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Tampa Bay Lightning's captain Steven Stamkos has reportedly rejected an eight-year contract extension with the team. Stamkos will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, given his current contract with the Bolts has run out.
NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun reported that the Lightning captain is indeed set to become a free agent. He wrote that the player will be entering the market on Monday if there are no advancing on contract negotiations.
“From Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan, who tells me regarding his client: “He will be a free agent on July 1.” So would appear Stamkos is going to market Monday unless something changes in Tampa’s position,” LeBrun wrote on X.
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The offered extension was reportedly worth $3 million per year, i.e., a $24 million/eight-year contract from Tampa. This did not sit well with fans who took to the internet to make their opinions known.
Many voiced their dissatisfaction with the offer and believed that the team should have sent a better proposal to their captain. Some even found the extension offer value ‘insulting’ for the player.
Following are some fan reactions from X/Twitter:
“Yeah that’s an insult. Maybe like $4.5 or $5M.”
“This has to be backwards.. right? 8mil for 3 years would make more sense (a bit high) but still.. no way they offered 3mil for 8 years for Stamkos. Insulting to him,” wrote another fan.
“What a disrespectful offer to a guy that won 2 cups there and was a part of 4 cup runs,” commented another user.
Some fans believed it was time Steven Stamkos moved to a different team. Some suggested he should go to the Toronto Maple Leafs, while some wanted him to join the Florida Panthers.
“Toronto bound.”
“Come home to T.O.,” wrote another user.
“Stamkos, YOU are a FLA Panther 🐆”, commented one fan.
Bolts GM Julien BriseBois opens up on Steven Stamkos’ future in Tampa
Earlier on Friday morning, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois spoke to the media over a Zoom call. When asked about the future of the team’s captain, BriseBois shared that no agreement has been reached between the player and the club.
However, he mentioned that there is intent to reach an agreement on ‘both sides’. Julien BriseBois said:
"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." [H/T Gabby Shirley]
Stamkos was previously on an eight-year, $68,000,000 contract signed with the Lightning back in June 2016. It now remains to be seen if the lifelong Bolt will remain in Tampa or find home elsewhere in the league.
