As the NHL free agent market approaches, the renewal prospects of Steven Stamkos, the core player of the Tampa Bay Lightning, remain uncertain. On Friday, Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois admitted at a press conference that the team and the legendary center who is about to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) have not yet reached an agreement on a new contract.
“Despite strong intentions from both parties to renew the contract, we have yet to find a mutually satisfactory clause,” Brisbane said. “We have been working hard, but at this moment, I am unsure if we can successfully renew Stancos’ contract.”
Stancos, a 34 year old veteran, has become the soul of the Lightning team since joining as the top pick in 2008. He contributed 1137 points in 16 seasons, including 81 points this season, becoming the team’s historical leader in various aspects such as games, goals, and scoring. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning team and demonstrated outstanding leadership and scoring abilities in the playoffs.
However, with the tightening of the NHL salary cap next season, the Lightning team is facing enormous pressure to renew their contract. Bristow admitted that the team is considering various options to deal with the possibility of losing Stancos. He emphasized that if the team’s legendary contract cannot be renewed, the team will have to find other ways to make up for this loss.
In addition to Stancos, the Lightning team also faces contract issues with another key player, Victor Hedman. Herdman’s contract will expire next year, but the two sides have already begun preliminary discussions on the renewal issue. Brisbane said that although Hedman’s contract renewal time is relatively generous, the team still hopes to reach an agreement with him as soon as possible.
As the free agent market approaches, the Lightning team needs to quickly resolve the contract issues between Stancos and Hudman to ensure the team’s competitiveness in the coming season. At the same time, they also need to find other ways to strengthen the team’s strength to cope with the upcoming challenges.
