Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports activities
Getting into his sixteenth season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steven Stamkos appeared destined to spend the remainder of his profession with the one NHL crew he is ever performed for. Nonetheless, remarks made final week by the 33-year-old ahead recommend it may very well be much less of a certainty.
Throughout the opening day of coaching camp final Wednesday, Stamkos expressed his disappointment over the shortage of contract extension talks with administration.
“It was one thing that I expressed on the finish of final 12 months that I needed to get one thing finished earlier than coaching camp began,” he told reporters.
Stamkos is within the ultimate season of his eight-year contract with an annual common worth of $8.5 million. He is slated to change into a UFA subsequent July.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois replied that it was in everybody’s finest curiosity to have Stamkos end his profession in Tampa Bay. Nonetheless, he indicated that contract talks along with his captain must wait till the top of this season.
Stamkos’ feedback proved to be what Sportsnet’s Luke Fox thought of to be “the most important bombshell of coaching camp.” His colleague Elliotte Friedman referred to as it “a giant, huge shot throughout the bow” by the longtime Lightning celebrity, including that a few of the gamers near Stamkos felt that “Tampa would not be crushed if he left.”
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman cited Evolving-Hockey’s projection of a three-year deal at an AAV of $7.6 million for Stamkos. Nonetheless, she identified that the Lightning solely have $12.4 million in cap area for subsequent season, so administration have to be cautious how they spend it. PuckPedia has Tampa Bay with solely $9.36 million in cap area, however the higher restrict of the wage cap is predicted to extend subsequent 12 months.
Stamkos is not going wherever this season, however his future in Tampa Bay may change into the topic of season-long hypothesis.
Information Abstract:
- Steven Stamkos Faces An Unsure Future in Tampa Bay
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