End of an era as Steven Stamkos leaves Lightning, signs with Predators

TAMPA — For the past 16 years, Steven Stamkos has been seen all over Tampa Bay. From the side of Amalie Arena, on billboards and benches, he’s been the face of the Lightning franchise since he was anointed the savior of the organization as an 18-year-old No. 1 draft pick.

He has lifted the Stanley Cup twice, worn the C on his chest with pride and humility, and been the leading figure in the most prolific decade of Lightning hockey. On the ice, he was an elite scorer; in the locker room, he was a consummate leader. He visited hospitals, he presented checks to the Ronald McDonald House, he gave a generation of Lightning fans a superstar they were proud to call their own.

But now Stamkos, the one player who many thought would wear a bolt on his chest for the entirety of his career, will play for the Predators, signing a four-year deal with Nashville for an average annual value of $8 million, per multiple national reports.

Until the past few days, fans had hope that the Lightning and their longest-tenured player would make amends and reach an agreement to keep Stamkos in Tampa Bay.

General manager Julien BriseBois had tried, and failed, in the past to keep home-grown players like Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. In Stamkos’ case, BriseBois found the money to make it work, but didn’t budge from his initial offer and ultimately looked elsewhere to improve the team.

Both Stamkos and the Lightning had expressed a desire to get a deal done. Stamkos in September voiced his frustration that the team didn’t approach him about an extension last offseason. BriseBois said there would be no offer until the end of the season, which he admitted was a gamble. But he said he needed to see the 2023-24 season through before determining how Stamkos would fit into the franchise’s future.

BriseBois initiated contract discussions as soon as the Lightning were eliminated by Florida in the first round, but he didn’t budge from his take-it-or-leave-it offer, which was believed to be in the $3 million average annual value range. When extension talks stalled in June, the Lightning pivoted. At last week’s draft, BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent, Don Meehan, agreed it would be best for both sides to pursue other dance partners.

And what a pivot it was.

The Lightning traded away highest-paid defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Tanner Jeannot. With the cap space accumulated, BriseBois targeted one of the top pending free agents, trading for forward Jake Guentzel’s rights Sunday and working out a seven-year deal. They also are trying to extend defenseman Victor Hedman to prevent him from going into the final contract of his season uncertain of his future with the team.

The irony of Stamkos’ landing spot is that in May, the Lightning re-acquired defenseman Ryan McDonagh from Nashville, and McDonagh’s first call was to Stamkos, happy that they were reuniting a lost piece of the team’s Cup championship core. But in the end, the two friends were ships passing in the night. Nashville general manager Barry Trotz essentially used the cap space he received in moving McDonagh to lure Stamkos.

Despite a slow start, Stamkos showed his value this past season, particularly when the Lightning were in danger of missing the playoffs at midseason. Stamkos elevated his game, as the team compiled the NHL’s third-best record over the second half. He scored 16 goals in the final 17 games, including seven on the power play. His 19 power-play goals for the season ranked third in the NHL.

Stamkos was the Lightning’s best skater in the playoffs, compiling five goals and six points in the first-round series against Florida, including a two-goal, one-assist game in a Game 4 win at Amalie Arena that allowed Tampa Bay to avoid being swept.

But BriseBois made it clear that his chief offseason priority was making the Lightning a better defensive team — they ranked 22nd in the league in goals allowed — and Stamkos’ career-worst minus-21 ratio last season left room for improvement.

Stamkos now takes his legacy elsewhere. He is one of only three active players with 500 goals and 1,000 points, joining Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

Stamkos owns essentially every Lightning individual career record, including goals (555), points (1,137), power-play goals (214) and games played (1,082). His 582 assists trail Marty St. Louis by six.

This story will be updated.

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