Tampa Bay Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos kept the team’s core in Tampa
By Jacob Steele
In June of 2016, Tampa Bay Lightning fans were preparing for the worst, to lose their captain to free agency.
Tampa Bay Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos entered restricted free agency in the summer of 2015 but didn’t re-sign immediately. The question arose to many: why wouldn’t Stamkos re-sign right away?
His team just finished an impressive Cup run, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history. Stamkos assured the press and the public that he wished to remain in Tampa, but, still, doubt remained, and as the 2015-16 season began there was no news from either side.
In February 2016, a report from Sportsnet stated that Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman had already offered Stamkos a contract with an $8.5 million annual average, but there was no signature.
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By the end of the season, many Lightning fans had given up hope and expected to see their captain in a different sweater at the start of the 2016-17 season. However, on June 29, 2016, Steven Stamkos re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lighting, based on the same contract Steve Yzerman offered in February of that year: eight years, $8.5 million AAV.
Stamkos was cemented as the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning for at least eight more years, but his re-signing had a much larger impact on the team. His cap-friendly contract started a domino effect in the organization, which motivated the Lightning’s core to remain together.
Just days later, on July 1, Victor Hedman signed an eight-year, $7.875 AAV contract with the team, cementing his position as one of the Lightning’s top line defenseman.
Andrei Vasilevskiy also immediately followed suit later that day by signing a three-year, $3.5 million AAV contract with the Bolts.
Later in the month, Alex Killorn requested a salary arbitration hearing to discuss the terms of his next contract with the Lightning. However, just a few weeks after the request was entered, Killorn signed a seven-year $4.45 million AAV contract extension.
“In likely leaving money on the table in free agency to remain in Tampa Bay, Stamkos sent a message.” – Alex Killorn via Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times
Only one major piece of the Lightning’s core now needed to be re-signed, Nikita Kucherov. It wasn’t going to be easy because money was running out.
Nikita Kucherov was the Tampa Bay Lightning’s leading point scorer in their 2015-16 season and was up for a pay raise in the $6 million range, but this would be difficult for the team to match, given the major contract extensions already signed during the summer.
July turned to August and still nothing from either party. August gave way to September and finally Lightning fans could breathe a sigh of relief. Kucherov had signed a three-year, $4.766 million cap friendly bridge deal with the Lightning.
If Kucherov wanted a higher salary he would have left the Lightning in the following offseason. Instead, he stayed in Tampa and sent a message that he wanted to remain in the Bolts’ core, a precedent set by the team’s captain earlier in the offseason. The Lightning was set for another contending season, but, unfortunately, it never occurred, with the team missing the playoffs by a single point.
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After the disappointing outcome of the 2016-17 season, Yzerman’s focus was moved to re-signing the two remaining pieces of the Lightning’s core, which were now entering restricted free agency: Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. As July approached, Lightning fans heard the familiar news, both Johnson and Palat had officially filed for salary arbitration.
Within a few weeks, both had signed new contracts avoiding the arbitration hearings just as Killorn had done the season prior. Tyler Johnson signed a seven-year, $5 million AAV contract extension and Ondrej Palat’s contract came to a five-year, $5.3 million AAV extension.
The Lightning’s core was now together for the foreseeable future and had worked with Yzerman around the salary cap to remain together.
It’s hard to imagine what the Tampa Bay Lightning would look like today if Steven Stamkos didn’t re-sign. Stamkos became a role model for the Lightning’s core and set a precedent for them to follow, just like any true captain should.
He could have taken a huge contract with a team like Toronto, his childhood team, but he didn’t. He chose to remain with his team by taking less than he deserved and other players followed his example.
The Lightning is a team that wants to be together — to win together — and other players in the NHL are taking note. Free agents like Chris Kunitz and Dan Girardi know what this team is capable of and they want to be a part of it. They want to play here and this was all set in motion by our captain choosing loyalty over money.
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It’s possible another player would have stepped up and led by example in Stamkos’ stead but all that matters is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s core is here to stay.