HES OVER 30! HE SHOULD BE OURS!
funny enough i actually think stamkos is what the pens could use offensively. A shooter on the PP. surely Crosby malkin karlsson stamkos and bunting can produce an average power play
I would have rather seen him retire a bolt though
I hope he stays petty and never agrees to show up when Tampa asks to retire his #
I can’t remember the last time a player this important and impactful to a franchise was kicked to the curb like this.
This is why players should never ever take a home team discount for the org out of goodwill. You only do it if it's part of some bargaining plan for more future earnings.
1. They won 2 Cups during his contract. If he was getting paid more, maybe they don't get to sign all thos bottom-6 forwards that lead them there.
2. His contract was the 9th most expensive contract when signed. I still don't get this narrative of him taking a discount.
His value at the time of signing was much higher than 8.5 https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/8usk60/two_years_ago_from_today_stamkos_signed_with/
And yet pretty much the players above him were either multi-Cup winners at the time (Toews, Kane, Kopitar, Malkin) or absolute all-time legends (Crosby, Ovechkin). There are two contracts you could argue were worse, Perry and Subban. But other than these, Stamkos was the highest paid. Tell me how exactly that is team-friendly. Sure, he wasn't necessarily overpaid, but you can't feasibly claim he was underpaid for what other contracts were at the time.
If you enjoy your time there and have a good relationship with the team, management and fans, you’d be willing to take a discount. Just because it may not end as you would’ve liked, doesn’t make the journey less worth it. Also, I wouldn’t say he was underpaid or anything. It was a very fair contract.
And the team would still trade you and your discount would make it a cheaper trade for them. That didn't happen to Stamkos, but it does happen to other players.
There are pros and cons to every decision. Just comes down to if the risks are worth taking. My point was that chasing the pot isn’t always the in the player’s best interest. Which is why there are many who do opt for a discount.
Two cups, four finals appearances, many other playoff runs. Over 1,000 points, 500+ goals. Not many can say that a player did more for their franchise.
Honestly there always seemed to be a disconnect between the way Stamkos is viewed by the Tampa org and the way he's viewed by Tampa fans. And this predates JBB; Yzerman was ready to watch him leave for Toronto in FA. Also wasn't he rumored to have been asked to waive his NTC a couple times?
After his 2013 leg injury, Tampa seems to have viewed him as a great but expendable player, while fans seem to feel he's a living legend and the greatest Bolt ever. Personally I think the org's evaluation is closer to the mark.
I think it's because he wasn't the engine of that team. They won't their first cup while he was barely playing/injured. Kucherov has been the main focal point so it makes Stamkos seem like a complementary piece to the whole roster.
Honestly Kucherov taking the reins of the offense is one of the best things to happen to Stamkos's career. The Bolts weren't gonna win the Cup with post-2014 Stamkos as the centerpiece of their offence. Kucherov and Point taking over as the top forwards allowed Stamkos to step back to a more suitable spot as veteran leader.
People have short memories. Before the Cups, Stamkos had a well-earned reputation as a chronic playoff underperformer. Now he's a grizzled Cup-winning captain.
Stamkos kind of is a living legend. Like he’s never been the game’s elite player, maybe not even top ten most years but if you just look at what he has done over his career - like damn, that’s hall of fame stuff.
He is a fascinating player for the fact that he had a gruesome injury that, by all accounts, should have derailed his career considering his playstyle but he won 2 cups, recorded his career best in points in a season and scored 40+ goals in 4 separate seasons following that injury.
It would have been interesting to see what his goal total would be today if he didn't have that injury but he will still likely finish his career as a top 15 goal scorer in the NHL.
The injuries didn't derail his career, but they did turn him into a slower, less dynamic player, more dependent on his shot and the PP. He was still a great player, but nowhere near the dominant force he was in 2012.
In 2013* he had something like 20 goals in 22 games when he broke his Tibia. Everyone seems to have forgotten the hype then, but he was playing unreal. I remember Gretzky coming out and watching and commenting on the 50 in 50 record like he might match/break it. After the injury he always said he never felt the same after, and it was sad to see.
Those 20 or so games though he was playing unbelievably. I was so heartbroken when he hit that goal post.
2010-2014 he was 100% a top 5 player in the league. 2 Rockets before he turned 22 against Prime Ovi and Crosby, and multiple top 5 Hart Finishes.
Then he broke his leg and was never the same.
I agree with this. I feel like there's always been pretty real rumors and while maybe not likely at some points, also not unlikely?
Like some Bolts fans reactions actually surprise me. If you had asked me if thought Stammer would retire a bolt, I would have said 50/50. This isn't like Crosby or OV where it would legitimately shock me to see either party want to move on in both situations.
Why, though? Crosby isn't your greatest overall player by a long shot. Stamkos might be ours. Why does he get the lifer treatment and our guy is expendable in the end?
Everybody is expendable in the end. All of our lifers got traded at the end. This is just ripping the bandaid off.
That's like saying McDavid should be viewed as expendable legacy-wise to the Oilers because they had Gretzky. Lmao.
We're sorry for having the second and fifth best forwards of all time.
Fair point. I would say "this is our Stanley Cup" but we already have three.
I guess my other counterpoint is maybe "sorry we haven't had a top five forward of all time?"
Not sure what your point is about the Cup thing? You're not saying that to someone whose team hasn't won one.
It's pretty obvious what I meant by singling out Sid and OV that they are generational players. While Stamkos means a ton to the Bolts, he is not in that caliber and even in your cup wins was not the best player on the team.
"This is our Stanley Cup" is what you say when you don't have one, and you want to have something to be proud of.
The rest of my comment was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, because I wish he was good enough that we have to mortgage our future to keep him.
Still, even Gretzky got traded.
Unpopular take but by the end of it Crosby will probably have had a better career than Lemieux and will more than likely have the record for franchise points.
Nah fuck that. Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next several years if it meant we did right by Stamkos. I've been in JBB's corner for a long time, he's made a lot of genius moves, but this is the point I step out of it. He should have made this work, come hell or high water. The money was there.
I would not be ok with Tampa being a middling team while we still have players like Kucherov, Point, Vasy, Hagel, and now Guentzel in or just past their prime, and I don't know why you and other fans would be. I'll miss Stamkos like hell, and I wish a compromise could've been reached, but I would much rather see this team keep fighting for a cup so long as we have that sort of talent in the roster.
I'm glad he got paid, good for him, can't fault him for chasing that last big paycheck, but I sure can't fault the front office for looking at the bigger picture instead of caving to sentimentality. This team still has legs, and it would be a shame to waste them.
I also highly doubt those other players would be happy about management purposefully settling for mediocrity.
May you and your friends feel that way. Read comments all year long people bitching when we don’t play well. They are right. Paying to go to game is very expensive and we got used to being a contender
A hockey team is not a charity for millionaires. And those fans you talked to, are they representative of the fan base? If you can guarantee them another chance at the cup, will they throw it away? I doubt it. Hockey is a business. The players themselves keep saying it. Then act like a professional.
Im with you man. We watched the team and the players win every single team and personal award that exists. We watched them become a dynasty, and reach the finals 4 times in 8 years. Im happy with the run we had. We are no better of a team now than last season. Just give stamkos the good ending.
Not to mention, Stamkos was one of the only guys on the team to show up in the playoffs.
> Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next years if it meant we did right by Stamkos. I've been in JBB's corner for a long time, he's made a lot of genius moves, but this is the point I step out of it.
Nah lots of us aren't as emotional as you and see that the money just wasn't there for what Stamkos apparently expected. JBB has been the greatest GM in Lightning history and would be coveted by probably like 25 other teams if we let him go. His ballsy moves helped us go to three straight finals and I remember people similarly questioning those as well.
If Stamkos really wanted to stay he could've taken a reasonable contract to ride off into the sunset while also chasing more cups. He instead pursued $$$ which is totally fine but it also means I'm not going to cry over him leaving.
Reports are we offered him $3m.(Whether you believe those reports is up to you. Given stammer's comments here, it seems likely they were accurate.) Offering someone who can get an $8m a year contract $3m a year is unreasonable.
That report was purely speculative based on Killorn's Anaheim contract. It's really irrelevant though because it sure seems he was always going to take more money than we could offer.
No it wasn't.
Initially it was speculation by LeBrun. Or more likely a weakly sourced story he wanted to mask as being personal speculation. Or a really well sourced story he wanted to mask as being personal speculation.
Elliotte confirmed that the $3m x 8 was a real offer. They also offered a short term deal. He didn't share specifics, but said the idea was that in a year Stamkos would be eligible for 35+ bonuses on a further one year extension.
Stammer was never gonna get 8x4 from the Lightning. Now, we offered 3x8 and I would hope probably up to 5x5 or 4x6. All in the same ballpark of amount but longer term that doesn't hurt the team with cap or if he retired early, anything over that would have come at the cost of the team. I jate it so much but its a risk decision.
Key word is reasonable. He was able to get $8m a year somewhere. Reports are we offered him $3m.(Whether you believe those reports is up to you. Given stammer's comments here, it seems likely they were accurate.) Offering someone who can get an $8m a year contract $3m a year is unreasonable.
It’s reasonable under the circumstances. He’s an aging and declining player that’s basically a PP merchant and borderline useless 5v5. Lightning fans are getting way too emotional about this. It’s a business decision, not a personal one. JG is what this team needed.
> He’s an aging and declining player that’s basically a PP merchant and borderline useless 5v5.
"Steven Stamkos is borderline useless 5v5."
What a laughable take lol.
This isn't really up for debate. Stammer took a huge step back on 5v5. Even his excellent PP production has the Kuch element question mark - how much was it him vs getting insane circus passes from Kuch to bat in?
Look at Chicago, LA, Washington, Pittsburgh - you can hold onto these guys as a thank you but not compete for the cup and be middling. Brisebois is very much not going to go down that route
Nah fuck that. I've seen us be a middling team for several years, and if we could not do that by trading MSL for McDonagh and Callahan, I'd be okay with that.
Oh wait, that happened?
Okay, well, if I could see us not be a middling team for a few years by getting rid of JT Miller, who we just acquired, then I'd be okay with that.
Oh wait we did?
Well, what if we kept our guys who won the cup, only to hamstring the team for a few years at the beginning fo the cap era and then have to trade them all anyway?
Oh, that happened, too? And we sucked for a enough years that we basically had to tank to replenish the system? Is there seriously no other way?
Oh, there is? Okay, what is it? We have to let someone else overpay for our aging stars? Sure, why not try it a different way?
> Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next several years if it meant we did right by Stamkos.
I'm obviously biased as a penguins fan, but this is how I feel too. I want my franchise players to retire as penguins and add to the legacy of the franchise. Admittedly a little easier for me to say as Tampa is closer to competing for the cup then the penguins are right now.
I mean I don’t think that’s true, the majority of fans are calling for BriseBois’ head right now. I personally respect Brise putting a limit on what he could comfortably allocate to him and keep this team competitive, as sad as it is to see him go.
Holding on to hope he gets traded back in a few years or signs a one year deal at the end to wrap his career in a Bolts jersey.
I’d wager it’s predominantly newer fans who are spoiled by consistent success and back-to-back cup wins. They don’t yet understand the realities of this league and how difficult it is to win. I’m emotional about losing our captain and leader too, but I’m also excited for the new additions and to see what they can accomplish this year.
I don't blame people for being emotional, especially when Stamkos is coming out with the break-up lines as though he's a jilted spouse and not someone who walked away from Tampa having made 100m in salary alone. I hate that he can't stay, but I also can't imagine Kucherov, Vasi, or any of our other players being happy to stick around and be second best because we sacrificed the cap space to the captain. End of the day, it's a team sport, you can't focus on a single player as much as they might mean to you.
No. No the fuck he did not and don’t let him spin this narrative. He’s my all time favorite player but this song him and his team are selling is pure bullshit. He’s not playing at the level he just got paid plain and simple. He earned that paycheck with his previous career not his current play he earned the right to get the payday but that type of money was not possible from Tampa for his current output
I see both sides of the coin here. Stammer has some good years left in him and wants appropriate compensation for it. Tampa still has a buttload of good players and potential for another cup run, but need to fill in the gaps. Imo maybe Stamkos should've taken a smaller bite and finished his career sipping margaritas watching the sunset.
Agreed. If Stamkos was the best player on the team, sure give him a bag and give up on truly being a cup contender.
But Tampa literally won a cup in 2020 with him only playing one shift (albeit a glorious one). Tampa has the best goaltender in Vasy, one of the 3 best forwards in Kucherov, and maybe 2 more years of quality Hedman/McDonagh. It would be absolutely silly to turf the opportunity to win another cup with this group.
100%. I put a lot of stock in loyalty and heritage, but feel that Stammer needs to take a bit of heat here. What if the Bolts offered him a 3x$6M? I feel that would be reasonable, but seems like he wanted to maximize his earnings. Which is fair, fully in his right to do, but that's a bit of a slap in the face to the team and fanbase.
There is literally 0 way Stamkos would have ever gotten that much. At most he can really get is 3-4M. JBB stated the Guentzel move and all the moves on draft day had nothing to do and doesnt change the stance on Stamkos.
With that in mind, Guentzel's contract is 9M, Moser will roughly be 3M. Factor in filling out the other spots, that leaves Stamkos with 3-4M, the number JBB was aiming for.
This. There’s zero news about what was offered to Stamkos beforehand. Some say 3m, but that never had any credibility.
For all we know he was offered 4x6M and turned it down wanting 7-8+. Loyalty is real, and I’m sure they would have loved to keep him, but there’s 30 other players out there where a contract like that would be a slap in the face. They want to win, not coast by because the fans want legacy.
But did you improve in the near future? You shipped out a top forward and d-man, while getting a bit younger, but not really extending your window more. Am I wrong, what am I missing here?
The defense has gotten way better defensively with McDonagh and Moser. Sergachev is a good puck moving defenseman, problem is, Hedman does everything he does but better.
Guentzel is an upgrade at 5v5 over Stamkos, something we struggled with this year. We'll see what else is done with the cap space available now. If Sheary is shipped out using some picks, we might target Tarasenko for the 2nd line RW spot, or save the money and the picks to improve at the deadline instead.
This team should be better at 5v5 and defensively compared to last years team.
There were some discussions about this in the sub and some of the armchair GMs brought up some good points. One of the main issues with the Bolts for 2023-2024 was they had subpar 5v5 performance and an absurd/outlier PP %. While seasonal PP % is one thing, all long term hockey fans know that rarely translates in post season while 5v5 numbers seem to hold more relevance.
**Edit for context:** Stamkos was a machine on the power play but less effective at 5v5. Bolts need to have a better 5v5 performance if they expect a certain level of success. Thought process from JBB may have been shedding Stamkos and sacrificing some PP effectiveness may be the remedy for poor 5v5 performance by adding Guenz.
You shipped out Segachev and let Stamkos walk for free.
At best, you swapped a 40 goal scorer for a younger 40 goal scorer and a top pairing D for a bottom pairing D.
In what world is your team better now than they were a week ago?
Sergachev isn't a top D... He's a 2nd line guy on a cup team that should be making 5-6m but is making 8.5m for 7 years with a NTC. Stamkos plays like a guy that should be making 4.5-5m yet wanted 8m and wasn't willing to take less to stay with a team that bent over backwards two previous negotiations for him. He's also regressed hard in 5v5 play and is a negative on the defensive side. Geekie and Guentzel is a massive fucking upgrade, plus McDonagh is better than Sergachev.
I don't know if we can say with confidence that Serg isn't a top D... we got a glimpse of what he could do in 2023 when he put up +60 points with PP1 opportunities. As Hedman gets older, I dunno, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with Sergachev on the roster stepping into his shoes then the current situation.
He’s not worth 8.5m, especially with a 7 year NTC and after breaking his leg. Sergachev put half of those 63 points with the PP unit, it was the same thing with Stamkos this year and half of his points coming from the PP. He’s a solid D but not worth his contract and not a top D on a cup contending team. They need to win now while their guys are still in cup contending mode, not worry about what might happen in 2-5 years which is why McDonagh is a clear upgrade.
Mcdonough's great but hes 35, sergy is 26. If the goal was too swap stamkos for guentzel in order to stay younger and extend the window then shipping out Sergachev for a very mediocre return makes no sense.
I think it's a pretty strong return for Sergachev, given his hefty contract. Moser is a good young defenseman, Geekie is a good prospect, and more importantly, it cleared up a lot of cap space. I do this trade every time if I'm Tampa.
Sergachev was hurt most of this year but in 22/23 season most bolts fans were callinghim their best Dman. He played 24 minutes a night and put up 64 pts. He's a top pairing dman
I dunno about calling him our best d-man, those game day threads were a healthy mix of praying for Hedman to bounce back and wondering why Sergachev was doing his worst Kucherov impression with no look pass turnovers in his own d-zone
Based on his comments he was going to take a big discount, so I am guessing Tampa wasn’t going to give him the term or lowballed him by a lot. He didn’t ask for the money he got from Nashville
Ya, we are clearly seeing the business side on this one. It is what it is. And almost every team will have to go through this at some point. Even if you really want your aging star on a deal we all think he’s worth even if it hamstrings the team. But sometimes they make decisions based on what’s best for the team long term instead of feeding into the fan service like some teams do with players. Then they end up having to pick up the pieces when the player either retires or gets an unexpected career ending injury putting the team in even a bigger bind. This is just the necessary evil that has to happen.
Yep. I completely agree. And while it's fully within Stammer's right to get his cash, he's certainly not one of those players who have been on team-first deals and is looking for his one big payday. Dude made huge amounts of money. Again not saying he's not entitled to it, but acting like the team didn't want you at all when it seems like it was pretty clear where they saw your value in terms of where you fit in with their current plans is a little disingenuous.
And Stammer can be both be worth eight million and also not worth eight million to Tampa Bay. If you wanted me to clock a fair value for him based on what he brings to Tampa relative to other members of the team, I would say 4.5.
4x8 is at least a small gamble on him, both term and AAV. I'm hoping it works out for Nashville, I like Stamkos, but he's older and it's not going to get better
If it fits within the wants for a team or player I'm all for honouring legacy, longevity, whatever. And in general I think the humanity of players should be appreciated within the business. *But* it is a business, and an expensive one. The front office's job is to make the team the best it can be, the player's is to be the best they can be, and it all comes down to money.
Stamkos wanted more than Tampa thinks realistic to make work, whether he's been there forever or not
Off topic, but I just wanna thank you for posting clips in the game threads during the finals, especially when I couldn't make it to the TV during the first period of Game 5. You da real MVP
i get age factors in here. But Guentzel is turning 30 at the start of the season and this will take him through 38.
I feel like Stamkos is still good enough and not that much older that as the face of the franchise I'd go with him? That's rough.
This has been a really sad day.
I am upset about the way JBB and the team went about this, but not in an hugely angry way. I can understand and even agree with what he did and why and that includes the way JBB went about this. Even if I didn't think it made the team better in the short and long (I do), I would recognize and think almost everyone can understand this was not done blindly, in a panic, or illogically, and that the team very much chose the difficult path rather than the easy one.
None of this makes me at all blame or reduces my sympathy for Stamkos. Like him, I hoped up until the very end, that some way, an 11th hour deal could be reached. This sucks. This really sucks.
Stamkos had the opportunity to stay in Tampa, he rejected the offer that kept him here and kept the bolts competitive. Stammer decided to take the money, plain and simple.
Can’t blame him. The $32M he’s going to make in Nashville is a must to add onto the $100M the Lightning have paid him.
He's the same age as Roman Josi, they understand these aging players will slow down before the end of their contracts, but want to take one more go at it with the current core before rebuilding.
This. Josi and Forsberg have NMC. We just signed Saros to 8 years. The push is now, and a rebuild down to the foundation in 3-5 when our other contracts run up. It was time we did something like this and I am glad Trotz made the move to give it a shot.
Cry me a river. Guy is doing one of the most privileged jobs in the world, making *millions* of dollars. His fans pay good money to see a team compete. Heck, a *big* chunk of his fans probably don’t have the money for tickets. And another big chunk of his fans pay tickets and jerseys instead of say, go on a vacation, and probably much worse.
It’s the management’s job to ice a competitive roster. If they think they can’t do that if he’s paid 8 millions, then that’s it. « But he brought them cups ». Management iced a team that could compete and give these guys cups. It’s their dream to get cups. Stamkos did as much a favour to management as management did to Stamkos. Heck, multiple players in the team took pay cuts to win the cup. They know what it takes, and they didn’t do it out of charity for management. Stamkos didn’t get cups out of charity.
Just shut up and take the money. You are a professional who knows about the existence of the salary cap. You know management can’t just give whatever every player thinks he’s worth. Lots of these guys have a crazy ego. But it’s a team sports. If he *really* wanted to stay in Tampa, he’d still be in Tampa. And he’d still make a bunch of millions doing one of the most privileged jobs in the world. Take the money and shut up. I’m glad the habs didn’t sign him.
He really knows how to try to get the public on his side, he fucked around the previous two negotiations and was basically twerking for any team to offer a better overall deal than Tampa both times. He knew this time in order to compete for a cup he wouldn't be able to get paid the way he wanted.
You're getting downvoted but 100% spot on. He never did the team any favors at all when his next contracts came up. He treated it like the business it is and now he's trying to play victim when he came out on the losing end of it for once.
Because a lot of people on Reddit love a sob story and want to act like the "worker" always gets fucked over by the company or "boss". It's actually kind of gross he went and did this but whatever, Guentzel will be much better overall on defense and an upgrade on offense too.
Team comes before the player, always. Love Stammer, love what he did for the team. Love that he got some Cups.
I'd love to know how much he was willing to give off of his $8M a year salary that he got from Nashville to both stay in Tampa AND give them the room to improve the team. Guentzel right now is better than Stamkos right now as an all around player. Stamkos is an ELITE PP tool. Not worth $8M.
Him and his agent need to stop this shit man. He’s not playing at 8m a year level anymore. He’s probably my favorite player of all time. But he wanted a paycheck the team couldn’t give and still look to win. His career earned him that right but stop the song and dance that you weren’t wanted.
We don’t know what was offered behind closed doors, there’s rumors but there no official information. It sucks but if he brought the 8 million off to JBB asking for anything around that he was never getting it. We will always love him and cheer him on every time he’s in the house but at this time we don’t know what was offered to him and as much as I want to be bad at JBB he might’ve thrown 6 million at him and he still said no.
If his asking was really 4.5 or 5 x 8 years we should have given it to him. I understand not keeping him at 8x8 but it's absolutely bullshit how the Org/Front Office/JBB handled this situation.
Really not happy to put it mildly. Even if we are technically a better team now this could have been handled way better.
You must've missed how Stamkos acted the two previous negotiations... Also he knew in this one he wouldn't be able to get 8m/yr and have them be able to compete for a cup.
Thats brutal.
https://preview.redd.it/1s7e6uq7lz9d1.jpeg?width=1127&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d55812461c9040ed4df4d1fe615d3b8100ba45af
Me when dating.
"How come he don't want me, man?"
Nashville coming in with the uncle Phil hug
HES OVER 30! HE SHOULD BE OURS! funny enough i actually think stamkos is what the pens could use offensively. A shooter on the PP. surely Crosby malkin karlsson stamkos and bunting can produce an average power play I would have rather seen him retire a bolt though
This all sounds like a very sad breakup, damn
They'll make up once his #91 gets retired in Tampa
Nah he’s a Nashville Predators legend now. We call dibs.
I hope he stays petty and never agrees to show up when Tampa asks to retire his # I can’t remember the last time a player this important and impactful to a franchise was kicked to the curb like this.
This is why players should never ever take a home team discount for the org out of goodwill. You only do it if it's part of some bargaining plan for more future earnings.
1. They won 2 Cups during his contract. If he was getting paid more, maybe they don't get to sign all thos bottom-6 forwards that lead them there. 2. His contract was the 9th most expensive contract when signed. I still don't get this narrative of him taking a discount.
His value at the time of signing was much higher than 8.5 https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/8usk60/two_years_ago_from_today_stamkos_signed_with/
And yet pretty much the players above him were either multi-Cup winners at the time (Toews, Kane, Kopitar, Malkin) or absolute all-time legends (Crosby, Ovechkin). There are two contracts you could argue were worse, Perry and Subban. But other than these, Stamkos was the highest paid. Tell me how exactly that is team-friendly. Sure, he wasn't necessarily overpaid, but you can't feasibly claim he was underpaid for what other contracts were at the time.
If you enjoy your time there and have a good relationship with the team, management and fans, you’d be willing to take a discount. Just because it may not end as you would’ve liked, doesn’t make the journey less worth it. Also, I wouldn’t say he was underpaid or anything. It was a very fair contract.
And the team would still trade you and your discount would make it a cheaper trade for them. That didn't happen to Stamkos, but it does happen to other players.
There are pros and cons to every decision. Just comes down to if the risks are worth taking. My point was that chasing the pot isn’t always the in the player’s best interest. Which is why there are many who do opt for a discount.
Post the picture of him getting stabbed with a sword like fleury
It has to be a lightning bolt
Brisebois as Zeus.
God this feels like a hang nail that keeps getting pulled back even further and further
Both this and the Marchessault signing. I guess they're going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder next year
Nashville are the new misfits?
I mean, we are a 'nontraditional market' and have an 'undersized goalie' as commentators love to remind us!
Take Trouba
Only if you take Luke Schenn
Please lord somebody take Jacob. Tacob, if you will lol
Now, let’s put some salt on it and then some alcohol.
Maybe some lime. If the alcohol is tequila.
Citrus always helps
Except when doing a Stuntman
Just wait until Hedman runs him into the boards and ends his playing career.
Stammer loved Tampa more than Tampa loved him
How come he don't want me no more man gif Except uncle Phil is the preds mascot
Two cups, four finals appearances, many other playoff runs. Over 1,000 points, 500+ goals. Not many can say that a player did more for their franchise.
Honestly there always seemed to be a disconnect between the way Stamkos is viewed by the Tampa org and the way he's viewed by Tampa fans. And this predates JBB; Yzerman was ready to watch him leave for Toronto in FA. Also wasn't he rumored to have been asked to waive his NTC a couple times? After his 2013 leg injury, Tampa seems to have viewed him as a great but expendable player, while fans seem to feel he's a living legend and the greatest Bolt ever. Personally I think the org's evaluation is closer to the mark.
I think it's because he wasn't the engine of that team. They won't their first cup while he was barely playing/injured. Kucherov has been the main focal point so it makes Stamkos seem like a complementary piece to the whole roster.
Honestly Kucherov taking the reins of the offense is one of the best things to happen to Stamkos's career. The Bolts weren't gonna win the Cup with post-2014 Stamkos as the centerpiece of their offence. Kucherov and Point taking over as the top forwards allowed Stamkos to step back to a more suitable spot as veteran leader. People have short memories. Before the Cups, Stamkos had a well-earned reputation as a chronic playoff underperformer. Now he's a grizzled Cup-winning captain.
Bang on. I love Stamkos but the argument could easily be made for Kucherov as the best player in franchise history.
Everyone knows it's Matt Carle and it's not even close.
Carle? Pfffft. Get your head out of your ass, it’s Olaf Kolzig.
Probably his agent. Sounds like both JBB and Yzerman weren’t fans of negotiating when it came time.
Stamkos kind of is a living legend. Like he’s never been the game’s elite player, maybe not even top ten most years but if you just look at what he has done over his career - like damn, that’s hall of fame stuff.
He is a fascinating player for the fact that he had a gruesome injury that, by all accounts, should have derailed his career considering his playstyle but he won 2 cups, recorded his career best in points in a season and scored 40+ goals in 4 separate seasons following that injury. It would have been interesting to see what his goal total would be today if he didn't have that injury but he will still likely finish his career as a top 15 goal scorer in the NHL.
Gods he was good before that injury
The injuries didn't derail his career, but they did turn him into a slower, less dynamic player, more dependent on his shot and the PP. He was still a great player, but nowhere near the dominant force he was in 2012.
In 2013* he had something like 20 goals in 22 games when he broke his Tibia. Everyone seems to have forgotten the hype then, but he was playing unreal. I remember Gretzky coming out and watching and commenting on the 50 in 50 record like he might match/break it. After the injury he always said he never felt the same after, and it was sad to see. Those 20 or so games though he was playing unbelievably. I was so heartbroken when he hit that goal post.
2010-2014 he was 100% a top 5 player in the league. 2 Rockets before he turned 22 against Prime Ovi and Crosby, and multiple top 5 Hart Finishes. Then he broke his leg and was never the same.
There was the story in 2015 they tried to trade him to draft Eichel but stamkos wouldnt waive his ntc
I agree with this. I feel like there's always been pretty real rumors and while maybe not likely at some points, also not unlikely? Like some Bolts fans reactions actually surprise me. If you had asked me if thought Stammer would retire a bolt, I would have said 50/50. This isn't like Crosby or OV where it would legitimately shock me to see either party want to move on in both situations.
Why, though? Crosby isn't your greatest overall player by a long shot. Stamkos might be ours. Why does he get the lifer treatment and our guy is expendable in the end? Everybody is expendable in the end. All of our lifers got traded at the end. This is just ripping the bandaid off.
That's like saying McDavid should be viewed as expendable legacy-wise to the Oilers because they had Gretzky. Lmao. We're sorry for having the second and fifth best forwards of all time.
Fair point. I would say "this is our Stanley Cup" but we already have three. I guess my other counterpoint is maybe "sorry we haven't had a top five forward of all time?"
Not sure what your point is about the Cup thing? You're not saying that to someone whose team hasn't won one. It's pretty obvious what I meant by singling out Sid and OV that they are generational players. While Stamkos means a ton to the Bolts, he is not in that caliber and even in your cup wins was not the best player on the team.
"This is our Stanley Cup" is what you say when you don't have one, and you want to have something to be proud of. The rest of my comment was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, because I wish he was good enough that we have to mortgage our future to keep him. Still, even Gretzky got traded.
Crosby is one of the greatest to play the sport. Stamkos is really good.
Unpopular take but by the end of it Crosby will probably have had a better career than Lemieux and will more than likely have the record for franchise points.
Yes. He is currently projected to surpass Lemieux in total points by 25-26.
Nah Tampa loves him
https://youtu.be/gMNsMdnSBIk
mike likes jeff but jeff loves mike
Nah fuck that. Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next several years if it meant we did right by Stamkos. I've been in JBB's corner for a long time, he's made a lot of genius moves, but this is the point I step out of it. He should have made this work, come hell or high water. The money was there.
I would not be ok with Tampa being a middling team while we still have players like Kucherov, Point, Vasy, Hagel, and now Guentzel in or just past their prime, and I don't know why you and other fans would be. I'll miss Stamkos like hell, and I wish a compromise could've been reached, but I would much rather see this team keep fighting for a cup so long as we have that sort of talent in the roster. I'm glad he got paid, good for him, can't fault him for chasing that last big paycheck, but I sure can't fault the front office for looking at the bigger picture instead of caving to sentimentality. This team still has legs, and it would be a shame to waste them. I also highly doubt those other players would be happy about management purposefully settling for mediocrity.
May you and your friends feel that way. Read comments all year long people bitching when we don’t play well. They are right. Paying to go to game is very expensive and we got used to being a contender
A hockey team is not a charity for millionaires. And those fans you talked to, are they representative of the fan base? If you can guarantee them another chance at the cup, will they throw it away? I doubt it. Hockey is a business. The players themselves keep saying it. Then act like a professional.
Im with you man. We watched the team and the players win every single team and personal award that exists. We watched them become a dynasty, and reach the finals 4 times in 8 years. Im happy with the run we had. We are no better of a team now than last season. Just give stamkos the good ending. Not to mention, Stamkos was one of the only guys on the team to show up in the playoffs.
> Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next years if it meant we did right by Stamkos. I've been in JBB's corner for a long time, he's made a lot of genius moves, but this is the point I step out of it. Nah lots of us aren't as emotional as you and see that the money just wasn't there for what Stamkos apparently expected. JBB has been the greatest GM in Lightning history and would be coveted by probably like 25 other teams if we let him go. His ballsy moves helped us go to three straight finals and I remember people similarly questioning those as well. If Stamkos really wanted to stay he could've taken a reasonable contract to ride off into the sunset while also chasing more cups. He instead pursued $$$ which is totally fine but it also means I'm not going to cry over him leaving.
I think that this is a case where the cap does a disservice to fans.
> he could've taken a reasonable contract He can't take what he wasn't offered.
How exactly do you know that?
Reports are we offered him $3m.(Whether you believe those reports is up to you. Given stammer's comments here, it seems likely they were accurate.) Offering someone who can get an $8m a year contract $3m a year is unreasonable.
That report was purely speculative based on Killorn's Anaheim contract. It's really irrelevant though because it sure seems he was always going to take more money than we could offer.
> it sure seems he was always going to take more money than we could offer. "How exactly do you know that?"
No it wasn't. Initially it was speculation by LeBrun. Or more likely a weakly sourced story he wanted to mask as being personal speculation. Or a really well sourced story he wanted to mask as being personal speculation. Elliotte confirmed that the $3m x 8 was a real offer. They also offered a short term deal. He didn't share specifics, but said the idea was that in a year Stamkos would be eligible for 35+ bonuses on a further one year extension.
Stammer was never gonna get 8x4 from the Lightning. Now, we offered 3x8 and I would hope probably up to 5x5 or 4x6. All in the same ballpark of amount but longer term that doesn't hurt the team with cap or if he retired early, anything over that would have come at the cost of the team. I jate it so much but its a risk decision.
JBB said he made an offer and Stammer said no
Key word is reasonable. He was able to get $8m a year somewhere. Reports are we offered him $3m.(Whether you believe those reports is up to you. Given stammer's comments here, it seems likely they were accurate.) Offering someone who can get an $8m a year contract $3m a year is unreasonable.
It’s reasonable under the circumstances. He’s an aging and declining player that’s basically a PP merchant and borderline useless 5v5. Lightning fans are getting way too emotional about this. It’s a business decision, not a personal one. JG is what this team needed.
> He’s an aging and declining player that’s basically a PP merchant and borderline useless 5v5. "Steven Stamkos is borderline useless 5v5." What a laughable take lol.
https://preview.redd.it/wx17crl5d0ad1.jpeg?width=1763&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=002c8a27f9fee5986107081bd6ac7f309ae08dba
I'd be curious to hear from any Preds fans reading this if you think your team just paid $8m a year for a player who is "borderline useless 5v5."
This isn't really up for debate. Stammer took a huge step back on 5v5. Even his excellent PP production has the Kuch element question mark - how much was it him vs getting insane circus passes from Kuch to bat in?
https://preview.redd.it/fve7lfs7d0ad1.jpeg?width=1761&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96281b47d81804b56822ecec8ac20b5ac55870a5
Look at Chicago, LA, Washington, Pittsburgh - you can hold onto these guys as a thank you but not compete for the cup and be middling. Brisebois is very much not going to go down that route
Nah fuck that. I've seen us be a middling team for several years, and if we could not do that by trading MSL for McDonagh and Callahan, I'd be okay with that. Oh wait, that happened? Okay, well, if I could see us not be a middling team for a few years by getting rid of JT Miller, who we just acquired, then I'd be okay with that. Oh wait we did? Well, what if we kept our guys who won the cup, only to hamstring the team for a few years at the beginning fo the cap era and then have to trade them all anyway? Oh, that happened, too? And we sucked for a enough years that we basically had to tank to replenish the system? Is there seriously no other way? Oh, there is? Okay, what is it? We have to let someone else overpay for our aging stars? Sure, why not try it a different way?
> Almost any lightning fan I talked to about this was fine with being a middling team for the next several years if it meant we did right by Stamkos. I'm obviously biased as a penguins fan, but this is how I feel too. I want my franchise players to retire as penguins and add to the legacy of the franchise. Admittedly a little easier for me to say as Tampa is closer to competing for the cup then the penguins are right now.
I mean I don’t think that’s true, the majority of fans are calling for BriseBois’ head right now. I personally respect Brise putting a limit on what he could comfortably allocate to him and keep this team competitive, as sad as it is to see him go. Holding on to hope he gets traded back in a few years or signs a one year deal at the end to wrap his career in a Bolts jersey.
I question how many fans actually want JBB gone. The reactive emotional fans are overwhelming the airwaves because they're emotional right now.
I’d wager it’s predominantly newer fans who are spoiled by consistent success and back-to-back cup wins. They don’t yet understand the realities of this league and how difficult it is to win. I’m emotional about losing our captain and leader too, but I’m also excited for the new additions and to see what they can accomplish this year.
I don't blame people for being emotional, especially when Stamkos is coming out with the break-up lines as though he's a jilted spouse and not someone who walked away from Tampa having made 100m in salary alone. I hate that he can't stay, but I also can't imagine Kucherov, Vasi, or any of our other players being happy to stick around and be second best because we sacrificed the cap space to the captain. End of the day, it's a team sport, you can't focus on a single player as much as they might mean to you.
most of y'all probably too young to remember Stamkos' freshman year and the 'Seen Stamkos? ' rips
That’s not fair it’s really just JBB who didn’t love him
This. He's going to be loved by the city forever.
Not loving him =/= not overpaying for him, they're two different things entirely.
He could’ve always taken the 3 mil for 8 years…. Same amount of money as the Nashville contract
No. No the fuck he did not and don’t let him spin this narrative. He’s my all time favorite player but this song him and his team are selling is pure bullshit. He’s not playing at the level he just got paid plain and simple. He earned that paycheck with his previous career not his current play he earned the right to get the payday but that type of money was not possible from Tampa for his current output
Wow. That's pain.
Fuck lol.
Just rip my heart right out of my chest.
That’s devastating
I see both sides of the coin here. Stammer has some good years left in him and wants appropriate compensation for it. Tampa still has a buttload of good players and potential for another cup run, but need to fill in the gaps. Imo maybe Stamkos should've taken a smaller bite and finished his career sipping margaritas watching the sunset.
Agreed. If Stamkos was the best player on the team, sure give him a bag and give up on truly being a cup contender. But Tampa literally won a cup in 2020 with him only playing one shift (albeit a glorious one). Tampa has the best goaltender in Vasy, one of the 3 best forwards in Kucherov, and maybe 2 more years of quality Hedman/McDonagh. It would be absolutely silly to turf the opportunity to win another cup with this group.
100%. I put a lot of stock in loyalty and heritage, but feel that Stammer needs to take a bit of heat here. What if the Bolts offered him a 3x$6M? I feel that would be reasonable, but seems like he wanted to maximize his earnings. Which is fair, fully in his right to do, but that's a bit of a slap in the face to the team and fanbase.
There is literally 0 way Stamkos would have ever gotten that much. At most he can really get is 3-4M. JBB stated the Guentzel move and all the moves on draft day had nothing to do and doesnt change the stance on Stamkos. With that in mind, Guentzel's contract is 9M, Moser will roughly be 3M. Factor in filling out the other spots, that leaves Stamkos with 3-4M, the number JBB was aiming for.
This. There’s zero news about what was offered to Stamkos beforehand. Some say 3m, but that never had any credibility. For all we know he was offered 4x6M and turned it down wanting 7-8+. Loyalty is real, and I’m sure they would have loved to keep him, but there’s 30 other players out there where a contract like that would be a slap in the face. They want to win, not coast by because the fans want legacy.
Elliotte explicitly said $3m x 8 was really one of their offers. The other was a year to year short term thing.
But did you improve in the near future? You shipped out a top forward and d-man, while getting a bit younger, but not really extending your window more. Am I wrong, what am I missing here?
The defense has gotten way better defensively with McDonagh and Moser. Sergachev is a good puck moving defenseman, problem is, Hedman does everything he does but better. Guentzel is an upgrade at 5v5 over Stamkos, something we struggled with this year. We'll see what else is done with the cap space available now. If Sheary is shipped out using some picks, we might target Tarasenko for the 2nd line RW spot, or save the money and the picks to improve at the deadline instead. This team should be better at 5v5 and defensively compared to last years team.
Sergachev isn't a top D and Stammer isn't a top F, only on PP is he. Guentzel and McDonagh is a huge upgrade. Plus Geekie and Moser.
I think saying a 35 year old McDonaugh is a huge upgrade over the much younger Sergachev is a bit much, but I get your point.
He’s better player and he’s making 20% or so less. Even if he’s older, he’s a good piece for two years and not on a 7 year NTC.
I really think your overstating the difference, but time will tell I guess.
There were some discussions about this in the sub and some of the armchair GMs brought up some good points. One of the main issues with the Bolts for 2023-2024 was they had subpar 5v5 performance and an absurd/outlier PP %. While seasonal PP % is one thing, all long term hockey fans know that rarely translates in post season while 5v5 numbers seem to hold more relevance. **Edit for context:** Stamkos was a machine on the power play but less effective at 5v5. Bolts need to have a better 5v5 performance if they expect a certain level of success. Thought process from JBB may have been shedding Stamkos and sacrificing some PP effectiveness may be the remedy for poor 5v5 performance by adding Guenz.
You shipped out Segachev and let Stamkos walk for free. At best, you swapped a 40 goal scorer for a younger 40 goal scorer and a top pairing D for a bottom pairing D. In what world is your team better now than they were a week ago?
Sergachev isn't a top D... He's a 2nd line guy on a cup team that should be making 5-6m but is making 8.5m for 7 years with a NTC. Stamkos plays like a guy that should be making 4.5-5m yet wanted 8m and wasn't willing to take less to stay with a team that bent over backwards two previous negotiations for him. He's also regressed hard in 5v5 play and is a negative on the defensive side. Geekie and Guentzel is a massive fucking upgrade, plus McDonagh is better than Sergachev.
I don't know if we can say with confidence that Serg isn't a top D... we got a glimpse of what he could do in 2023 when he put up +60 points with PP1 opportunities. As Hedman gets older, I dunno, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with Sergachev on the roster stepping into his shoes then the current situation.
He’s not worth 8.5m, especially with a 7 year NTC and after breaking his leg. Sergachev put half of those 63 points with the PP unit, it was the same thing with Stamkos this year and half of his points coming from the PP. He’s a solid D but not worth his contract and not a top D on a cup contending team. They need to win now while their guys are still in cup contending mode, not worry about what might happen in 2-5 years which is why McDonagh is a clear upgrade.
I'd much rather have Guentzel + McDonagh + Moser than Stamkos + Sergachev. Especially at their current contracts.
Mcdonough's great but hes 35, sergy is 26. If the goal was too swap stamkos for guentzel in order to stay younger and extend the window then shipping out Sergachev for a very mediocre return makes no sense.
I think it's a pretty strong return for Sergachev, given his hefty contract. Moser is a good young defenseman, Geekie is a good prospect, and more importantly, it cleared up a lot of cap space. I do this trade every time if I'm Tampa.
I think you’re severely overrating Serg, he is not a top pairing D. I would much rather have McDonagh + Moser.
Feels like Sergachev does a lot of heavy lifting in your comparison to make it even. At least Guentzel is useful at 5v5
Sergachev was hurt most of this year but in 22/23 season most bolts fans were callinghim their best Dman. He played 24 minutes a night and put up 64 pts. He's a top pairing dman
I dunno about calling him our best d-man, those game day threads were a healthy mix of praying for Hedman to bounce back and wondering why Sergachev was doing his worst Kucherov impression with no look pass turnovers in his own d-zone
The additions they've made too. Guentzel is going to be phenomenal
Based on his comments he was going to take a big discount, so I am guessing Tampa wasn’t going to give him the term or lowballed him by a lot. He didn’t ask for the money he got from Nashville
Fuckin' ouch. That's a brutal quote.
I Don’t blame him he basically got told you don’t matter with the new contract proposal this is both sad and infuriating to see
"you don't matter more than trying to win matters" and "you don't matter" are vastly different things.
Ya, we are clearly seeing the business side on this one. It is what it is. And almost every team will have to go through this at some point. Even if you really want your aging star on a deal we all think he’s worth even if it hamstrings the team. But sometimes they make decisions based on what’s best for the team long term instead of feeding into the fan service like some teams do with players. Then they end up having to pick up the pieces when the player either retires or gets an unexpected career ending injury putting the team in even a bigger bind. This is just the necessary evil that has to happen.
Yep. I completely agree. And while it's fully within Stammer's right to get his cash, he's certainly not one of those players who have been on team-first deals and is looking for his one big payday. Dude made huge amounts of money. Again not saying he's not entitled to it, but acting like the team didn't want you at all when it seems like it was pretty clear where they saw your value in terms of where you fit in with their current plans is a little disingenuous. And Stammer can be both be worth eight million and also not worth eight million to Tampa Bay. If you wanted me to clock a fair value for him based on what he brings to Tampa relative to other members of the team, I would say 4.5.
Painful.
Who’s gonna captain in Tampa now ? I assume hedman?
Hedman is the logical choice.
Connor Sheary
4x8 is at least a small gamble on him, both term and AAV. I'm hoping it works out for Nashville, I like Stamkos, but he's older and it's not going to get better If it fits within the wants for a team or player I'm all for honouring legacy, longevity, whatever. And in general I think the humanity of players should be appreciated within the business. *But* it is a business, and an expensive one. The front office's job is to make the team the best it can be, the player's is to be the best they can be, and it all comes down to money. Stamkos wanted more than Tampa thinks realistic to make work, whether he's been there forever or not
https://i.redd.it/i7wgzv6usz9d1.gif
This is just like the Pats with Brady, I guess we are on the other side of the coin of this one
Brady left because the Patriots couldn't put the talent around him for another SB run. Stamkos wasn't even the best talent on the team anymore.
this made me feel really sad
Losing Stamkos is like when the Sharks let Pavs walk in FA. It will rip the heart out of the team
https://imgur.com/xpVRMcY
Off topic, but I just wanna thank you for posting clips in the game threads during the finals, especially when I couldn't make it to the TV during the first period of Game 5. You da real MVP
np
I shouldn't call her
Nicholas Sparks-ass dialogue. But he ain't wrong.
I shouldn't call her.
Me and Stamkos are the same fr. Good life advice.
That was depressing to read :(
One of my best friends is a huge Bolts fan, and he's crushed today. Sucks seeing such an icon leave.
i get age factors in here. But Guentzel is turning 30 at the start of the season and this will take him through 38. I feel like Stamkos is still good enough and not that much older that as the face of the franchise I'd go with him? That's rough.
😢
That’s the saddest shit I’ve heard in my life
Nashville cup incoming.
https://preview.redd.it/rdt3ob7yl0ad1.jpeg?width=1048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=924bb79e50282662567e96e23959be02e227e095
Nashville out there stacking them like the Avengers.
That quote is gut wrenching.
Lightning Org will regret this later, nobody should treat stammer like they did.
This has been a really sad day. I am upset about the way JBB and the team went about this, but not in an hugely angry way. I can understand and even agree with what he did and why and that includes the way JBB went about this. Even if I didn't think it made the team better in the short and long (I do), I would recognize and think almost everyone can understand this was not done blindly, in a panic, or illogically, and that the team very much chose the difficult path rather than the easy one. None of this makes me at all blame or reduces my sympathy for Stamkos. Like him, I hoped up until the very end, that some way, an 11th hour deal could be reached. This sucks. This really sucks.
Damn, I wish I had that much awareness about my breakup
Please come back after the contract, or in retirement for the front office. 🥺
Stamkos had the opportunity to stay in Tampa, he rejected the offer that kept him here and kept the bolts competitive. Stammer decided to take the money, plain and simple. Can’t blame him. The $32M he’s going to make in Nashville is a must to add onto the $100M the Lightning have paid him.
Not to mention all the money he made on his houses.
Death, taxes, Leafs choke, and Tampa Bay running their franchise legends out of town..
4x8 is an insane pay. Nashville will be regretting it by year 2.
He's the same age as Roman Josi, they understand these aging players will slow down before the end of their contracts, but want to take one more go at it with the current core before rebuilding.
This. Josi and Forsberg have NMC. We just signed Saros to 8 years. The push is now, and a rebuild down to the foundation in 3-5 when our other contracts run up. It was time we did something like this and I am glad Trotz made the move to give it a shot.
Cry me a river. Guy is doing one of the most privileged jobs in the world, making *millions* of dollars. His fans pay good money to see a team compete. Heck, a *big* chunk of his fans probably don’t have the money for tickets. And another big chunk of his fans pay tickets and jerseys instead of say, go on a vacation, and probably much worse. It’s the management’s job to ice a competitive roster. If they think they can’t do that if he’s paid 8 millions, then that’s it. « But he brought them cups ». Management iced a team that could compete and give these guys cups. It’s their dream to get cups. Stamkos did as much a favour to management as management did to Stamkos. Heck, multiple players in the team took pay cuts to win the cup. They know what it takes, and they didn’t do it out of charity for management. Stamkos didn’t get cups out of charity. Just shut up and take the money. You are a professional who knows about the existence of the salary cap. You know management can’t just give whatever every player thinks he’s worth. Lots of these guys have a crazy ego. But it’s a team sports. If he *really* wanted to stay in Tampa, he’d still be in Tampa. And he’d still make a bunch of millions doing one of the most privileged jobs in the world. Take the money and shut up. I’m glad the habs didn’t sign him.
I mean he could've taken less money since he's already made millions and millions
He really knows how to try to get the public on his side, he fucked around the previous two negotiations and was basically twerking for any team to offer a better overall deal than Tampa both times. He knew this time in order to compete for a cup he wouldn't be able to get paid the way he wanted.
Lol, he turned down more from Toronto in order to stay in Tampa at a $8.5m discount last time
You're getting downvoted but 100% spot on. He never did the team any favors at all when his next contracts came up. He treated it like the business it is and now he's trying to play victim when he came out on the losing end of it for once.
Because a lot of people on Reddit love a sob story and want to act like the "worker" always gets fucked over by the company or "boss". It's actually kind of gross he went and did this but whatever, Guentzel will be much better overall on defense and an upgrade on offense too.
Red wings would never
“You can’t keep safe what wants to break…”
As a Sens fan I admit I am constantly duped by Stamkos news thinking it’s Staois.
I’m a big Stamkos fan and all but if he really wanted to stay in Tampa he could have.
😢
Team comes before the player, always. Love Stammer, love what he did for the team. Love that he got some Cups. I'd love to know how much he was willing to give off of his $8M a year salary that he got from Nashville to both stay in Tampa AND give them the room to improve the team. Guentzel right now is better than Stamkos right now as an all around player. Stamkos is an ELITE PP tool. Not worth $8M.
Some of us have started to donate to his favorite charity, the RMHC of Tampa Bay. $9.10 in his honor. ♥️
Relatable
Him and his agent need to stop this shit man. He’s not playing at 8m a year level anymore. He’s probably my favorite player of all time. But he wanted a paycheck the team couldn’t give and still look to win. His career earned him that right but stop the song and dance that you weren’t wanted.
We don’t know what was offered behind closed doors, there’s rumors but there no official information. It sucks but if he brought the 8 million off to JBB asking for anything around that he was never getting it. We will always love him and cheer him on every time he’s in the house but at this time we don’t know what was offered to him and as much as I want to be bad at JBB he might’ve thrown 6 million at him and he still said no.
Even 5m for him is too much on a team that still needs help on the lower lines.
Not sure what kind of message this send to the rest of the team and Mr future conditions. Definitely not a good one.
If his asking was really 4.5 or 5 x 8 years we should have given it to him. I understand not keeping him at 8x8 but it's absolutely bullshit how the Org/Front Office/JBB handled this situation. Really not happy to put it mildly. Even if we are technically a better team now this could have been handled way better.
Load bearing if right there. We don't know what the team really offered him
WHY HE DONT WANT ME MAN - Stamkos
There goes his jersey retirement 😔
Yea it’s tough love but you won two cups in Tampa. What is left to accomplish there? Work your way back north son.
Bolts acting like they always have. Not sure why people are surprised.
You must've missed how Stamkos acted the two previous negotiations... Also he knew in this one he wouldn't be able to get 8m/yr and have them be able to compete for a cup.