UPDATE (Feb 16, 2016):
Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times: With Lightning GM issuing a statement that he won’t be trading Steven Stamkos, it means they are nowhere close to a contract extension. No reason to make a statement if they were. Jones on Yzerman’s statement.
It feels like Stamkos will be playing somewhere else next year, and the chances seem to increase with each passing day.
Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun: It was the right move by Yzerman to end the trade rumors that would surround Steven Stamkos and the Lightning leading up to the trade deadline. Yzerman is taking the risk of losing him for nothing if they can’t reach an extension between now and July 1st.
An agent said during the All-Star weekend that Stamkos is likely looking for an contract bigger than Anze Kopitar’s eight-year, $80 million deal. That is something that wouldn’t be easy for the Lightning with Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov needing new deals this offseason, and Victor Hedman and Ben Bishop set to be UFAs after next season.
February 12, 2016:
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Word is the Lightning aren’t close to a contract extension with Steven Stamkos. Reports last month were that the Lightning offered Stamkos eight-years at a $8.5 million cap hit. Belief is that Stamkos wants close to eight-years and a $10.5 million cap hit.Rumors are that Stamkos will sign with the Maple Leafs if he goes to the open market.
Teams will be calling the Lightning before the trade deadline to see what the asking price for Stamkos would be. Since the Lightning are in the playoff race, they are going to want to keep their players.
Stamkos has a no-movement clause. If GM Steve Yzerman had a deal in place for Stamkos, would think that Stamkos might be willing to waive it as it shows him they aren’t interested in re-signing him.
“I don’t think they’re going to trade him. They’re playing so well right now. That would be a gutsy move,” said a league executive.
Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times: The Maple Leafs were going to take a run at Steven Stamkos if he got to July 1st even if they still had Dion Phaneuf. Does Stamkos even want to play in Toronto? There will be many teams interested, and many in a better position to win sooner than the Leafs.
Damien Cox: “Look, if Stamkos wants the $$$, the fame, the endorsements and to play in his hometown, he’ll come. If he doesn’t, he won’t. Pretty simple.”
Kevin Paul Dupont: “Thinking Stamkos would leave TBL for TOR is believing that he loved working for a startup and now wants to do it again. Bcz it’s a blast.”
Ken Campbell: “Phaneuf deal does not, repeat does not, open up cap space for run at Stamkos. In short term, Leafs actually took on more cap space.”
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie on TSN 1040 on if it’s a lock that Steven Stamkos will sign with the Maple Leafs now that they have more salary cap space to do it.
“No, not at all. And for a couple of reasons here.
“No. 1, whether they traded Dion Phaneuf or not, there’s no doubt in my mind if Stamkos goes to July 1, the Leafs were going to take a really good run at Steven Stamkos. That’s with or without Phaneuf. So yeah, if he’s a free agent on July 1, I fully expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to go in there and give it their best pitch and see if it works. But they didn’t have to trade Phaneuf to do that. It certainly makes it easier to digest, and they would have had to do other things. If they were able to sign Stamkos on July 1, then would have to look at other moves to make room for him.
“But the second part of that is does Steven Stamkos want to play in Toronto? I don’t know that he does. I know that Leafs fans assume that he does. But I think there’s often times a disconnect on that.
Frank Seravalli of TSN: The Dion Phaneuf trade to Ottawa increases the Maple Leafs salary flexibility going forward.
“This is a transaction that wasn’t for today,” Lamoriello said. “This gives us the opportunity to do things.”
Should Steven Stamkos hit the open market, it will be easier for the Maple Leafs to potentially fit him in. Stamkos hasn’t given any indication that he wants to play for the Maple Leafs.