If Steven Stamkos is going to leave the Tampa Bay Lightning, he’ll need to do so as a UFA during the summer, or have his rights traded in the offseason. That’s because Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois has come out and publicly said he is not going to trade the center at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline. This regardless of whether a contract extension is finalized before that time.
According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, BriseBois was steadfast in his claim that he will not trade Stamkos. Following a report from Joe Smith of The Athletic that stated, “BriseBois wanted to make it clear: Steven Stamkos will NOT be traded at deadline. Under any circumstance.” He added, “BriseBois said he still envisions Stamkos on team beyond this season but those talks won’t continue until offseason.”
LeBrun then tweeted as a follow up:
“Lightning, as we reported last month, staying firm on waiting until after the season to talk contract with Stamkos. Bolts GM also telling media today the captain won’t be traded, I’m not sure that anyone really thought that was possible, but BriseBois making sure no one even goes there.”
Lightning Will Risk They Can Get Stamkos Deal Done
The Lightning are prepared to take the risk that these two sides will work things out. Stamkos seemed upset earlier this season that he was being pushed aside. He publicly talked about the team not talking to him about an extension and frustration was evident. The hint was the organization favored other players and/or he was not being shown the same courtesy others have been when it comes to contract extensions. If things got more delicate between the two sides, some insiders believed there was a chance Stamkos would test the market.
Ultimately, Stamkos likely wants to stay in Tampa. BriseBois has never waivered when it comes to saying the team wants to keep him. They just aren’t prepared to commit long-term yet, at least not without a better understanding of their financial commitments to the entire roster with a better look at how competitive that roster actually is.
Tampa is an interesting team. They are competitive. However, they are aging. It’s not clear how long their window to win will stay open and should they commit big money to an older player long-term? These are questions they’re asking, despite Stamkos being productive. He has 18 goals and 41 points in 41 games this season.
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