Did Tampa make a mistake letting Stamkos walk? 

How will Tampa fair without Steven Stamkos on their team next season?

I dont know if signing Stamkos at 8x4 would have been a good idea. But not even speaking to a cornerstone of your organization isnt a good look.

Letting him walk was a mistake. Low balling at 3 mil is insane. May as well told him to 🤬 off. Maybe a lowball 5.5-6 to hope for that may have been appropriate, but this 3mill and let him walk wasn't a bright move.

Facts: You can't think about Lightnings without thinking about Stamkos. Like you can't talk about the Penguins without thinking about Crosby.

I agree, they shouldn’t have let him walk.

Huge........HUGE F'up by Brisebois. Stammer was not only a great player that contributes every game, but he was the true definition of a leader on and off the ice. This trade might even affect the mindset of the other players in the locker room, and the way they play.

It’ll be really bad for the locker room

Stamkos was becoming a one-dimensional powerplay scorer who benefitted greatly playing with 100 assist man Kucherov. I doubt he is as nearly as productive next season, let alone as he moves into his mid/late 30s. Tampa Bay did well to walk away, rather than make the mistake other teams make hanging on to players for too long.

Thats why it blows my mind when we see other Hockey analysts saying Jake is better than Stammer.

Business is business. Stammer did everything he had to do and it is unfortunate it ended this way, but in Smashville he will bring them to another level and motivated Stammer will play with a chip on his shoulder.

I’m disgusted, how did ownership let thus slide

Lot of similarities here with how SJ (which I'm a fan of) treated Pavelski back in 2019.. I don't see TBL falling off in the same way but losing our captain created a huge void in the leadership core and that was the beginning of the end. On top of that, Pavelski went on to play some of the best hockey of his career.

They will when they miss the playoffs next year.

for reference, stamkos had the worst +/- on the team last year and was on pp1. guentzel started the year on a bad penguins team and was a +25. that’s a 46 point difference. so yes, JG is the better long-term investment. stamkos has slipped in his 5 on 5 play the past couple years. he also scored 19 of ho 40 goals on the PP. in JBB's press conference monday night of free agency day, he said that "steven had a financial expectation of what he wanted to get paid". there's no way in reality that steven was going to take $4m-$5m aav lol. GM's can get and have gotten fired for too much loyalty. VGK (as an example) proved that a cutthroat, not-giving-a-fu*k attitude can win you a cup. the salary cap (circa 2005) put an end to the era of "thank you for your service" contracts. giving those legacy deals might make casual fans feel warm and fuzzy inside, but it doesn't help the team win, either short-term or long-term. at the end of the day JBB's job is to keep the TBL moving, not to keep players that want to be here, at the expense of the overall best interests of the team. ⚡

So happy Wings signed Tarasenko rather than Stamkos at 8 mil…. 8 mil is nutty imo.

That man gave them everything and they offered him 3 mill a season.

I wouldn't pay a 34 year old 8 million if the Leafs offered that to extend Tavares the fans would freak. Players into steep decline at that age and lose a step.

Big mistake for years 1 and 2 not sure about years 3 and 4 Stammer is a beauty but he gets hurt a lot

Fresh new start. Why not eh ?

I think his prime is past and was becoming one dimensional. I think it was the right call.

Yes

This os twice tampa has jst let go of the face of the franchise. Unreal bad move on bolts

Of course. Absolute garbage move and the beginning of the end.

INDEED...

No. Your welcome. 😂

This dude sounds like a child 😂