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 Common Supervisor Julien BriseBois.

Stamkos expressed his frustration at the beginning of coaching camp when he stated 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. There had been discuss of a Victor Hedman extension for months, and it was finalized this morning – 4 years at $8 million per.

All do respect to these gamers, they don’t seem to be Steven Stamkos. When assembly with the media on Monday, July 1 Stamkos knew he was probably transferring on final summer season though he needed to remain in Tampa.

“After I didn’t get approached to signal an extension final summer season that caught me abruptly 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 a protracted negotiation course of, and Stamkos didn’t let it have an effect on his play. However because the season wore on, the sunshine light on him staying with the Lightning. He hoped a deal would get achieved, however ultimately, 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 stated, the reminiscences I’ve had in Tampa will at all times trump no matter sick will or emotions I’ve had all through this course of. These are short-term, these are emotional choices and as time passes, these normally go away.”

Many individuals are asking what occurred between the Lightning and Stamkos. We all know BriseBois has a historical past of enjoying heel along with his gamers. He makes robust choices. 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 totally different, and Stamkos requested himself this query all through the method. Colby Armstrong on Sportsnet requested him about this.

“Yeah, to be fully trustworthy, Military, I lastly discovered myself asking the identical query and the extra folks I talked to, , 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 stated, my household and I completely love enjoying for that metropolis and enjoying for the gamers which might be there. It simply appeared like perhaps not everybody thought that approach, and hear; I’m an enormous boy; I can deal with that. We went about doing our enterprise. I assumed I performed extraordinarily properly this yr, whatever the contract distraction and, and simply, , instructed 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 pleased 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 supply and wanted to do what was finest for the workforce.

“He positively 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 fulfill and, finally, I felt and made the choice that, if I agreed to the phrases that he needed in an effort to get a deal achieved, I’d not be placing ourselves in the very best place to chase championships going ahead. Finally, we have to make choices which might be in the very best curiosity of the workforce’s success,” BriseBois said.

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The most important query you should 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 effective backup plan, he’s not Steven Stamkos. You need to surprise how this shakes the locker room originally of the season.

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