Pending UFA Steven Stamkos won't be traded

Pending UFA Steven Stamkos Won’t Be Traded

Pending UFA Steven Stamkos ‘Isn’t Getting Traded’ Ahead of the March 8th Trade Deadline, Lightning GM Says 

   You can cross Steven Stamkos off this season’s trade-bait list, according to Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. 

   Stamkos, amidst the final season of an eight-year, $68-million contract signed in 2016, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. But as of now, the club’s captain is expected to remain with the franchise through the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. 

   BriseBois put any trade speculation to rest while speaking to the media on Tuesday, declaring the 33-year-old centre won’t be moved ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. 

   “The one thing I would say just to get it out there because I know as we get closer to the deadline, it’s a popular and interesting and frequent topic. ’Who’s going to get traded? Who won’t get traded?’ Steven Stamkos isn’t getting traded,” BriseBois told reporters, including Bally Sports’ Gabby Shirley. 

   “You can all write that. Steven Stamkos is not getting traded, so we can put that one to bed if anyone was speculating on that. That’s not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.”

   Before the regular season opened, Stamkos expressed his disappointment regarding the lack of traction toward a contract extension, sparking discussions around the league about his future with the Bolts.  

   The Lightning don’t feature much financial flexibility for next season, as they already have roughly $76.8 million committed in 2024-25, per CapFriendly, leaving them a projected $10.6 million under the $87.5 million salary cap. 

   After losing in the first round of last season’s playoffs, BriseBois aims to operate cautiously with the team’s payroll beyond this season, leading him to delay extension talks with Stamkos until next summer. 

   “Steven and I share a common goal of bringing the Cup back to Tampa — that’s our objective,” BriseBois said prior to this season. “In order for us to do that in future years, we’re going to need to spend our cap dollars as wisely as possible. In order for me to do that, I feel like I need to gather more information.”

   “I need to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit this year,” he added. “After the season, once I’ve gathered that information, I can work with Steven and his agent on a contract structure that would be in the best interest of both sides.”

   Tampa Bay is currently on the fringe of the postseason picture, sitting just one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins – who have two games in hand – for the final wild-card seed in the East. The Washington Capitals, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are also close behind. 

   Prior to last season’s early playoff exit, the Lightning made three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, winning back-to-back titles in 2020 and ‘21. They haven’t missed the postseason since the 2016-17 campaign. 

   Stamkos, drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in 2008, is amongst the few remaining original members of the franchise’s dynasty core. He leads the organization all-time in goals (533), points (1,097) and games played (1,044) since entering the league in 2008-09. 

   The Markham, Ont., native has been a significant playoff contributor, potting 45 goals and 95 points across 123 career games. He’s a seven-time All-Star, two-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner and the recipient of the 2022-23 Mark Messier Leadership Award. 

   This season, Stamkos has scored 18 goals and 41 points while averaging 18:42 minutes per night over 41 contests during possibly his final season with the Lightning. 

-Thomas Hall

Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_

Photo: Michael Miller. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.