End of an era: Steven Stamkos leaves the Lightning and signs with the Predators

TAMPA — Steven Stamkos has been everywhere in Tampa Bay for 16 years. On the Amalie Arena sidelines, on the billboards and on the benches, he has been the face of the Lightning franchise since he was crowned the organization’s savior as an 18-year-old No. 1 overall draft pick.

He lifted the Stanley Cup twice, wore the C on his chest with pride and humility and was the figurehead of Lightning hockey’s most prolific decade. On the ice, he was an elite scorer; in the locker room, he was an accomplished leader. He visited hospitals, he delivered checks to the Ronald McDonald House, he gave a generation of Lightning fans a superstar they were proud to call their own.

But now Stamkos, the one player many thought would wear a bolt on his chest for his entire career, will play for the Predators, signing a four-year deal with Nashville worth an average annual value of $8 million.

Until recent days, fans were hoping that the Lightning and their longest-tenured player would make amends and come to an agreement to keep their beloved captain in Tampa Bay.

And Stamkos too.

“It’s probably as crazy as you can imagine in terms of an emotional roller coaster,” Stamkos said in an interview with TSN shortly after signing with Nashville on Monday. “Obviously Tampa has been an incredible story for me and my family. And at the end of the day, I tried to find a solution there and I failed.”

Stamkos said he probably believed the return window was open longer than the Lightning would say, but when he woke up Monday he knew he was going elsewhere.

It’s clear that Stamkos felt shortchanged by the process, starting with general manager Julien BriseBois not engaging him in extension talks last summer, as the organization had done with so many other stars before their final seasons. And when BriseBois said he wouldn’t offer Stamkos a contract until after the 2023-24 season.

“At the end of the day, there was no doubt that I was willing to put all of that aside to remain a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Stamkos said in an interview with SportsNet. “My family and I love playing for this city and the players that play for this city. It just seemed like not everyone felt that way.”

“And look, I’m a big, big boy. I can handle this. We continued to do our business. I thought I played extremely well this year, despite the contract distractions, and I just told them at the beginning that it wasn’t going to affect my game and that’s something I was proud of.

“Look, we wanted it to be over and to retire as a Tampa Bay Lightning player. It certainly didn’t work, but at the end of the day, looking in the mirror requires being honest with yourself, knowing your self-worth, knowing what loyalty and respect mean to yourself, and then moving on to something else. »

BriseBois had tried unsuccessfully in the past to keep local players like Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. In the case of Stamkos, BriseBois found the money to make it work, but didn’t budge on his initial offer and ultimately looked elsewhere to improve the team.

BriseBois entered contract talks as soon as the Lightning were eliminated by Florida in the first round, but he didn’t budge from his take-it-or-leave-it offer, which had an average annual value of $3 million. When extension talks stalled in June, the Lightning pivoted. At last weekend’s draft, BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent, Don Meehan, agreed it would be best for both sides to look for other dance partners.

And what a pivot it was.

The Lightning traded away top-paid defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Tanner Jeannot. With cap space accumulated, BriseBois targeted one of the top pending free agents, trading the rights to forward Jake Guentzel on Sunday and agreeing to a seven-year deal. They are also trying to extend defenseman Victor Hedman as he enters the final year of his contract.

The irony of Stamkos’ landing spot is that in May, the Lightning acquired defenseman Ryan McDonagh from Nashville, and McDonagh’s first call was to Stamkos, who was excited to reunite a lost piece of the team’s Cup-winning core. But in the end, the two were friends passing in the night. Nashville general manager Barry Trotz essentially used the cap space he was given to move McDonagh to lure Stamkos.

Despite a slow start, Stamkos showed his value last season, particularly when the Lightning were in danger of missing the playoffs mid-season. Stamkos elevated his game, as the team compiled the third-best record in the NHL during the second half of the season. He has scored 16 goals in the last 17 games, including seven on the power play. His 19 power play goals for the season rank third in the NHL.

Stamkos was the Lightning’s top skater in the playoffs, recording five goals and six points in the first-round series against Florida, including a two-goal, one-assist performance in a Game 4 victory at Amalie Arena that helped Tampa Bay avoid a sweep.

But BriseBois made it clear that his main offseason priority was making the Lightning a better defensive team — they ranked 22nd in the league in goals allowed — and Stamkos’ worst minus-21 ratio last season left room for improvement.

Stamkos is now leaving his legacy elsewhere. He is one of only three active players to total 500 goals and 1,000 points, joining Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

Stamkos owns virtually every Lightning individual career record, including goals (555), points (1,137), power play goals (214) and games played (1,082). His 582 assists are six times behind Marty St. Louis.

This story will be updated.

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