TAMPA — For the previous 16 years, Steven Stamkos has been seen throughout Tampa Bay. From the aspect of Amalie Enviornment, on billboards and benches, he’s been the face of the Lightning franchise since he was anointed the savior of the group as an 18-year-old No. 1 draft decide.
He has lifted the Stanley Cup twice, worn the C on his chest with delight and humility, and been the main determine in probably the most prolific decade of Lightning hockey. On the ice, he was an elite scorer; within the locker room, he was a consummate chief. He visited hospitals, he offered checks to the Ronald McDonald Home, he gave a era of Lightning followers a celebrity they had been proud to name their very own.
However now Stamkos, the one participant who many thought would put on a bolt on his chest for the whole thing of his profession, will play for the Predators, signing a four-year cope with Nashville for a mean annual worth of $8 million.
Till the previous few days, followers had hope that the Lightning and their longest-tenured participant would make amends and attain an settlement to maintain their beloved captain in Tampa Bay.
And so did Stamkos.
“It’s been in all probability as loopy as you’ll be able to assume by way of only a roller-coaster of feelings,” Stamkos mentioned in an interview with TSN shortly after he signed with Nashville on Monday. “Clearly a lot wonderful historical past in Tampa for my household and I. And finally, attempting to work one thing on the market and fell quick.”
Stamkos mentioned he in all probability believed the window to return was open longer than the Lightning would say, however that when he wakened Monday, he knew he was going elsewhere.
Nonetheless, it’s clear that Stamkos felt disrespected by the method, from the purpose when normal supervisor Julien BriseBois didn’t have interaction him in extension discussions final summer season, just like the group had with so a lot of their different stars earlier than their remaining seasons. And when BriseBois mentioned that he wouldn’t supply Stamkos a contract till the 2023-24 season was over.
“On the finish of the day, there was no query that I used to be prepared to place all that stuff apart to stay a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Stamkos mentioned in an interview with SportsNet. “My household and I completely love enjoying for that metropolis and enjoying for the gamers which can be there. It simply appeared like possibly not everybody thought that method.
“And hear, I’m an enormous, massive boy. I can deal with that. We went about doing our enterprise. I believed I performed extraordinarily nicely this yr, whatever the contract distraction, and simply informed them originally right here that it wasn’t going to have an effect on my play and that’s one thing that I used to be happy with.
“Pay attention, we needed it to finish and retire as a Tampa Bay Lightning (participant). It actually didn’t work out, however on the finish of the day, so as to take a look at your self within the mirror, you need to simply be trustworthy with your self, know your self-worth, know what loyalty and respect means to you, after which transfer on.”
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BriseBois had tried, and failed, up to now to maintain home-grown gamers like Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. In Stamkos’ case, BriseBois discovered the cash to make it work, however didn’t budge from his preliminary supply and finally seemed elsewhere to enhance the group.
BriseBois initiated contract discussions as quickly because the Lightning had been eradicated by Florida within the first spherical, however he didn’t budge from his take-it-or-leave-it supply, which was believed to be within the $3 million common annual worth vary. When extension talks stalled in June, the Lightning pivoted. Ultimately weekend’s draft, BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent, Don Meehan, agreed it might be finest for each side to pursue different dance companions.
And what a pivot it was.
The Lightning traded away highest-paid defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and ahead Tanner Jeannot. With the cap area amassed, BriseBois focused one of many prime pending free brokers, buying and selling for ahead Jake Guentzel’s rights Sunday and figuring out a seven-year deal. Additionally they are attempting to increase defenseman Victor Hedman as he enters the ultimate yr of his contract.
The irony of Stamkos’ touchdown spot is that in Could, the Lightning re-acquired defenseman Ryan McDonagh from Nashville, and McDonagh’s first name was to Stamkos, joyful that they had been reuniting a misplaced piece of the group’s Cup championship core. However ultimately, the 2 mates had been ships passing within the evening. Nashville normal supervisor Barry Trotz primarily used the cap area he obtained in transferring McDonagh to lure Stamkos.
Regardless of a sluggish begin, Stamkos confirmed his worth this previous season, significantly when the Lightning had been in peril of lacking the playoffs at midseason. Stamkos elevated his recreation, because the group compiled the NHL’s third-best file over the second half. He scored 16 targets within the remaining 17 video games, together with seven on the facility play. His 19 power-play targets for the season ranked third within the NHL.
Stamkos was the Lightning’s finest skater within the playoffs, compiling 5 targets and 6 factors within the first-round collection towards Florida, together with a two-goal, one-assist recreation in a Sport 4 win at Amalie Enviornment that allowed Tampa Bay to keep away from being swept.
However BriseBois made it clear that his chief offseason precedence was making the Lightning a greater defensive group — they ranked twenty second within the league in targets allowed — and Stamkos’ career-worst minus-21 ratio final season left room for enchancment.
Stamkos now takes his legacy elsewhere. He’s one in all solely three energetic gamers with 500 targets and 1,000 factors, becoming a member of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
Stamkos owns primarily each Lightning particular person profession file, together with targets (555), factors (1,137), power-play targets (214) and video games performed (1,082). His 582 assists path Marty St. Louis by six.
This story will likely be up to date.
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