Steven Stamkos has accepted a $ 32 million contract over four years to join Nashville predators, The team announced on Monday.
The 34 -year -old Stamkos were with the tampa bay lightning since the franchise selected it with the overall choice n ° 1 at the NHL 2008.
A lack of contract extension talks between Stamkos and the director general of Lightning, Julien Brisebois during the regular season, was a sign that a return to Tampa was not guaranteed. After the last blow discussions in recent weeks have occurred anywhere, the Stamkos agent said that the Lightning legend “was going on July 1” Test the market for free agents.
“To be honest, I found myself asking the same question and the more I speak of people to everyone seems to share this same feeling, which is confusing and strange,” said Stamkos when asked him On Sportsnet where negotiations went south. “In the end, there was no doubt that I was ready to put it all to stay a member of the Lightning of Tampa Bay.”
“We wanted it to end and retire with the Lightning of Tampa Bay,” said Stamkos. “It certainly did not work, but ultimately, to look at you in the mirror, you must be honest with yourself, know your self-value, know what fidelity and respect mean for you and move on. And that is why it was so exciting for our family. Once we have somehow overcome this bump, we are a little zero in a few teams, how the terms of approval, Mutual conditions.
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Lightning acquired negotiation rights to Jake Guentzel of the Hurricanes of Carolina and signed the striker with a nine -year -old $ 63 million contract. GUENTZEL, who was to be a very coveted free agent without restriction, has four years younger than Stamkos and has scored at least 30 goals in each of the last three seasons.
Stamkos “excited for the next chapter” with the predators
Before the agreement was appointed official, Stamkos, who had been a Lightning captain since 2014, went to X to say goodbye to Tampa. In 16 seasons with The Lightning, he scored 555 goals and 1,137 points, won two Rocket Richard trophies as a top scorer in the League, and led the Discupive Titles of the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.
It was a first hour in charge of the NHL free agency for the predators of the GM Barry Trotz. With Stamkos, he added striker Jonathan Marchessault (five, 27.5 million dollars) and defender Brady Skjei (seven, $ 49 million).
