Sports Interaction has recently reported that it is very likely that Steven Stamkos will choose to remain with the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is a hot topic of discussion right now in light of the free agency period that will begin on July 1, 2016. The 26-year old star has been intensely recruited by other teams in the league. With a record of 312 goals and 562 points in regular season games, Stamkos has been an incredible asset to Tampa so far. He has also been named to four NHL All-Star Games since 2011 and was the NHL’s leading goal-scorer in 2010 and 2012.
One thing that has made Tampa a bit nervous about keeping Stamkos is the salary cap, which prevents the team from making a more enticing offer to Stamkos. Right now, he has a $8.5 million per season deal, which started in January of this year and is set to last for eight years. There is some margin for another team to make a more competitive offer than Tampa is able to, which Tampa’s General Manager Steve Yzerman is now watching closely.
Odds makers predict that Detroit, Toronto and Buffalo all have decent odds at picking up Stamkos, although the consensus is that Stamkos will likely stick with Tampa at this point. The other teams that are considered top contenders right now are Boston, Montreal and Vancouver. The other free agents that are generating serious speculations about competitive offers are David Backes, Kyle Okposo and Milan Lucic.