The Lightning are hopeful to return to the Stanley Cup this season and to do that, they'll need Stamkos, so there's no chance in the world that they trade him before the trade deadline. So what happens if negotiations do stall or break down between now and that trade deadline? He could potentially be on the move.
Stamkos is among the NHL's top goal scorers and if available, he will attract a large amount of interest from other NHL clubs. That being said, only a couple of them will be able to handle a contract that he'll want to have. So what are the teams that are interested in him?
How about the Carolina Hurricanes? The Hurricanes are looking for some big changes. They might release both Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward, so they'll want to get somebody to replace the effort and goal-scoring ability that Eric Staal has, so Stamkos is a potential landing place. Thing is, they're already looking to incorporate Justin Faulk into their blue line and if they want Steven Stamkos, they'll most likely have to give up a draft pick to the Lightning, which I'm not sure they want to do.
The San Jose Sharks are in a midst of a playoff spot right now. However, both Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are near the end of their careers. The Sharks will want to replace one or both and Marleau might accept a trade to go to the Lightning. Stamkos will most likely be going to a Western Conference team and San Jose seems like an ideal destination. The Lightning won't be interested, though. They want more, like the young rookie Tomas Hertl, who's already becoming a star with the Sharks. The Sharks will also have to include some draft picks. Not sure they want to give those up.
The Arizona Coyotes are rebuilding. Having young talent like Oliver Edman-Larsson and Max Domi certainly helps, but they want more and especially a leader to lead those guys. Stamkos might be the guy they're looking for. They will have to give up a young player if the Coyotes choose to get him.
The New York Rangers may be second in the Metropolitan, but its a long way to reach the Capitals at the top. Right now, the Rangers don't have the superstar scoring that they would like to have. The Rangers do have history of going after big talent, and it's possible that they could look to rekindle their trade history with the Lightning and go for another Lightning player. Problem is, unless they let go many of their players they already have, Stamkos is looking at a short term in New York. However, if they want to win the championship, now might be a good time to get him.
Why not head to the music city? The Nashville Predators, despite getting a good scorer in Ryan Johansen, still need more scoring. Mike Fisher, Colin Wilson, and Craig Smith have not been doing great this season with their scoring, so a superstar scorer would make sense for this team. The Predators do tend to play the market on a budget, so Stamkos would be a rental and by re-signing him could take a bunch of money, so I would say the Predators should look elsewhere.
The Buffalo Sabres sit in the bottom of the Atlantic Division. No hope of getting to the playoffs this season. So why would they go after Stamkos? Because of GM Tim Murray. He isn't afraid to make the big and bold moves. The Sabres will have a lot of space next season to sign Stamkos. Plus, if the Maple Leafs choose to pass on Stamkos, Buffalo is the next closest space. Sabres won't part with Jack Eichel or Sam Reinhart, though, so the Lightning probably won't be interested in anything the Sabres have beyond that point. My guess: Sabres should look elsewhere to help rebuild the team.
The St. Louis Blues are an interesting team to have a take on. Despite being successful in the regular season, the Blues have disappointed in the playoffs. Offense this year is a bit of a problem. Stamkos would definitely help bring a dynamite combination between Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz to help build the offense back in time of the playoffs. Heck, maybe it'll help them win a playoff series. If the Blues decide to part ways with Kevin Shattenkirk or Robby Fabbri, then I would say: Why not?
And last, but not least, you have his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. They're going to be in the running for him, for sure. They're rebuilding and they have plenty of salary-cap space to sign him to a long-term deal. Stamkos's favorite team growing up was the Leafs, and the Toronto media is buzzing all over the prospect of Stamkos coming home to play. Although it seems like a wish come true for Stamkos, the Lightning will not want to deal to a division rival. If so, they might inquire about Morgan Rielly or other prospects like Mitch Marner or William Nylander. If so, could be a very good thing for Stamkos and a very happy city in Toronto.
Of course you never know what might happen. Some teams might go onto the trade market and start demanding to see if they can get Stamkos. So what would be the ideal move for Stamkos to do? Right now, it's just to play hockey for the Lightning and focus on re-signing there. But if that falls through, I would say a team that he is able to come in and make an impact right away. I don't think the Sabres, Predators, and Rangers can afford to take long-term chances on him, so he might not sign at those places. San Jose would be a good fit because they know how to win crucial games and Stamkos might want to join that mix. And then my next guess would be the Blues. The Blues do need some help in offense to help them get to the playoffs and win a playoff series. So maybe Stamkos works there too.
There's just so many options right now that Stamkos could do? San Jose? St. Louis? Toronto? We just don't know. All we know is right now, Stamkos and the Lightning are hoping to stay together. So until something happens, we'll just assume that Stamkos will remain a member of the Lightning and until then, we could only figure out the paths that may happen.
Enjoy your Hockey Saturday, puck heads!
No comments:
Post a Comment