Steven
Stamkos will not be traded at the deadline, those are Steve Yzerman's words,
not mine. Steve Yzerman went public with a statement on Monday, February 15th
and announced that Steven Stamkos will not be traded by the February 29th trade
deadline. It's quite rare to see a star of Stamkos' calibre go this deep into a
season as a pending UFA, but here we are, and many don't think he will re-sign
with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We'll be taking a look at five possible
destinations for Steven Stamkos.
Vancouver
Canucks
Vancouver
lacks a true number one centre going forward. The Sedins are slowing down and
the Canucks will have a ton of cap space to work with this summer. I can see
the Canucks throwing the bank at him. Will Stamkos even entertain the offer?
Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Nashville Predators
Nashville
has always lacked the game changer offensively. They picked up Johansen this
season in the Seth Jones trade, but I see them making a significant offer for
Stamkos. Nashville is an underrated American hockey market, and Stamkos as the
number one centre with Johansen as the number two would fix their offensive
problems.
Detroit Red Wings
Datsyuk and
Zetterberg are nearing the end of their careers. If the Red Wings can get their
hands on Stamkos, it fills the void that Datsyuk and Zetterberg will leave.
Dylan Larkin is not suited to jump into a top centre role this early in his
career. Stamkos would slide in and keep the Red Wings a contender while they
build up Larkin behind him.
Toronto Maple Leafs
It's hard
to see Stamkos going to Toronto, but I wanted to address it. Toronto is four to
five years away from even contending for a playoff spot. That exact reason is
why Stamkos will not sign in Toronto. He's entering his hockey prime and will
want to win in the next four to five years, not just begin to battle for a
playoff spot.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Stamkos
staying with Tampa Bay seems quite probable. The team is poised to be a cup
contender for the next five years. There are rumblings that Stamkos and coach
Jon Cooper don't see eye to eye, but winning fixes everything. If Tampa Bay can
make a solid run and make it back to the Cup final, I see Stamkos re-signing
without a doubt.
I hope you
enjoyed the read, where do you think Stamkos will land?
Labels: Matt Hawryluk