This past summer, the Tampa Bay Lightning had the opportunity to sign Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to a contract extension. However, Bolts GM Julien BriseBois opted not to, and after Stamkos aired his frustrations publicly, BriseBois responded by explaining that the Lightning have to do what's best for the franchise, ultimately. That, in BriseBois' mind, included waiting to see how the season goes, leaving Stamkos in a bit of a "lame duck" scenario, essentially playing for a contract extension.
There has been a lot of speculation this season regarding what will happen with Stamkos. Some wondered if perhaps Stamkos would consider submitting a trade request. Others pondered the likelihood of the Bolts asking Stamkos to waive his no-movement clause. There's also the possibility of Stamkos opting to play out the final year of his contract and leaving as a free agent on July 1st.
Well, as of today, you can take the trade option off the table. Bolts GM Julien BriseBois met with the media on Tuesday and confirmed that he isn't even considering trading his captain and will not change his mind on the subject prior to the trade deadline.
The Lightning are currently in the playoff picture, holding down the second Wild Card spot with half a season to go. I'm sure some had wondered what might happen if the Bolts slip out of the playoff picture, but BriseBois has already confirmed that, even in that scenario, he'd still hold onto Stamkos.
This is a strange stance to take for a 33-year-old forward with an extensive injury history, even if he is the team's captain. Granted, this could merely be a play from BriseBois to draw out a trade request from the Stamkos camp, but I feel as though that's highly unlikely. At any rate, if any teams were holding on to see what Tampa might do with Stamkos at the deadline, it appears as though they'll have to turn their attention elsewhere, as Stamkos appears to be off the market.
