MAJOR: Bombshell Emerges Regarding Steven Stamkos' Future in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been Stanley Cup contenders for the better part of a decade now. A lot of that success is due to the play of superstar forward Steven Stamkos. Now Stamkos is entering the last year of his contract and his future in Tampa is in doubt.

Rumors have been flying in regard to the future of Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay. Stamkos had said he was disappointed with the lack of dialogue between the two sides this offseason. Today NHL insider Pierre LeBrun shed some light on where things are at in negotiations.

The Lightning will have a massive decision to make with Stamkos. He has been the face of the franchise since being drafted first overall in 2008.

The Tampa Bay Lightning missed out on the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2018-19 last season. They bring back the same core group to take another shot at making it back to the finals this season. Their franchise goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was diagnosed with a back injury in training camp.

With Vasilevskiy out for a couple of months their offense, including Stamkos, will have to step up. Stamkos' play this season will likely determine if he ends up being a Tampa Bay Lightning for life or if he is looking for a new home next season. The Lightning have rocked with the same core since they began contending so letting Stamkos go would be a major change from their normal strategy.

As the season goes along this story will likely only intensify. The closer we get to Stamkos becoming a free agent the more media and fans will speculate on his next destination.

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