The verdict is in for Steven Stamkos future as a lightning

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Travis Neil
January 16, 2024 (1:58 PM)

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After months of questions surrounding the future of current captain Steven Stamkos the verdict is in on the future on the veteran forward.

Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois talked to the media on Tuesday about the future of Steven Stamkos who is on a expiring deal.

The GM told media that regardless of how the season goes that he will not be trading Stamkos this year.

Lightning will not trade Stamkos, says GM

«Steven Stamkos is not getting traded so we can put that one to bed,» BriseBois told reporters. «That is not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.

The Lightning hope to have Stamkos signed to a new deal rather than let him walk to free agency.

«Like I said all along, after the season, we are going to sit down and we are going to evaluate where we are as a team and where Steven is and we will see how we can make all of the parts work together.»

With the Lightning being without their elite goalie to start the year it put their team in a rough spot as they now sit in the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bolts have been trying to catch the other elite teams ahead of them in the Atlantic division and playing catchup is never easy in the NHL.

Despite being without Andrei Vasilevskiy the Lightning are only 1 point back of the Maple Leafs who sit third in the Atlantic division. The Lightning's offence has been heavily carried by Kucherov who has 72 points in 43 games this year.

As Seen on The Fourth Period - LIGHTNING WILL NOT TRADE STAMKOS, SAYS GM