The Vegas Golden Knights have entered the Steven Stamkos conversation.
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Vegas and the Nashville Predators are “believed to be in the mix” to sign upcoming Tampa Bay Lightning’s free agent Steven Stamkos once he gets to the open market on July 1 at noon ET.
“With #VGK moving on from Jonathan Marchessault, sources tell @DailyFaceoff that the Golden Knights are positioning themselves to take a run at Steven Stamkos on Monday – should he make it to market. Can’t firmly rule out one last push from Tampa Bay,” Seravalli reported past midnight on July 1.
Shortly after he published the initial report on Vegas entering the Stamkos sweepstakes, Seravalli mentioned more suitors. Those include the Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and New Jersey Devils.
“In addition to Vegas, #preds are believed to be in the mix for Stamkos, along with potentially #LGRW, #LAKings and even #njdevils. Fascinating market,” Seravalli wrote.
The Lightning, however, still stand a chance of re-signing Stamkos even as an unrestricted free agent. Seravalli believes Tampa Bay can’t be “firmly ruled out” when it comes to making “one last push” to sign their captain.
Will Tampa Bay Let Steven Stamkos Walk?
Stamkos has played 16 NHL seasons, all with the Lightning. Tampa Bay drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft.
The two-time Stanley Cup winner has 555 career goals and 582 assists for 1,137 lifetime points, carrying the Lightning to four Stanley Cup Finals.
Stamkos is coming off scoring 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games in 2024 helping the franchise to reach the playoffs once again. That said, Tampa Bay crashed out of the postseason in the first round at the hands of the reigning champions Florida Panthers.
Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan, via text message to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, revealed the veteran would reach unrestricted free agency in July.
“(Stamkos) will be a free agent on July 1,” Meehan texted LeBrun on June 28.
Shortly after that, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois confirmed on Sunday, June 30, that the franchise and its captain had “agreed to get to July 1.”
“As of now, we’ve both agreed to get to July 1,” BriseBois said via Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com. “It doesn’t mean we can’t circle back to one another, but we’re both going to go ahead and follow through with our due diligence, seeing what’s out there and seeing what’s best.
“My responsibility is to see what’s best for the Lightning organization, and Steven has to do what’s best for him, his career and his family. So, unless something changes between now and July 1 — and it doesn’t look like it will — we will get to July 1.”
Stamkos just completed the last of an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 cap hit) signed on June 29, 2016.
Golden Knights Creating Room to Land Steven Stamkos
Whether they’re chasing Stamkos or not, the Golden Knights will risk losing forward and “Original Misfit” Jonathan Marchessault as he will become a free agent on July 1.
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that the two sides had failed to agree to a deal before midnight on June 30. Consequently, Marchessault will be free to negotiate with all 32 franchises from July 1 on.
“Jonathan Marchessault is headed to market Monday. Unable to come to terms with the Vegas Golden Knights,” LeBrun reported a few minutes into July 1.
Marchessault, still 33 years old, is coming off completing a six-year, $30 million contract signed in 2018. He scored 32 goals in the 2024 season for the Golden Knights, but everything pointed toward a break in the relationship judging by the latest updates.
The Golden Knights only have $1.8 million in cap space entering the free-agent market. Even if they let Marchessault walk to sign Stamkos, the franchise will still need to keep making moves and opening space to land the Lightning’s captain.
Evolving Hockey projects Stamkos to sign a four-year, $8.7 million deal. The Athletic projects the forward to sign a contract with a slightly lower $8.4 million AAV.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Lightning’s Steven Stamkos Linked to ‘Positioning’ Golden Knights appeared first on Heavy.com.