Is it possible Tampa bay would trade Stamkos

[The Black Panther]

Again just sharing the the thoughts of writers as per Spector(Luke Richardson):


By Fluto Shinzawa GLOBE STAFF MAY 24, 2015

Tampa without Stamkos?

The notion sounds so goofy that it should be promptly dismissed. Steven Stamkos is Tampa Bay’s captain and signature player. But there is chatter wondering if Stamkos’s eventual blockbuster contract — he will be a UFA on July 1, 2016 — would be steep enough to prompt the Lightning to deal their captain. This speaks to several things: Stamkos’s asking price, uncertainty about the salary cap in the future, and Tampa’s depth. Stamkos’s threshold is $10.5 million, the annual numbers that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will earn starting next season. Stamkos is just as important to his club as Toews and Kane are to theirs. He probably deserves more. But the two Chicago superstars signed their extensions before the weakening of the Canadian dollar. Tyler Johnson is already a top-two center at 24 years old. Vladislav Namestnikov, 22, could become a go-to pivot. They will get raises, as will Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov, and Jonathan Drouin. Moving Stamkos is a wild thought. But some people are thinking it out loud.

From SI
BY ALLAN MUIR

Final thought: Not to panic anyone in Tampa, but the whole idea of Steven Stamkos going to Toronto when his contract expires at the end of next season doesn’t sound quite so crazy now, does it?

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m currently working on a piece for my Soapbox regarding the possibility of a Stamkos trade which I’ll post up later today. I won’t go into much detail here, other than noting the factors Shinzawa touches on are those I’m examining in greater detail. As to Muir’s comment, I’m assuming he’s referring to the Leafs hiring Mike Babcock as head coach, but if Stamkos hits the UFA market I’m guessing he’ll want to join a contender and not a rebuilding franchise, having gone through that process twice now with the Lightning.

Stay Tuned!!!!

[Axeman33]

Sure, it's possible, but not plausible.

You don't draft a kid 1st overall, groom him into being an elite player in the league, and then, once he has earned a big payday, trade him away because you don't think you can afford him.

You move other pieces so you can afford your elite players.

[Zorro]

I've actually thought about this because of the emergence of all these other players stepping it up in Tampa.. It would definitely be crazy to trade your captain!! I think they can cut costs with Garrison, Carle, Callahan, Morrow, etc.. before they get too crazy..

But how does Toronto convince Stamkos to come there?? Hey Steven, do you want to come to Toronto and endure in a 5-6 year rebuild?? You could make alot of money but have zero opportunity at a Stanley Cup!! You can come play with Nylander and Rielly, the only players we will be keeping from this current team..

[2014olympicgold]

The Boston Globe might as well be the Onion. But if someone offers you McDavid + for Stamkos ya take it, no one is untradeable. But even a fair trade would be declined. It would have to be 100% blown out of the water, overpayment for Stamkos to get traded.

He’s also only 25. Scoring title threat constantly (even in a “down yr” like this yr), he works hard, back-checks, hits when needed, and is a good leader. He deserves the payday. Plus the fans would kill Yzerman if they traded Stamkos lol. This isn’t an aging MSL being traded, and Yzerman was able to point at Stamkos and say we have him guys. You trade Stamkos, you can’t really point at Johnson yet and say the same thing.

[JagrBomb]

the ONLY way stamkos is traded is if he tells Yzerman he wants to be traded. Yzerman will do everything he can to re-sign him, even if it means throwing 10M+ at him.

[dbrzrk]

I have been predicting this for a while... He is a hometown guy (I believe markham) , grew up a leafs fan, made some cryptic comments alluding to playing for your hometown team when Lebron went back to Cleveland. And now you have the Babcock factor.

On top of all that the leafs will have their 100th anniversary in 2017, along with the allstar game, winter classic, draft, etc. IF he wins the cup with Tampa this year, I believe he will look to come to the leafs.

And why wouldn't he? Option 1. stay in Tampa, win a cup and ten years later you can be Lecavalie (and no one cares about you).... Or option 2. you come to the leafs(hometown) you've already won a Cup, all you have to do is match or do better than Doug Gilmore (conference Final) and you are a legend for the rest of your life.

I don't think the idea of moving stammer is that crazy... If he has even mentioned to Steve Yzerman that he has a desire to go home in 2016, why risk loosing him for nothing?

[blayze]

I'm salivating at the thought of Stammer in a Leafs jersey.

Can't see it though, unless they're able to get offload Phaneuf and/or Kessel's contracts.

[2014olympicgold]

I can’t see Yzerman dealing him unless he has too. A lot has to happen with the Leafs to make them desirable again for players to go. But, if they become a hot spot, more players will go like the old days. 10-15yrs ago, the Leafs were kings, everyone looked at them as the top dogs. They had the center (Sundin), they had the coach (Quinn), they had the goalie (CuJo), they had the D-men (McCabe and Kaberle), and they had the fan faves (Tucker and Domi). The people who grew-up watching that era of Leafs are 23-25yrs old, which is the demographic these players are now. IF Toronto becomes a safe place for players, maybe some want to go “home”.

Will Stamkos go? I don’t think yet/if at all. Stranger things have happened tho, maybe contract talks go bad with Yzerman (trying to save cap room for Hedman, the triplets, Bishop {my guess is he’s gone}) and Stamkos tests the open market, with the Leafs on the top of Stamkos’s list. As a fan of Stamkos (fave player), and a Leaf fan, I’d love for him to come, but I just can’t see it/want to get my hopes up. That was my mentality with Babcock, and look what happened.

[Daydream Nation]

Loaded team/Cup contender. Warm climate. Relatively anonymous. The only team he has ever played for. No state taxes in Florida.

There are many reasons why Stamkos would stay exactly where he is.

[ericdaoust]

Stamkos is not going anywhere. Some of their depth guys will be on the move over the next couple years.

And of course the possibility of a star player being made available means he's going to Toronto. Because that's always how it plays out.

[blayze]

And of course the possibility of a star player being made available means he's going to Toronto. Because that's always how it plays out.

Lindros, Leetch, Mogilny... our track record of attracting stars speaks for itself.

[Sherpa]

Lindros, Leetch, Mogilny... our track record of attracting stars speaks for itself.

Those names are 15 years old. The last big free agent to land in TO since is who? Jason Blake? Since Mogilny, the town's got a reputation of being a pressure-cooker.

If I'm a star player, I'm waiting to see what Babcock can do to minimize that reputation. If I'm Stamkos at the end of the 2016 season, I'm not sure I have an answer to this question.

[The Black Panther]

Hard to say Stamkos, unless he takes a TBay discount asking for anything less then 12m+ IMHO.

Heres Spectors take:

Lightning Could Face Tough Decision With Stamkos

by Lyle Richardson | May 24, 2015 | Soapbox | 7 comments
Until recently, it was considered inevitable the Tampa Bay Lightning will re-sign superstar captain Steven Stamkos. Several factors, however, could make this a difficult decision.
The Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle recently wrote an interesting piece suggesting today’s general managers must be smart, rational and ruthless if they wish to maintain a successful franchise under salary-cap constraints. Mirtle cited the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings as recent examples where GMs paid the price for loyalty toward their stars at the expense of roster depth. Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman could be facing a similar situation.

Re-signing Steven Stamkos could hurt the Tampa Bay Lightning over the long term.

Under Yzerman’s management, the Lightning have swiftly joined the ranks of the NHL’s top teams. They’re currently jockeying with the New York Rangers in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. Even if they fail to advance to this year’s Stanley Cup Final, they should be among the Cup contenders over the next several years.
Stamkos, of course, is a key part of that. He’s not just their captain but also the face of the Lightning franchise.
The 25-year-old center is among the NHL’s elite snipers, exceeding the 40-goal mark four times in his seven NHL seasons. He’s a two-time winner of the Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer and was twice named to the NHL Second All-Star team. He holds the Lightning record for most goals in a season ( 60 in 2011-12), led the Lightning in scoring three times (including this season) and finished second twice.
Re-signing Stamkos to a long-term extension seems like a no-brainer. However, as The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa observes, Stamkos’ asking price, uncertainty over the salary cap in the future and the Lightning’s depth could make this a difficult decision. It could force Yzerman to consider trading the superstar to ensure the Lightning possess sufficient depth to continue winning in the coming years.
Stamkos’ position among the NHL’s elite talent ensures him of a massive pay raise. He’ll either get it from the Lightning before his eligibility for unrestricted free agency next July, or another club if he hits the open market.
Currently the highest individual annual salary-cap hits belong to Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, with each earning $10.5 million. The highest actual salaries this season were paid to Nashville’s Shea Weber ($14 million), Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby ($12 million), New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist and Minnesota’s Zach Parise and Ryan Suter ($11 million each), with Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin, Toronto’s Phil Kessel and Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux each making $10 million.
Stamkos has a year remaining on his contract at an annual cap hit of $7.5 million, though in actual salary this season he made $8 million. Next season, that dips to $5.5 million. He’s going to seek top dollar from the Lightning. It’s wishful thinking to assume he’ll accept a “hometown discount.”
Yes, he loves living and playing in Tampa Bay. Yes, he wants to play for a winner, and yes, he wants to win a championship with the Lightning. But he will still want to be paid like one of the NHL’s top stars. If the Lightning won’t pony up, somebody else happily will. It’s no stretch to assume his agent will seek a deal comparable to Toews and Kane, perhaps more.
Assuming the Lightning re-up Stamkos to a seven- or eight-year deal worth $10.5 million annually, that’s going to create a serious cap crunch for the Lightning over the next two seasons when several of their young stars are due for new contracts.
If the Canadian dollar remains below .85 cents US next summer, and it’s quite possible it will, the NHL salary cap could marginally rise from the projected $71 million for 2015-16 to perhaps $73 million for 2016-17. NHLPA membershipunhappiness over high escrow payments could also ensure a marginal rise in the cap ceiling over the next couple of years if they vote against their annual five percent escalator clause.
Currently the Lightning have just under $40 million invested in 11 players for 2016-17. Factor in a $10.5 million per season cap hit for Stamkos beginning in 2016-17 and the Lightning will have roughly $50 million tied up in just 12 players for that season. Toss in, say, a combined $5 million in raises for forward Vladislav Namestnikov and blueliners Andrej Sustr and Mark Barbeiro (all restricted free agents this summer) and it’s now $55 million for 15 players. Assuming a $73 million cap for 2016-17, that leaves only $18 million to re-sign other key players in 2016.
Those players include goaltender Ben Bishop (UFA), defensemen Braydon Coburn (UFA) and Nikita Nesterov (RFA) and forwards Nikita Kucherov (one-third of the “Triplets Line”), Alex Killorn, Cedric Paquette and J.T. Brown (all RFAs). Bishop, Kucherov and Killorn are the obvious priorities. Given their current performances, it could cost nearly $14 million just to re-sign them (with half going to Bishop), leaving little to re-sign or replace the others.
It’s possible Yzerman could part ways with Bishop if one of their young goalies steps up and outplays him next season. Most likely, however, Yzerman will retain his starter, whose current cap hit is $5.95 million. Kucherov is coming off an entry-level contract without arbitration rights so an affordable two-year bridge deal at between $2.5-$3 million annually seems likely. Killorn has arbitration rights and could seek up to $4 million annually.
The fun doesn’t stop there for the Lightning. Their 2017 crop of free agents include forwards Tyler Johson and Ondrej Palat (the other two-thirds of the Triplets), Brian Boyle and Jonathan Drouin, defenseman Victor Hedman and backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Of these, all but Hedman and Boyle are restricted free agents. Drouin and Vasilevskiy will be coming off entry-level contracts.
Johnson, Palat and Hedman are the “must-signs” of this group. Given their current career projections, they’ll be in line for substantial raises. Hedman’s quietly become one of the NHL’s best defensemen. By 2017, it could cost $8 million per season to re-sign him. Johnson and Palat could each be worth that much as well. Should Drouin explode into the assist machine he’s projected to be, even a bridge contract for him could get pricey.
Assuming the Lighting re-sign all their best 2016 free agents and another marginal increase in the salary cap for 2017-18 (let’s say to $76 million), they simply won’t have enough room to re-sign all of their best 2017 free agents. Yzerman could face the stark choice of allowing his best defenseman to walk via the UFA market, or trading one or two of his top RFAs for more affordable – and likely less talented – returns.
That’s why trading away Stamkos this summer is one of those calculated, rational moves today’s general managers must make if they wish to maintain a successful franchise. It will free up $10 million in annual cap space that could be invested in keeping the bulk of the Lightning’s core intact for the next several years.
Despite Stamkos’ UFA status next summer, he will still fetch a strong return if traded this summer. The Lightning will be assured of at least a first-round pick, a top prospect and a good young player as part of the return. Those pieces can be used to maintain a well-stocked prospect pipeline, which could assure their success for a longer period of time. It could soften the blow of cycling out expensive or aging stars and perhaps avoid a significant overhaul in the near future.
If Yzerman’s re-signs Stamkos, he will either have to free up cap space in two years time by cutting into his roster depth or pray the salary cap ceiling for 2017-18 jumps to well over $80 million.
Yzerman’s done a superb job rebuilding the Lightning into a potential Stanley Cup contender in a short period of time. Given their depth in young talent, the Lightning could be a serious contender for years. How long, however, depends upon the cost of maintaining that roster.
Does Yzerman have it in him to make the smart, rational and ruthless move of trading away Stamkos? Or will he, too, eventually pay the price for loyalty? We’ll find out following this season.

[2014olympicgold]

Those names are 15 years old. The last big free agent to land in TO since is who? Jason Blake? Since Mogilny, the town's got a reputation of being a pressure-cooker.

If I'm a star player, I'm waiting to see what Babcock can do to minimize that reputation. If I'm Stamkos at the end of the 2016 season, I'm not sure I have an answer to this question.

Technically Clarkson was the last big FA signing. He was by far the biggest name that yr, who had 30goals the yr before. Jonas Gust was the next big name. Peca was technically after Lindros. Wasn’t Kessel traded on his final yr of his contract, so in a month after the trade he was hitting FA?

[The Black Panther]

Technically Clarkson was the last big FA signing. He was by far the biggest name that yr, who had 30goals the yr before. Jonas Gust was the next big name. Peca was technically after Lindros. Wasn’t Kessel traded on his final yr of his contract, so in a month after the trade he was hitting FA?

Kessel was an RFA