Photo credit: Sportsnet
Central Division Team Linked To Steven Stamkos By NHL Insider
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a lot of drama surrounding their captain Steven Stamkos this season. Now one central division team has been linked to him as a possible landing spot in the offseason.
Wyshynski Links Stamkos To Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a team that has been in a unique position this season. Barry Trotz has taken the organization in more of a rebuilding route, and yet the team is still good enough to make the playoffs. They currently hold the top wild card spot. As such, the team could potentially look to build upon their unexpected success this season by making offseason additions such as Stamkos.
"Oh, I heard one the other day that I loved. Nashville. Wouldn't Nashville be great for him? Think about where he is. Maybe he's a guy after his time, you know, in the sun, on the jet skis, wants to go play in a super pressure market and get the rub that you'd get when you play in Boston or play in New York or play in Toronto. Or he says, 'I've never wanted that' and goes to another place that has one beat writer like Nashville. I don't know what he wants. I do know they can afford him and I do know that with the maturation with this team, being a playoff team this year, having a good core of young players and a really good coach in Brunette, I think he could do pretty well there as a mentor/guy who can probably score a ton of goals on the wing for them if he wants to."
That being said, everyone should assume Stamkos will re-sign with the Lightning until the player or team says otherwise. he has been such a huge part of the organization for such a long time it is hard to imagine him going anywhere else.
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Tampa Bay Lightning Face Huge Decision With Stamkos
That being said, Stamkos is on the last year of his contract with the team. The 34-year-old made 8.5 million dollars against the cap this season and had performed well as he continues to age, putting up 24 goals and 55 points in 61 games this season. While he certainly isn't in prime form anymore, he's still been very good, even hitting some huge milestones this season.
Steven Stamkos had himself a NIGHT. ⚡️
He reached the 1,100-point milestone and moved into sole possession of 16th place all-time in power-play goals. 🙌
He reached the 1,100-point milestone and moved into sole possession of 16th place all-time in power-play goals. 🙌
However, the Lightning are projected to have just a little over 12 million in cap space this summer with just 14 players signed. That means re-signing Stamkos could be very difficult, unless he is willing to take a big home-town discount. Otherwise he very well could end up on a new team, such as the Nashville Predators.
As seen on Central Division team named as potential fit for Steven Stamkos
| POLL | ||
March 13 | 275 answers Central Division Team Linked To Steven Stamkos By NHL Insider Do you think Stamkos will re-sign with the Lightning? | ||
| Yes | 134 | 48.7 % |
| No | 141 | 51.3 % |
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