Steven Stamkos May Be Done In Tampa Bay After Recent Decision

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Tyler Ball
August 22, 2023 (11:56)

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Steven Stamkos has been a marquee name in the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup since being drafted first overall in 2008. It is difficult to imagine Stamkos in another uniform but after a recent contract that Tampa Bay gave out that may become a reality.

Hagel Re-Signs In Tampa Bay

Brandon Hagel arrived in Tampa Bay at the 2021-22 trade deadline. Then he came back in 2022-23 and put up 64 points in 81 games while playing a middle-six role for the team. This earned him a new contract with Tampa Bay.

Brandon Hagel recently signed an extension that goes into effect for the 2024-25 season. He will have a cap hit of $6,500,000 a significant increase from his current contract of $1,500,000. This has left the Lightning in a tough spot with the cap for the 2024-25 season.

Can The Lightning Work Their Cap Magic Again?

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been notorious for finding ways out of difficult cap situations. After this upcoming season, they will have yet another situation to get out of.

According to CapFriendly after the Hagel signing the Lightning will only have around 13 million dollars to fill out their lineup. As of now, they would only have 10 forwards, 4 defensemen, and two goalies.

Their biggest free agent is going to be Steven Stamkos. Stamkos' current contract pays him an AAV of $8,500,000 a season. This would leave roughly $4,500,000 to fill out the roster if Stamkos takes the same amount on his contract. The contract that the Lightning have Stamkos on is a bargain though meaning they will likely have to give him a significant raise if they want to keep him.

Stamkos On The Move

If the Lightning cannot find a way to create the space by the time next offseason comes around Stamkos could very likely be on the move. As of now, the Lightning don't really have any contracts they can move on from either without significantly influencing their core.

This could lead Stamkos back home to Toronto. Of course, the last time Stamkos was set to become a free agent many wondered if Toronto would be a good fit. This was before they had added John Tavares to the mix. To the displeasure of Leafs fans, Stamkos signed an extension 2 days before free agency was set to open

This time Stamkos and the Leafs could set things right. The Leafs have William Nylander's contract coming up soon and could use that freed space to take a run at another hometown hero in Stamkos.