Is it possible Tampa bay would trade Stamkos

[gainerama]

If Stamkos signs for approx. $10 mil per year cap hit, it should be no problem to resign him long term. There's a lot of bad salaries like Carle and Garrison and guys like Filppula and Callahan are quite expendable as well. I think they are actually in really good shape to resign him.

[The Black Panther]

If Stamkos signs for approx. $10 mil per year cap hit, it should be no problem to resign him long term. There's a lot of bad salaries like Carle and Garrison and guys like Filppula and Callahan are quite expendable as well. I think they are actually in really good shape to resign him.

You think he takes 10m though? Or he shoots for tops?

[gainerama]

That's where Stamkos will need to make a tough decision. He can shoot for the tops and be the highest paid NHL player in history (and probably get it somewhere) or he can choose to take a high but workable salary and be on a winning team. He can't have both so he's the one who's got the tough decision to make, not Yzerman.

[dbrzrk]

At the end of the day I think the biggest concern for Tampa would be to allow him to hit free agency. If he does I believe he will go back home and join the Leafs, particularly if he wins a cup this year.

IF he wins a cup , he would have already made millions in his short career, lived in the obscurity in a sunny locale and won his cup... As a man, what more do you have to accomplish in life? All that is left for him is raise a family and ensure his legacy is in tact... Naturally raising a family in your hometown among your family and friends makes sense... And ANYONE in hockey knows, if you want to be immortalized... win a cup in Toronto. Otherwise your just another Vinny lecavalie., who shortly after your career is over, no one will care about you...

[pmorrow]

I think they'll keep him. I know there's all the talk about having a cap-crunch, but I just don't see them getting rid of him in order to keep lesser players. They'll have to trade the Killorn, Palat, Filppula, Callahan types to make room for his and Johnson's salary

[blayze]

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.

Apparently sarcasm does not translate over the intraweb...

[Zorro]

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?

Anything is possible that's forsure.. But I'm not sure Stamkos is counting the days before he can be a part of the Leafs 100th year anniversary team, let alone the all-star game, the winter classic, or the draft that's being held in Toronto..

[yougo]

I think they'll keep him. I know there's all the talk about having a cap-crunch, but I just don't see them getting rid of him in order to keep lesser players. They'll have to trade the Killorn, Palat, Filppula, Callahan types to make room for his and Johnson's salary

The good thing about Tampa is that they have the depth to do such moves. Their farm is loaded with young players with NHL upside. Drouin,Erne,Namestnikov,Point,DeAngelo,Koekkoek. Bishop doesn't make a ton of money , but he can still be move if necessary.

Sad to say but as a Habs fan, I'm not thrilled that Tampa is in our division. They are going to be scary for the next decade.

[dbrzrk]

Anything is possible that's forsure.. But I'm not sure Stamkos is counting the days before he can be a part of the Leafs 100th year anniversary team, let alone the all-star game, the winter classic, or the draft that's being held in Toronto..

I'm not saying Stammer is counting the days to be part of those festivities, I'm just saying there is an allure to playing hockey in Toronto, with all the history, most guys can't handle or don't want the spotlight...Stamkos comes off as someone who wants it, he wants to be the best and in the biggest market. He comes off as a type of player that appreciates history, and has a desire to build a lasting legacy.

[Kofax]

I'm with most people here in that Tampa will do everything they can to retain him. It will not be their decision if he decides to leave.

I'm also in the boat that thinks anything is possible, but doubt he will be leaving Tampa for Toronto. These rumours come up all the time because the Toronto media needs something to report on, so they generate their own news and speculation. It happened with Nash, and the Sedins before that? The topic remains the same, the player just changes, but the result doesn't.

[dbrzrk]

I'm with most people here in that Tampa will do everything they can to retain him. It will not be their decision if he decides to leave.

I'm also in the boat that thinks anything is possible, but doubt he will be leaving Tampa for Toronto. These rumours come up all the time because the Toronto media needs something to report on, so they generate their own news and speculation. It happened with Nash, and the Sedins before that? The topic remains the same, the player just changes, but the result doesn't.

This is a very good point, but the Babcock factor changes everything in my opinion.

[2014olympicgold]

I'm with most people here in that Tampa will do everything they can to retain him. It will not be their decision if he decides to leave.

I'm also in the boat that thinks anything is possible, but doubt he will be leaving Tampa for Toronto. These rumours come up all the time because the Toronto media needs something to report on, so they generate their own news and speculation. It happened with Nash, and the Sedins before that? The topic remains the same, the player just changes, but the result doesn't.

Boston Globe would prolly be Boston’s media doing it this time, but it did start with someone in Toronto, looking at Stamkos’s contract on CapGeek and saying omg his contract ends soon! He’ll go to Toronto!

And that was when Lebron James was rumoured to be going home to Cleveland when his contract was up. It’s a load of bullspit, but anyone can be traded, and anything can happen. That’s literally the only thing driving the story

[fungchen3]

If Stamkos is steadfast on exploring UFA after next season, sure, there is a possibility he could be traded. But why would Stamkos want to leave? Tampa appears to be a very cozy situation for him to say the least - good money, good lifestyle, beloved, great team, competitive, etc. There's no reason for him to jump ship IMO.

[yougo]

This is a very good point, but the Babcock factor changes everything in my opinion.

Jon Cooper is becoming one of the best coach in the league. I don't think Stamkos would leave his teammates and everything he's done in Tampa to start again just to play for a coach who might be just a little better than Babcock.

[ericdaoust]

good money, good lifestyle, beloved, great team, competitive, etc.

Not to mention his team has made it to the semi-final twice already.