One of the stories we have been keeping an eye on this season is whether Steven Stamkos would re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Towards the beginning of the season, “whether” was more like “when”. Because honestly, I couldn’t imagine that there would be any way the Lightning would let their franchise player skate off into the sunset (I hear the sunsets in Toronto are gorgeous). But it’s December 17th, there have been no contract talks to speak of, and the rumor mill is churning at a mile a minute. “When” has become “if”. And that has hockey insider overlord Bob McKenzie thinking: Will Stamkos be in a Tampa sweater next season?
Steven Stamkos won’t be playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning next season.
I can’t say that unequivocally, with 100 per cent, dead-set certainty, because, you know, never say never, there’s always a chance, blah blah blah…
But c’mon, if Stamkos and the Bolts were going to live happily ever after they’d be at least a little cozied up by now, sort of like where it currently stands with Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings.
Stamkos and the Lightning aren’t even holding hands. Absent a lightning bolt out of the blue, they’re not going to either.
McKenzie goes on to lay out three options the Lightning have in handling Stamkos outside of signing him to a long term deal: Trade him at the deadline for a pick and a prospect, pull off a sign-and-trade with a team to give him that eight year deal he could only get from the Lightning, then grab a haul in players and picks, or let the season ride out with Stamkos on the roster, letting him hit July 1st and putting it in God’s hands. All three of these options are possible, if not probable.
Don’t be surprised if Steve Yzerman pulls off the pick/prospect deal with a team. Remember, he wasn’t afraid to trade Lightning legend Martin St. Louis in a deadline deal. And while he got a much younger player in a similar situation to Stamkos’ in Ryan Callahan and it seemed like a no-brainer, other general managers would have shied away from the fan backlash of such a trade even if St. Louis was begging to be sent packing.
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The second option is a bit trickier, as McKenzie notes, because teams would probably wait to sign Stamkos until the summer rather than trade the farm to get him. But McKenzie mentioned Montreal as a possible destination. If there was any team that could justify going for it this year in addition to the next seven or eight while they’re in that championship window, it would be a hockey crazed city that hasn’t been to a Stanley Cup Final in 22 seasons like Montreal. (And do you think they might like to twist the knife in Toronto’s back by swooping in and stealing Stamkos from under their Christmas tree?) Nashville could try it if they feel it has been long enough since they were burned going for it with Peter Forsberg to feel comfortable trying it again. Even the Washington Capitals, if they wanted to get creative with a Kuznetsov/Oshie/Defenseman deal to have Stamkos as a second line center? Put him on the power play with Ovechkin and Backstrom? Or even put him on the wing with those two after he played right wing in the playoffs last year? It’s a stretch, but Washington could be desperate enough to try it after multiple losses to the Rangers in the playoffs.
The third option is probably the safest, and smartest option as long as the Lightning don’t fall off the map in the playoff race. St. Louis was nearing the end of his career so finding equal value for him was easier. (Yzerman got equal value and more for Marty.) Is there a deal out there that would make Yzerman feel comfortable about dealing him, while providing a good fit for the other team as well? Easier said than done. And despite being one point out of a playoff spot, the Lightning are still legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, even out of a wild card slot. Trading Stamkos compromises that. To throw that away for a pick and a prospect seems unreasonable, and getting that sign and trade done would be a bear. So staying the course would probably be Yzerman’s best option, and hoping against hope that they could sign him in the summer.
