Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos Contract Could Be A Distraction

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is under contract until 2016, but if his contract isn’t resigned soon it could be an unnecessary distraction in the 2015-16 season.

The 2014-15 Season has come to an end, and while the final outcome may not have been the one that the Tampa Bay Lightning were looking for there is no denying that it was one hell of a ride and a solid reason to be excited about next season.

At this point, the Tampa Bay Lightning organization as well as the fans here in the Bolts Nation has turned their attention to what comes next for our Boys In Blue. The first thing on deck is the 2015 NHL Draft. This is where Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and Director of Amateur Scouting Al Murray head to the BB&T Center in Sunrise in search of the next Lightning superstar.

After this, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be turning their attention to the Free Agency period. Yzerman has said that he doesn’t anticipate too much movement this off-season, but there is one thing that needs to happen sooner rather than later, and that is the re-signing of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

In all fairness, Stamkos’ contract is not up until the conclusion of next season; however, if things take the turn that we expect them to and “Stamkos-gate” starts all over again (which for the most part it already has) this could be a massive distraction during a time when the team’s attention should be on the ice.

Steven Stamkos lit up the scoreboard this season netting himself 43 goals and 29 assists for a total of 72 points to accompany a plus-2 rating. Stamkos’ 43 goals put him in second place in the National Hockey League in goals bested only by Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.

The 25 year old center ended the regular season tied with teammate Tyler Johnson in points and pretty well setting the standard for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, the post season was not quite as eventful for the Ontario native.

In fact, as much as it pains us to say this, he pretty much fell flat on his face in the post-season.

Steven Stamkos earned the Tampa Bay Lightning 7 goals and 11 assists during the 26 games he played in the post season. While these are not exactly the worst stats we have ever seen, they are definitely not the kind of numbers we have come to expect from someone of Stamkos’ caliber.

At the same time, Stamkos remains a vital part of the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup and the man in the locker room who leads the charge for the Bolts. If his teammates have any doubt in their minds that Stamkos plans on abandoning ship for another team this could cause one large, unneeded distraction.

If the Tampa Bay Lightning want to make it back in the playoffs next season, and even taking it is far as another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, they will need to have their minds in the game and their focus on point all season long.

The going rumor right now is pretty much as it was the last time we found ourselves in this position. Some media outlets, as well as a huge contingent of hungry Maple Leafs fans, have this idea in their head that Stamkos is surely headed to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Steven Stamkos has said himself that he wants to win a championship with the same group of guys that he is playing with now, but that still hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning.

If Steve Yzerman wants to keep the distraction to a minimum, he is going to start thinking about this contract now and get everything out on the table before the Tampa Bay Lightning take the ice for the first time this season. This way, we can all know exactly where things stand and keep our eyes on the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup.

The one thing that Yzerman will have to watch out for is resisting the urge to offer Stamkos an inflated contract under an overly long-term deal that would eventually come to bite the Tampa Bay Lightning in the end. Thankfully, this is another story for another day.

Do you think that Yzerman is going to make the necessary moves to have Steven Stamkos locked in before the new season starts, or do you think he is going to hold out until the Free Agency period begins next season?

Furthermore, do you think Stamkos will want to play the field a little longer or would he be amenable to signing a new contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning without dipping his toes in the water a little? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: 2014-15 Goaltender Grades

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