Getting a definitive read on the Steven Stamkos saga is nigh-impossible, but nothing can quell the hopes and dreams of Leaf Nation.
Former 2008 first overall draft selection Stamkos is approaching unrestricted free agency, and Toronto fans could neither be more thrilled nor anxious about the possibility – however remote – of this Markham, Ontario superstar putting pen to paper with the Maple Leafs.
Wishful thinking only, or is there maybe a little more to this scenario? Let’s look for clues…
Steven Stamkos: Deal or No Deal?
First off, it is no secret that “Stammer” is a natural centre, and not just any natural centre, he’s a bona-fide top-line franchise centre, all day, all season long. That is an inarguable fact, a given. So why then is Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach John Cooper insistent on slotting Stamkos on the right wing? Whatever his reasons, it’s a brazen move, considering the player’s rather vocal opinions about wanting to play in the one-hole. If he’s not going to be the team’s top centre, chances are pretty decent that he’s going to be more inclined to look around the league for a new opportunity to put his skills to better use.
While Cooper isn’t expected to cow-tow to anyone, to a man, he appears to be doing a bang-up job of disenfranchising his franchise player with his eyebrow-raising decision-making. When the player holds all the cards, namely, an expiring contract and a no-movement clause, playing hardball isn’t going to inspire a ton of enthusiasm from Newport Sports Management (his official representative) or Stamkos himself, who is having a less-than inspired final year under contract to Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman recently threw his unwavering support behind his head coach, inking Cooper to a long-term deal which instantly sent sports social media into an innuendo-laden whirlwind of speculation. Was this a shot across the bow directed at the Stamkos camp?
Cooper is an articulate, ultra-confident individual, and his primary goal is to make his team into Stanley Cup champions. Brow beating or humiliating Stamkos isn’t the motivation behind his decisions, and if it was, his superiors would have dealt with the issue long ago. He clearly has the confidence of Yzerman and the board.
What are the odds of Yzerman taking the opportunity to send a message to Stamkos? Start with zero, and work into integers. The Bolts GM is a classy, straight-forward hockey executive and he doesn’t need to play games. Cooper was extended in order to eliminate the distraction of having a lame-duck coach as the Bolts look to build on last season’s success. It’s as important to the organization to have your coach’s future secure as it is your star player’s, especially as you prepare for what you hope to be a successful post-season.
So what’s the logic behind the timing of the extension to Cooper when Stamkos’ professional future remains uncertain? Well, it’s far less diabolical than it may appear on the surface. Truthfully, if Yzerman could get Stamkos locked up long-term to a deal that makes sense today, he would, but it’s not that simple.
With respect to the player, some feel that even at the young age of 25, his best seasons are possibly behind him, due in large part to the devastating injury he suffered in November of 2013 versus the Bruins. While battling Dougie Hamilton for position in the defensive zone, he collided with the net at high speed, breaking his right tibia, an injury that required emergency surgery in Boston the following morning. Is Stamkos still the dominant, superstar player he once was?
Number 91 managed to return in March of 2014 and finished the campaign with 40 points (25 goals, 15 assists) in 37 games. He played twenty of those 37 games post-rehab, netting eleven goals and adding six assists. “Stammer” followed up last season with 72 points (43 goals, 29 assists) in 82 games and added another 18 in the playoffs. That’s 132 points in the last 147 regular season contests. While less than a point a game, those numbers are hardly an indication that he’s fading, and with his intensive, scientific approach to personal training in the off season under the watchful eye of ex-NHL’er and fitness consultant Gary Roberts, he isn’t likely to wear down any time soon.
The Roberts approach to training focuses not only on strength and flexibility, but also on goal-specific training, core work, nutrition, and recovery to ensure athletes’ bodies are performing at, and maintaining, peak levels. A well-conditioned athlete with optimum nutritional habits and an effective recovery program is more likely to rehabilitate from injury both quicker and more completely, with less likelihood of complications later. Stamkos’ game-readiness shouldn’t be a concern.
A couple other items of interest in this increasingly intriguing story include reports that Stamkos’ parents are buying property in Tampa, as well as his now infamous unintentional “like” of a tweet mentioning the possibility of Stamkos becoming a Leaf. That’s the second time he has done so, accidentally, as he claims, or otherwise.
There are events that suggest arguments both for and against an extension as well as a departure, specifically with a view to signing with his favourite club since childhood. It’s all down to how you want to interpret the signals. For me, it’s impossible to prognosticate, but here is what I feel makes the most sense for all.
1 – Yzerman needs a drop-dead date that both parties are prepared to respect, by which the player is either re-signed, or negotiations for a trade would be forthcoming.
2 – If Stamkos isn’t inclined to re-sign at a number that makes sense for the club ($9.5 million is a likely maximum), Yzerman must request a list of teams he will accept a trade with an extension to.
3 – Yzerman must request a secondary list of teams he would accept a trade without an extension to, as a contingency plan, should options 1 and 2 prove unfruitful. Hey, something is better than nothing, and it’s still possible for the Bolts to come out of this situation with a good pick or prospect in exchange for Stamkos’ rights during a playoff push. Not ideal, but better than a kick in the pants.
For me, that drop-dead date should be no later than the end of January. If a trade is forthcoming, Yzerman will need time to recalibrate and reconfigure the roster in order to preserve the playoff run they’re anticipating.
Truly, Stamkos holds all the aces here, and it behooves Yzerman and Co. to ensure the player feels respected throughout the process. While Toronto would likely be prepared to trump that$9.5 million ceiling, Stamkos may actually prefer to veto any in-season transaction and ride it out until the off-season and take his time deciding what his long range plans are. Signing with Toronto is anything but a given, even if he walks away from Tampa, but there will be enough meat on the bone for us all to chew on this story for months to come.
Main Photo:
