Steven Stamkos Assures Fans He Wants To Remain With Tampa Bay Lightning
Trade speculation is at an all-time high for Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, but Stamkos assures fans he wants to remain in Tampa Bay.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has certainly had an interesting, and sometimes stressful, season in terms of major headlines. Between the multitude of injuries and ongoing self-entitled dramas, there is one headline that has continued to remain at the forefront of Lightning fans’ minds; whether or not Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will remain with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the conclusion of his contract.
If you ask almost any Tampa Bay Lightning fan, they will tell you that everything is just fine and these things take time. They would know, after all. This is not the first time they have been down this road. Of course, if you ask a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, they will assuredly tell you the young Tampa Bay Lightning captain will be wearing a different shade of blue next season.
Of course, there are only three people in this world right now that know with 100 percent certainty what is actually going on right now. Those three people are Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman, Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan, and Steven Stamkos himself. Unfortunately for Lightning fans, all three of them have been relatively silent when it comes to the details of a prospective deal.
As the NHL Trade Deadline quickly approaches, the anxiety of Tampa Bay Lightning fans is at an all-time high. If a deal is not signed by the trade deadline, there is a good chance that the Lightning captain could make a move to another team with little or no benefit to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is certainly not something this young team can afford, nor something we believe Yzerman would ever let actually happen.
At this particular moment, the hockey world has stopped spinning for a few days as a selected number of players make their way to Music City to take place in the festivities of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville, Tennessee. Shawn Roarke, the Editorial Director over at NHL.com, had an opportunity to speak with Steven Stamkos, who will be representing the Tampa Bay Lightning at the All-Star game along with Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop, and Stamkos assured everyone he very much wants to remain a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"“I love it [in Tampa],” Stamkos told Roarke. “I’ve said this all along and I said it before the season started, I always envisioned winning a championship in Tampa. Obviously some of this stuff with the contract, that’s going to play out and whatever happens, happens. I’m the captain of this team and I have said from Day 1, I am the captain of this team and I want to win in Tampa. I love it in Tampa. We got a great organization, a great owner, a great young team that can be competitive for a long time, and I want to be a part of that for sure.”"
There is a large portion of our mind and heart that would very much like to believe the beautiful words coming out of the captain’s mouth; however, there is still one question looming that makes accomplishing this goal incredibly difficult. What is that question, you may ask? What in the world is taking so long?
At the conclusion of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman said it was his priority in the off-season to get a deal signed, sealed, and delivered with Steven Stamkos. Those of us here in the Bolts Nation waited with bated breath for a deal to come, but all of a sudden the off-season had come to its conclusion and no such deal had been made.
Related Story: Lightning Reportedly Offer Steven Stamkos An 8-Year Deal
Many Lightning fans decided to remain hopeful; however, this became increasingly difficult as the halfway point in the season came and went. Now, with the trade deadline looming, some Tampa Bay Lightning fans have made the transition from cautiously hopeful to near panic mode.
There is no denying that situations like this take time. A contract between any professional athlete and their respective team is a very long and arduous document. There is a reason players have agents and lawyers just as their respective teams have their General Manager and legal counsel.
There is definitely a lot to be said about both sides’ willingness to keep this matter a closed-door discussion; however, we feel it would put many fans’ nerves at ease if they would simply drop them a tiny hint as to where things stand in the process.
As most of you know by now, there have been reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning has made an offer to Steven Stamkos that would give him at eight year extension worth approximately $68 million; however, neither side of the situation will neither confirm nor deny these reports.
It’s most certainly nice to know that Steven Stamkos has such an affinity for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay community as a whole. We are sure that he is sincere when he compliments the team, ownership, and professes his desire to win a championship with the team. Unfortunately, until a deal has been signed on the bottom line that is all they are…words.
Related Story: The Impact of $8.5 Million Contract For Steven Stamkos
The bottom line is, the only way there rumors and rampant speculation is going to come to an end once and for all is the moment when either a deal has been signed, or an announcement has been made stating his trade to another team. Despite all the chaos, it is still nice to know the captain desires to stay with his team and lead them to greatness.
What do you think about the entire Steven Stamkos contract situation? Do you think a deal is in the works between Steve Yzerman and Steven Stamkos? Do you think it will be completed by the trade deadline? When all is said and done, do you think Stamkos will be in a Lightning sweater at the end of the season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Next: Report: Lightning Offer Steven Stamkos An 8-Year Extension
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