May 1, 2024 | 11:14am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

LIGHTNING KICKSTART TALKS WITH STAMKOS, HEDMAN

Steven Stamkos, centre

With their season now over, the Tampa Bay Lightning have already shifted their focus towards the 2024-25 campaign and GM Julien BriseBois has started the process of contract discussions with captain Steven Stamkos and superstar defenceman Victor Hedman.

Speaking with the media Wednesday morning, BriseBois acknowledged that he spoke with Stamkos after their Game 5 loss to the Florida Panthers and chatted with his agent, as well. He also confirmed reaching out to Hedman’s agent about his next contract.

Stamkos is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, while Hedman has one more year remaining on his contract and can sign an extension starting July 1.

“Obviously, Steven Stamkos needs a contract, and we want him part of that group,” BriseBois said. “You all saw how, from the trade deadline on, Stammer elevated his level of play, which was incredible to see. For someone who, you can say, has already earned his Hall of Fame plaque, has accomplished so much already, and has been accomplishing so much for so long, for him to play arguably the best two months of hockey of his career – it started around the trade deadline and carried it all the way through that series against the Panthers – for him to do that at the time our team needed it most was incredible. You were all able to see how he led on the ice. What’s hard to see is how he elevated his leadership game off the ice.”

Actual contract negotiations will formally begin in the near future, but BriseBois made it clear the team’s priority is to get both players locked up to new deals.

Stamkos has voiced his desire to remain in Tampa and could sign a multi-year extension anywhere from the two-year to five-year range. The average annual value of his next contract, though, may be a mystery.

Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brayden Point all share the team’s highest AAV at $9.5 million each. It’s unclear if Stamkos or Hedman would command more.

“Obviously, we’d love to keep Victor going forward. He’s an elite defenceman. He’s one of those special, all-time players and all-time great Tampa Bay Lightning.

“We have a better understanding of where the cap is, at least now and next year. There is a new CBA that’s going to come in at some point. There are rumours of expansion drafts. We’re trying to factor all that in, but the plan would be to keep Victor going forward.”

Meanwhile, there has been recent speculation over the future of Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, however TFP’s David Pagnotta confirmed he is signed through the 2025-26 season.