The Tampa Bay Lightning have reportedly offered Steven Stamkos a multi-year extension, which would be worth around $68 million.
Elliott Friedman of Sportsnet made the report during Hockey Night in Canada. As per Friedman, the Lightning made Stamkos an offer- an eight-year extension for $68 million. His annual cap hit would be around $8.5 million dollars.
Rumor: Tampa Bay Lightning Offer Steven Stamkos Extension
There has been speculation there has been tension between Lightning management and Stamkos, and that he would likely either be traded at the deadline or test the waters of free agency. The regular 40-goal scorer lead the Lightning all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, where they would eventually fall to the reigning Chicago Blackhawks.
Despite the extension, I personally find the offer to be a bit low. He’d only be making around $1 million more per year than he does now, and he always manages to put at least 40 pucks in the net by the end of the season. He is an elite NHL goal scorer, and deserves the same money that others, such as Alex Ovechkin, are making.
Despite the rumor mill, Stamkos claims that he wants to resign with the Lightning and will look at negotiating an extension. He claims to not be asking for a trade, and we will see how the rest of this plays out. The Lightining organization will soon lose Jonathan Drouin, who has demanded a trade from the team due to multiple rifts with the front office and a lack of opportunity. If Stamkos is experiencing the same thing, I expect him to take his chances signing elsewhere.
Main Photo:
Main Photo Credit: TAMPA, FL – MARCH 6: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning is introduced as the new team captain prior to the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on March 6, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
