Lightning create wiggle room under salary cap, but not for Steven Stamkos

The Tampa Bay Lightning cleared a lot of salary cap space on Saturday, but apparently not to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos.

General manager Julien BriseBois said the team and Stamkos decided to let the Lightning star hit the unrestricted free agent market on Monday. This follows two trades made Saturday during the NHL draft that opened up significant salary space, as the Lightning sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev ($8.5 million average annual value) to Utah and forward Tanner Jeannot (average annual value of $2.665 million) to the Los Angeles Kings.

According to Cap Friendly, the Lightning now have $16.5 million in available cap space. There was much speculation that the increased cap space would have been used for a new contract for Stamkos, but that was not the case.

BriseBois said he spoke with Stamkos’ agent, Don Meehan, on Saturday after the trade was completed, but did not increase the team’s offer to its star forward. Multiple reports claim the Lightning made a long-term offer to Stamkos, but with an average annual value of just $3 million.

“The plan is for Steven to test the free agent market. Our respective positions have not changed as a result of today’s transactions. I understand that when you get so close to the free agent market, it can be tempting to see what the market has to offer you. It was a risk I took when I didn’t consult Steven a year earlier to try to lock him up and make a contract,” BriseBois said.

The general manager also told Meehan that “it is in the best interest of our organization to explore all options in the coming days, whether through trades or becoming a free agency.”

There was heavy speculation at the draft in Las Vegas on Saturday that the Lightning could target Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel in free agency, who is five years younger than Stamkos. The Hurricanes have tried to retain Guentzel but have yet to sign him to a new contract.

“We have that cap space. We can allocate it in different ways by either getting volume or quality. I don’t know yet how we’re going to do that. I know the priority will be to address our forward group,” BriseBois said.

Stamkos, 34, had been a key part of that forward group since the Lightning selected him first overall in the 2008 draft.

He spent 16 seasons with the Lightning. He is the club’s all-time leader with 555 goals, 1,137 points and 1,082 games. He won two Stanley Cups (2020, 2021) with the franchise and had 50 goals and 51 assists in 128 playoff games.

Last season, Stamkos had 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games. It was the seventh time he had scored 40 or more goals. A seven-time All-Star, Stamkos also recorded his first career four-goal game last December.

Stamkos nearly became a free agent in 2016 before signing an eight-year, $68 million contract just before free agency began. But this time, he’s headed to the open market.

“We have to see what’s best for the Lightning organization and Steven has to do what’s best for him, his career and his family,” BriseBois said. “So unless something changes between now and July 1 – and it doesn’t look like it will – we’ll get to July 1.” »

The Lightning also hope to extend the contract of defenseman Victor Hedman, who has one season left on an eight-year, $63 million deal. Hedman, 33, has 13 goals and 76 points in 78 games this season, his 15th with the club.

“We have had discussions with Victor’s agents regarding an extension,” BriseBois said. “In his case, we have more time before we have to reach an agreement, as he still has one year left on his current deal. That being said, the plan remains to be able to announce an agreement on a new contract for Victor in the coming days.”

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.