Huge Lightning rival linked to Steven Stamkos!?
At some point Tampa’s going to realize it can’t lose its captain, right? Right?
HockeyFeed
It hasn’t been easy for captain Steven Stamkos ever since he expressed his disappointment in the Tampa Bay Lightning not negotiating a contract extension with him this summer. Chatter even emerged that the Lightning wouldn’t be devastated to lose its captain, which added a bad taste of disrespect in Tampa, as Stammer could be a free agent comes July 2024.
Last week, it was reported that GM Julien BriseBois isn’t planning on holding negotiations throughout the season, which only prompted more rumours to surface. Some pundits are even wondering if he might land with the Boston Bruins, despite the fact that Stammer holds a no-movement clause in his current deal.
New York Post’s Larry Brooks recently put out there that Stamkos might be targeted by the Bruins as a playoff rental now the the Winnipeg Jets have re-signed Mark Scheifele and is no longer available as a trade option.
“Then again, maybe now that Mark Scheifele is off the board, Stamkos will become a Bruins’ rental target to fill their first-line center role.”
It had been reported in the past by Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was believed to have made a serious push for Stamkos during his UFA negotiation window in the summer of 2016.
Murphy dug a little more and was told by an NHL executive source that Sweeney would at least look into acquiring Stammer if he became available in the trade market.
If that option fails, what about signing him off market this summer?
Stamkos is currently in the final season of his eight-year contract, which carries an annual cap hit of $8.5 million as well as a full no-movement clause.
The Bolts’ captain didn’t play against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday due to a lower-body injury, leading him to miss his second straight game. He appeared to get hurt when blocking a shot in a 6-4 loss against the Red Wings at Detroit on Saturday.
Recommended articles:
