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Steven Stamkos

East Notes: Stamkos, Lindgren, Shea

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Lightning center Steven Stamkos was a late scratch before their game tonight against Ottawa.  The team announced (Twitter link) that the captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  Stamkos is off to a nice start to his 16th NHL season, notching two goals and two assists in his first two appearances.  However, he was banged up in last night’s game against Detroit.  Stamkos is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has already expressed some frustration with the fact an extension isn’t yet in place.  One won’t be coming anytime soon though with GM Julien BriseBois telling Stamkos that discussions about a new deal won’t come until after the season comes to an end.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren was a surprising scratch for last night’s game against Columbus. Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays that Lindgren sat with what the team called an upper-body injury.  The defenseman took a shot off the hand in New York’s season opener back on Thursday but was a full participant in practice Friday and in the morning skate Saturday.  The fact he was fine to participate in those two suggests that the Rangers are primarily being precautionary with Lindgren and that he shouldn’t be out for too long.
  • Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea acknowledged to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Pittsburgh was the runner-up when NHL teams were pursuing him out of college back in 2020. The 26-year-old ultimately signed with Dallas at the time but never suited up for the Stars despite being recalled for a handful of days here and there.  Shea somewhat surprisingly cracked Pittsburgh’s opening roster after signing with them this past summer with a good showing in training camp and could get a chance to make his NHL debut in the coming days.

Update On Steven Stamkos Contract Negotiations

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Back in mid-September, Sportsnet aired a brief interview segment with the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steven Stamkos, expressing his disappointment in the lack of extension conversations the Lightning have been willing to have over the course of the summer. A few days later, Elliotte Friedman, also of Sportsnet, reported that the going notion at the moment is that Tampa Bay ’wouldn’t be crushed’ to see Stamkos leave next summer.

In a minor update to the drama surrounding a potential contract extension for the Lightning’s captain, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the General Manager of Tampa Bay, Julien Brisebois, had already indicated to Stamkos that they would be waiting until the end of next season to address the future between the two parties, but would ultimately like to see Stamkos retire as a member of the Lightning.

Although it is generally unsurprising for most teams to want to wait until after the season to negotiate a new contract, this instance is more peculiar for the Lightning specifically. Throughout the last two offseasons, Tampa Bay has quickly given out sizeable extensions to all of Nick Paul, Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, and Brandon Hagel. All of these players have been important pieces to the juggernaut the Lightning have become over the last several years, but they certainly do not have the pedigree of Stamkos in that organization.

At 33 years of age, and with over 1000 games played in a Lightning uniform, Stamkos is potentially staring down his last contract as a professional hockey player. Over the course of his career, having spent the last decade as the captain of the organization, Stamkos has been a part of four Tampa Bay teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final, winning two of them.

Snapshots: Stamkos, Backlund, International Games

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Tampa Bay Lightning “wouldn’t be crushed” if Steven Stamkos didn’t sign an extension with the team. This comes in the wake of a surprising lack of discussion around Stamkos’ next contract, with the veteran center saying he was disappointed the team didn’t reach out this summer.

While the front office might not mind a Stamkos departure, Lightning fans may have a different stance. Stamkos has played all of his 1003 career NHL games with Tampa, netting 515 goals and 1056 points along the way. His performances have led him to two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies and a spot on the Hart Trophy ballot seven times, including being the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin’s Hart win in 2012. Stamkos even won the Mark Messier Leadership Award just last year. All of these accolades sit beside two Stanley Cup wins in Stamkos’ theoretical hardware cabinet, making it clear why his departure would be harder to stomach than these reports describe. Still capable of scoring over 30 goals and 80 points, Stamkos will be a luxury addition to any team in the league, if his time with the Lightning really is counting down.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Elliotte Friedman also spoke to Mikael Backlund’s contract situation on the 32 Thoughts podcast, sharing that talks may be tied to the idea that Backlund is Calgary’s natural leader. Friedman said, “I think the players believe that Backlund is the true captain of the team, and I’m sure the organization is not blind to it.” This could be the spark that ignites talks between Backlund and the Flames, two sides that haven’t come together yet.
  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski spoke to the NHL’s hope (article behind paywall) to build on the momentum brought on by the Australian pre-season games. More specifically, the league is considering holding an outdoor game in Mexico City. There have been, or are scheduled to be, 42 regular-season NHL games played outside of North America. Playing a game in Mexico would bring the total number of countries the NHL has played in up to 10 (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Great Britain, Mexico*).

Lightning Haven’t Spoken To Stamkos About Contract Extension

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had a frank interview with reporters that appeared on Sportsnet today. In the interview, Stamkos tells reporters that he and the team have yet to start discussions on an extension to his expiring contract. The interview created a buzz and even led Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois to respond with an interview of his own.

The 33-year-old Stamkos is set to begin his 16th season with the club and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons after he was slowed by injuries for a few years. Stamkos posted 34 goals and 50 assists last season in 81 games and was even better the year before posting 42 goals and 64 assists in 81 games.

It’s no surprise that Stamkos is looking for long-term security after taking a big discount on his last contract to remain in Tampa Bay. Back in June 2016 Stamkos signed an eight-year $68MM extension to remain in Tampa Bay and opted to forego unrestricted free agency. The contract turned out to be a win-win as Stamkos was able to raise the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning and the team was able to keep their captain at a bargain.

Also of little surprise are Stamkos’ feelings about the situation, Tampa Bay typically engages the players they want to extend well before the completion of their existing deals. This has been modus operandi in the past, and it begs the question as to whether or not they want to extend Stamkos at all.

From Tampa’s perspective, BriseBois was frank with Tampa Bay beat reporter Chris Krenn saying that he wanted to see the season play out before making a decision on Stamkos’ future. He also added that after the season he would work with Stamkos and his agent to hammer out a deal that works for all parties involved.

It should be an interesting season in Tampa Bay as the Lightning are coming off a season in which they took a big step back and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Lightning looked tired at times after three straight runs to the Stanley Cup final, but should be rested this season after a long summer.

Previewing The Top 2024 Unrestricted Free Agents

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This year’s free agent class was underwhelming. There’s no disrespect intended here to players like Alex Killorn, Dmitry Orlov and Vladimir Tarasenko. However, we’ve grown accustomed to at least one true star being available on the market every year – at least a top-ten player at their position. But a flurry of extensions took some potential game-breakers, such as Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak off the market, limiting the amount of star power available.

With the salary cap finally expected to jump significantly by about $4MM next offseason, some NHL general managers will undoubtedly look to spend that extra cash on a shiny new toy on the UFA market. As 2023 is mainly in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at some of the best players slated to hit the open market next summer, whether or not they may extend, and offer some way-too-early contract projections in the process:

F Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) – The unquestionable crown jewel of the 2024 free agent class might also be one of the least likely to hit the market. Matthews is more than just a superstar – he’s a season removed from back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies, he’s led the league in even-strength goals in four out of his seven NHL seasons, and he’s coming off a “down season” in which he still managed 40 goals despite a career-low 12.2 shooting percentage. Toronto is still plugging away at an extension with Matthews, a process that was surely elongated by a change at the GM position earlier this offseason. While multiple reports suggested it likely won’t be a long-term deal to keep Matthews in Toronto, seeing his name available for anyone to pursue next July would be shocking.

Extension Likelihood: Very Likely
Projected Contract: Five years, $62MM ($12.4MM AAV)

F William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Another star in Canada’s largest city is also headed for the open market next season. Nylander is coming off a strong season with a career-high 40 goals and 87 points, but multiple reports indicate contract talks are currently at an impasse between the two sides. The Swedish winger reportedly wants an eight-figure cap hit on his next deal, one he’s increasingly unlikely to receive after sub-$10MM extensions for players like the Carolina Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho. He will be in his prime at 28 years old next summer, though, and he currently holds the undisputed title of the best pure winger slated to hit the market. Given the slated cap increase, Nylander may be able to garner the money he desires elsewhere if Toronto isn’t willing to fork over another eight-figure deal.

Extension Likelihood: Somewhat Unlikely
Projected Contract: Seven years, $70MM ($10MM AAV)

F Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Including Stamkos on this list seems like more of a formality than anything else. The captain of back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams in Tampa and likely to go down as the greatest player in franchise history when he retires, it’s nearly impossible to imagine him wearing another jersey. Barring an unforeseen breakdown in communication, Stamkos will be re-upping with the Bolts on what could potentially be the final contract of his NHL career as he enters his mid-30s. After yet another point-per-game season, Stamkos will undoubtedly be sticking around in Tampa as long as they’ll have him, likely at a slight discount to help them replenish their depth reserves.

Extension Likelihood: Very Likely
Projected Contract: Four years, $31.5MM ($7.875MM AAV)

F Jake Guentzel (Pittsburgh Penguins) – The Penguins have exhibited a strong tendency toward keeping the band together in recent seasons, but it’s a trend that may change under the front-office leadership of Kyle Dubas. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins won’t field a competitive offer to keep Guentzel in the fold. He’s been one of the most successful and consistent linemates to Sidney Crosby in the entire illustrious career of the future Hall-of-Famer, he’s a two-time 40-goal scorer, and he’s an incredibly clutch playoff performer. While contract extension talks haven’t begun between the two parties yet, reporting indicates the Penguins’ core shares the public’s view of Guentzel and would like to keep him around.

Extension Likelihood: Likely
Projected Contract: Eight years, $75MM ($9.375MM AAV)

F Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets) – The first of two Jets on this list hasn’t been in trade rumors quite as much as his netminding counterpart, but there’s still a very good chance Scheifele is sporting a different jersey by the 2024 trade deadline. Speculation has immediately run rampant about Scheifele as a stop-gap fix down the middle for the Boston Bruins, who are without their number-one center after captain Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement last week. There are plenty of question marks about how highly Scheifele is actually valued around the league, given his significant defensive lapses, but he’s consistently produced the offense you’d want out of a number-one center. Despite scoring a career-high 42 goals last season, 2022-23 was actually Scheifele’s first campaign falling short of a point per game since 2015-16, when he was just 22 years old.

Extension Likelihood: Unlikely
Projected Contract: Seven years, $66MM ($9.4MM AAV)

D Devon Toews (Colorado Avalanche) – Toews may be the most unheralded defenseman in the league thanks to his partner, Cale Makar. On almost any other team, Toews would be a legitimate number-one defender with very few holes in his game. Little has been made of his impending free agency, but he’ll be due a major raise on his current bargain-bin $4.1MM cap hit. Combined with the potential loss of captain Gabriel Landeskog’s LTIR relief should he return to play in 2024-25, it could be incredibly difficult for Colorado to retain him even with the cap going up. Not only does Toews consistently rank among having some of the best defensive impacts in the league, but he’s also coming off back-to-back 50-point campaigns and has finished top-15 in Norris voting during each of his three seasons in Colorado.

Extension Likelihood: 50/50
Projected Contract: Seven years, $61MM ($8.7MM AAV)

D Brandon Montour (Florida Panthers) – A pair of prominent Panthers defenders are up for UFA status next season in Montour and Gustav Forsling, but Montour’s the one we’ll cover more in-depth here after he led the Panthers’ defense in playoff scoring with eight goals and 13 points in 21 games despite playing through a shoulder injury which will cost him the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign. His stock has never been higher after exploding for 73 points in 80 regular season games, along with a career-high 107 penalty minutes. While he’s still a rather one-dimensional player and likely to be somewhat of a liability defensively, he’s finally shown legitimate top-pair ability at 29 years old. Committing any term to Montour as a UFA may be a case of buyer beware, however, as his track record is far from consistent.

Extension Likelihood: Somewhat Unlikely
Projected Contract: Four years, $26MM ($6.5MM AAV)

G Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) – It seemed very unlikely a few months ago that Hellebuyck would be on this list today. While there’s no chance he’ll be signing an extension with the Jets, a trade followed by an extension with a new team seemed rather likely this offseason. However, some outlandish financial demands from Hellebuyck’s camp dried up trade interest, and there hasn’t been a lot of movement on that front lately. While small, the possibility that Hellebuyck lands on the open market next season seems to be increasing without a trade or extension any closer to fruition.

Extension Likelihood: Very Unlikely
Projected Contract: Seven years, $61.25MM ($8.75MM AAV)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2023 NHL Awards Winners

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2023 The NHL Awards were given out tonight in Nashville. The ceremony kicks off what should be a busy week as teams continue to prepare for the NHL Entry Draft and free agency, which begins on July 1st.

Here is the full list of winners, with the top two runners-up in each category:

Calder Trophy – Top Rookie

Winner: Matthew Beniers (Kraken)

Runners-Up: Owen Power (Sabres), Stuart Skinner (Oilers)

Voting Results

Norris Trophy – Top Defenseman

Winner: Erik Karlsson (Sharks)

Runners-Up: Adam Fox (Rangers), Cale Makar (Avalanche)

Voting Results

Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player (as voted by the players)

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: Erik Karlsson (Sharks), David Pastrnak (Bruins)

Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player

Winner: Anze Kopitar (Kings)

Runners-Up: Jack Hughes (Devils), Brayden Point (Lightning)

Voting Results

Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: David Pastrnak (Bruins), Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)

Voting Results

Vezina Trophy – Goaltender Of The Year

Winner: Linus Ullmark (Bruins)

Runner-Ups: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Ilya Sorokin (Islanders)

Voting Results

Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward

Winner: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Mitchell Marner (Maple Leafs), Nico Hischier (Devils)

Voting Results

Jack Adams Award – Coach Of The Year

Winner: Jim Montgomery (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Dave Hakstol (Kraken), Lindy Ruff (Devils)

Voting Results

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy – Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication

Winner: Kris Letang (Penguins)

Runners-Up: Clayton Keller (Coyotes), Alex Stalock (Blackhawks)

King Clancy Memorial Trophy – Humanitarian

Winner: Mikael Backlund (Flames)

Runners-Up: Anders Lee (Islanders), Darnell Nurse (Oilers)

Mark Messier Leadership Award

Winner: Steven Stamkos (Lightning)

E.J. McGuire Award – Prospect Commitment to Excellence

Winner: Connor Bedard (Regina Pats, WHL)

 

Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.

Injury Notes: Ovechkin, Stamkos, Morrissey

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Shortly after the announcement that Alex Ovechkin would be a game-time decision for the Washington Capitals tonight, the team confirmed that their captain will be sitting out with a lower-body injury. This will only be the 53rd game that Ovechkin has missed due to injury in his entire career.

The Capitals chose to be sellers at the deadline, but they still sit only a few points back of the Eastern Conference wild-card race. As they looked to pick up a crucial two points against their Metropolitan rival tonight, it will now be even more difficult without their top scorer in the lineup. Replacing Ovechkin in the lineup will be recent callup, Joe Snively. Although Snively has yet to score at a consistent level in the NHL, he has been a very productive forward for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears.

Other notes:

  • Similar to Washington, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that their captain will also be sitting out tonight with a lower-body injury. During a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 11th, Steven Stamkos awkwardly collided with Blackhawks forward Joey Anderson, sending him to the dressing room for the remainder of the game. Although he did play Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, he will not play in tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils, likely to make sure his left leg has fully recovered.
  • After sitting out on Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet reports that Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey will not play in tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes as well. In his absence, the Jets will give depth defenseman Kyle Capobianco the nod as he will replace Morrissey in the lineup.

East Notes: Sabres Injuries, Stamkos, Steeves

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The Buffalo Sabres issued updates on several key injuries this morning. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is still day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not practice with the team this morning. A few moments later, the team announced that goaltender Eric Comrie is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, Mike Harrington of TBN Sports shared a video of Alex Tuch practicing in a regular jersey this morning; he has been out of the lineup since their February 24th game against the Florida Panthers.

Going 4-5-1 in their last ten games, the Sabres are beginning to falter in the Eastern Conference playoff race. After their loss last night, they are now seven points behind the New York Islanders, the current holder of the final wild-card spot. With three games in hand, the Sabres are not out of it yet, but the injuries to the back end will not help their playoff aspirations. On the bright side of things, the potential return of Tuch gives Buffalo the ability to put another point-per-game player back into their lineup. In 57 games this year, Tuch has scored 28 goals and 34 assists, helping create a solid trio with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.

Other notes:

  • In an awkward collision into the boards with new Chicago Blackhawks forward Joey Anderson, Steven Stamkos left yesterday’s game with an apparent leg injury. After getting up, Stamkos appeared to be unable to put any pressure on his left leg, hobbling back to the bench. The Tampa Bay Lightning have given no official update as to the status of Stamkos, but the team did report that head coach Jon Cooper believes he will be “OK”, and they kept him out last night’s game as a precaution. With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Lightning are battling with the Toronto Maple Leafs for home territory in the first round.
  • In a press release this morning, the Maple Leafs announced that forward Alex Steeves has been recalled from their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, a day after he was demoted to the minors. In 55 games this season with the Marlies, Steeves has scored 17 goals and 28 assists. The Maple Leafs have employed him more sparingly throughout the year, playing in only three games with the NHL club, and averaging just under eight minutes of ice time.

 

Snapshots: Three Stars, Canucks, Knight

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Zach Hyman leading the way. The Edmonton Oilers swiss army knife had four goals and nine points in three games. Hyman has already flown past the 54 points he had last season and with every point is setting a new career high. It’s been an incredible run for the 30, who has been everything the Oilers hoped for (and more) when they signed him to a seven-year, $38.5MM deal in 2021.

Second and third place went to Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks, two players in very different stages of their careers. Stamkos reached the 500-goal mark last week, joining just 46 other players in the history of the NHL and essentially sealing his future in the Hall of Fame (if it was ever in doubt). Zegras, meanwhile, put up eight points in four games, taking his career total to 114. He’s got quite a way to catch the Lightning captain, but Zegras continues to excite fans every time he touches the puck.

  • The Vancouver Canucks now have three head coaches on the books, as they are still paying Travis Green, the bench boss that preceded the recently-fired Bruce Boudreau. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Tocchet’s deal is for two years and carries a $2.75MM salary, meaning altogether, the team is forking out $7.5MM this season for head coaches.
  • The Florida Panthers have swapped Mack Guzda and Spencer Knight once again, with the latter coming back up to the NHL. Knight hasn’t played in the NHL since January 8, but did quite well in his two-game conditioning stint, recording a 23-save shutout for the Charlotte Checkers in his first AHL game since last season.

NHL Announces 2022 All-Star “Last Men In”

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The NHL All-Star rosters were revealed a few days ago, with one final spot open for each division. Those spots were filled by the “Last Men In” today following a fan vote.

For the Atlantic Division, the last man in is Steven Stamkos, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the team’s third All-Star. He’ll join Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy at the event, which will be held on the weekend of February 4-5. Stamkos is having a brilliant bounce-back season with 18 goals and 46 points in 39 games.

In the Metro, Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers was the vote-in choice, but due to personal reasons, he will not be attending. Instead, Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins will take his place. While refusing an All-Star appearance is normally a one-game suspension, that does not appear to be the case for Zibanejad. Guentzel is certainly a worthwhile replacement, as he is currently tied for seven in the league with 20 goals and has scored them in just 32 games.

For the Central, the obvious choice was Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri and the fans did not disappoint. Fifth in the league with 49 points this season, Kadri is having a career year and arguably deserved the All-Star bid ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who will also be there (along with Cale Makar, making it three for the Avalanche).

Another obvious snub when the lists were announced will be rectified as Troy Terry was the Pacific’s last man in, celebrating his breakout season. The 24-year-old forward sits sixth in league scoring with 22 goals in just 38 games, more than doubling his previous career total.

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