From The Silky Mitten State: With the Red Wings in need of a top six boost and Steven Stamkos out of contract in Tampa, could his next stop be in Detroit?
It's not every day that a 500-goal scorer hits the free agent market, but it's a very real possibility this summer, should Steven Stamkos (and his 555 career goals) and the Tampa Bay Lightning fail to arrive at a contract extension before July 1st.
The front cover of The Hockey News vol. 69, issue 16, released May 27, 2016, features Steven Stamkos as the headliner for an extensive free agency preview.Stamkos has hit free agency before—in 2016, still in his prime, and as coveted a free agent as the league has seen. This time around, Stamkos won't be quite so in demand as he was at age 26, but he could still conceivably command a robust contract from the right suitor.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitte State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed Stamkos' potential free agency, as well as whether he could fit in Detroit should he elect to leave the Lightning. We touched on his potential role with the Red Wings, the triumph and tragedy of his Tampa career, and how many years the 34-year-old still has left in the tank.
You can catch an excerpt of that conversation in the clip above. For full episodes of the show, check out Spotify or Apple Podcasts: