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Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois has opened up about the contract extension talks with captain Steven Stamkos have stalled. Stamkos is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Steven Stamkos has been the face of the Lightning since he was drafted by the team first overall in the 2008 NHL draft. He was named the captain of the team in 2014 and helped lead the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
However, he is a pending free agent after completing an eight-year, $68 million deal. Leading into the season, BriseBois said he wanted to make Steven Stamkos a Bolt for life. But, on Friday, the GM spoke to the media and gave a bleak update on the future of Stamkos.
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"As we stand here right now, we haven't been able to reach an agreement yet. I don't know if we will be able to reach an agreement but we met with Steven's agent again yesterday and both sides are still interested in getting a deal done but we have not been able to agree to terms that are satisfactory for both sides. I think, at this time, it's probably best if I leave my comments to that for the time being," BriseBois said.
The hope for the Lightning is to get a deal done with Stamkos, but right now, it doesn't appear like it will happen before July 1. However, even if Stamkos does hit free agency on July 1, he still can sign a deal with the team.
Stamkos recorded 40 goals and 41 assists for 41 points in 79 games last season.
Steven Stamkos wants to be a Bolt for life
Before the 2023-24 NHL season began, Steven Stamkos voiced his frustration that no deal had been reached. Stamkos thought he would have had an extension that would keep him in Tampa Bay for his entire career.
“To be honest, I’m disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard,” Stamkos said Wednesday (via Sportsnet). “It was something that I expressed at the end of last year that I wanted to get something done before training camp started."
BriseBois has said all year that his goal is to keep Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay but needed to figure out the cap space to make it work. With free agency starting on July 1, time is running out to get a deal done.
