The Relationship Between Tampa Bay and Steven Stamkos was Damaged Final Summer time

It’s the finish of an period with the Tampa Bay Lightning as Steven Stamkos went to free company and signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Stamkos’s new deal carries an AAV of $8 million.

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The connection between Steven Stamkos and the Lightning grew to become strained final low season. Stamkos was eligible for an extension on July 1 as he was coming into the ultimate yr of his deal. Nevertheless, there have been no talks between him and Lightning Basic Supervisor Julien BriseBois.

Stamkos expressed his frustration initially of coaching camp when he mentioned he was disenchanted there have been no contract talks, as he noticed Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Erik Cernak get extensions earlier than he did.

All do respect to these gamers, they aren’t Steven Stamkos. When assembly with the media on Monday, July 1 Stamkos knew he was possible shifting on final summer time despite the fact that he needed to remain in Tampa.

“After I didn’t get approached to signal an extension final summer time that caught me without warning and it was one thing that I expressed that at coaching camp,” Stamkos said. “Definitely that was most likely the beginning of it, the beginning of the writing on the wall.”

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This was an extended negotiation course of, and Stamkos didn’t let it have an effect on his play. However because the season wore on, the sunshine pale on him staying with the Lightning. He hoped a deal would get completed, however in the long run, he needed to do what was finest for him.

“That’s the hardest half is attempting to hold on to one thing that perhaps isn’t attempting to hold on to you and that was the robust half for certain,” Stamkos said. “However like I mentioned, the recollections I’ve had in Tampa will at all times trump no matter unwell will or emotions I’ve had all through this course of. These are non permanent, these are emotional selections and you understand as time passes, these often go away.”

Many individuals are asking what occurred between the Lightning and Stamkos. We all know BriseBois has a historical past of taking part in heel together with his gamers. He makes robust selections. He moved out Ryan McDonagh after which introduced him again. Then he simply despatched out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot. Ondrej Palat was not introduced again, nor had been Alex Killorn or Tyler Johnson.

However this felt completely different, and Stamkos requested himself this query all through the method. Colby Armstrong on Sportsnet requested him about this.

“Yeah, to be utterly trustworthy, Military, I lastly discovered myself asking the identical query and the extra folks I talked to, you understand, everybody appeared to share that very same sentiment, which is puzzling and unusual and on the finish of the day, there was no query that I used to be keen to place all that stuff apart to stay a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Like I mentioned, my household and I completely love taking part in for that metropolis and taking part in for the gamers which might be there. It simply appeared like perhaps not everybody thought that method, and pay attention; I’m a giant boy; I can deal with that. We went about doing our enterprise. I believed I performed extraordinarily effectively this yr, whatever the contract distraction and, and simply, you understand, advised them on the finish right here that it wasn’t gonna have an effect on my play. And that’s one thing that I used to be happy with.”

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois was disenchanted that he couldn’t get Stamkos signed to an extension. Nevertheless, BriseBois acknowledged he went so far as he may with the provide and wanted to do what was finest for the crew.

“He undoubtedly needed to remain in Tampa however, on the similar time, it was clear all through our course of he additionally had monetary expectations that he anticipated us to satisfy and, finally, I felt and made the choice that, if I agreed to the phrases that he needed to be able to get a deal completed, I might not be placing ourselves in the most effective place to chase championships going ahead. In the end, we have to make selections which might be in the most effective curiosity of the crew’s success,” BriseBois said.

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The largest query you have to ask is how bringing again McDonagh at his full cap hit of $6.75 million will enhance the Lightning. It didn’t. It might need made them worse.

Whereas signing Jake Guentzel is an efficient backup plan, he’s not Steven Stamkos. It’s important to marvel how this shakes the locker room at the start of the season.

It will likely be an emotional sport when Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa as a member of the Nashville Predators. This might have been averted, however as an alternative right here we’re Stamkos is shifting on and so are the Lightning.