Report: Stamkos responds to leaked contract offer.

One of the biggest stories this season has been the negotiations, or rather lack of negotiations between Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The latest chapter in that story unfolded over the week-end when insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Stamkos had received a substantial offer from the Lightning, $8.5 million per season, for eight seasons, something he had hinted at earlier in the week as well.

Stamkos as you would expect was asked about the leak, and although he refused to comment on the offer itself he did let slip one curious comment to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

"I'm not going to comment on that," Stamkos said Sunday at the Lightning's family carnival at Amalie Arena. "We haven't talked about that stuff in the media all season long, and I don't know how they get a hold of stuff like that. All the things that we've talked about, it's staying internally, and it'll continue to be that way."

Call me crazy, and keep in mind this is pure speculation, but doesn't "I don't know how they get a hold of stuff like that," sound an awful like Stamkos indirectly confirming the information is accurate? And if so who is leaking the information to reporters? And what is the goal they hope to achieve by doing so?

Needless to say, since no contract has been announced by the Lightning, it appears that Stamkos has declined the offer that was put forward by the Lightning, what that means only time will tell.

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