that winning and being a significant part of the team culture are his primary motivations.
Despite the changes and additional factors compared to his previous contract negotiations, his desire to stay and play for the Bolts remains unwavering:
"There's different factors than there were last time (I was at the end of my contract), but nothing's really changed in terms of my mindset and where I wanted to be and play and that was here. That certainly hasn't changed," Stamkos said (via Lightning beat writer Chris Krenn).
Steven Stamkos posted a solid 2023-24 regular season with the Bolts. He notched up 81 points and 40 goals in 79 games. In the playoffs, he garnered six points and five goals in as many games.
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