Let the NHL's Steven Stamkos Sweepstakes Begin: Three Attractive Landing Spots

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Steven Stamkos are headed to July 1 without a contract, and the team is already trying to sign someone else. Jacob Stoller lists three potential fits for Stamkos' second NHL team.

Updated (11:20 a.m. ET): The Steven Stamkos sweepstakes won’t be the same as in 2016. 

By the time the summer of 2016 rolled around, Stamkos had scored the second-most goals of any NHL player during his first eight years in the league (312). 

While Stamkos was more than worth his $8.5-million cap hit over the last eight years in Tampa Bay — registering three 40-plus goal seasons, the latest of which coming last year — there’s no shying away from the fact that, at 34, he’s on the back-nine of his career.

Given the frustration he voiced at the beginning of the year for not having a deal done, GM Julien BriseBois' recent comments on the matter and the fact the Lightning just acquired the signing rights to Jake Guentzel from the Carolina Hurricanes, it appears there’s not much chance Stamkos returns to Tampa Bay.

"As of now, we've both agreed to go to July 1," BriseBois told reporters on Saturday. 

“The plan is for Steven to test the free agent market," he said. "Our respective positions haven't changed following today's trades. I understand that when you get this close to free agency, it can be tempting to see what the market has to offer to you.”

So, where could he go? The following three teams are attractive landing spots for him.

Stamkos would be the perfect consolation for Jake Guentzel leaving.

The Hurricanes have long needed more finishers in their top six — which is why they got Guentzel in the first place — and even more so now if they trade Martin Necas or lose him to an offer sheet.

Stamkos would provide a huge boost to a Hurricanes power play that faltered in the playoffs. They converted on just 19.4 percent of their opportunities after posting the second-best power play in the regular season at 26.9 percent.

Carolina has just over $23.87 million in cap space at its disposal — despite most of its roster being signed long-term. Seth Jarvis is their biggest pending RFA, and AFP Analytics predicts his next contract could carry a $7.925-million cap hit if it's long-term. That said, they have 16 of 23 active roster spaces filled, with seven pending UFAs as well, per PuckPedia.

Adding the two-time Stanley Cup champion is exactly what the Hurricanes need to get over the hump.

Predators GM Barry Trotz is ready to go big fish hunting.

“We'll be a prime target for free agents to come to and I think that we will be active in free agency as much as we can,” Trotz told reporters on Thursday.

Stamkos would be the perfect addition to a Predators squad that needs more star power up front. While they finished 10th in goals per game during the regular season (3.24), Nashville only had three players record north of 60 points, and they managed to score just two goals per game in the post-season.

The Preds have star power in Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Juuse Saros. They’ve also got $26.3 million in cap space to spend this summer, plus a plethora of draft capital that Trotz will surely weaponize on the trade market.

Oh, and Tennessee has no state income tax.

Coming off a collapse that saw Detroit lose its playoff spot and miss the psot-season for an eighth straight year, GM Steve Yzerman ought to be feeling the pressure.

While the Red Wings have a decent core in Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, they still look like a mushy-middle team, even with a few tweaks here or there.

They need someone like Stamkos. And for a player who might be signing his last contract, depending on the term, the fit outside of hockey may be one of the most important things as well. Detroit is just four hours away from Stamkos’ off-season home in Toronto.

Detroit recently cleared up cap space when they traded Jake Walman to San Jose, leaving them with roughly $31.87 million in salary cap space — though the impending extensions to Raymond and Seider will shrink that figure. 

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