Rumor: Lightning have finally presented Stamkos with an offer, and it's not a good one.

One of the National Hockey League's best insiders believes that the contract negotiations between the Tampa Bay Lightning and their star forward Steven Stamkos are no longer at a stalement.

While Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman admits he hasn't heard anything concrete, primarily because the Lightning and Stamkos' camp are being incredibly quiet about it, he believes the Lightning made an offer to Stamkos, and it was what has to be considered a low-ball offer.

"The media blackout by Yzerman, Stamkos and agent Don Meehan makes it very difficult to determine what all that really means, but it is believed the Lightning made a contract offer in recent weeks. My guess — and it is a guess — is the number started with an eight. Obviously, it was not accepted..."

It's interesting to see the Lightning risk this kind of offer after there have been signs of potential turmoil between the franchise and Stamkos, it's not hard to see how a player like Stamkos, who just watched L.A.'s Anze Kopitar sign for 8 years at $80 million dollars, could see this as an insult. That said Friedman believes this is an attempt from the Lightning to see how far apart the two sides really are.

My sense is it’s a negotiation point, an attempt to see where everyone stands.

With Tyler Johnson unable to stay healthy this season, it has made an even more integral part of the Tampa offense, losing him this offseason would be notjing short of devastating.

[pub]