The Tampa Bay Lightning has no intention of trading their captain, Steven Stamkos, according to general manager Julien BriseBois.
Stamkos entered the 2023-24 NHL season in the final year of his contract. Many believed that Lightning would try to get something in return for him instead of letting him walk as a free agent, but BriseBois refuted this notion in a chat with reporters earlier this week.
“Steven Stamkos isn’t getting traded,” said BriseBois. “We can put that one to bed. If anyone was speculating on that, that’s not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.”
BriseBois added that there still might be a future for Stamkos, who has 41 points in 41 games this season, in Tampa Bay after the 2023-24 campaign.
“We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to evaluate where we are as a team and where Steven is,” he said. “We will see how we can make all of the parts work together.”
Steven Stamkos spent his entire career with the Lightning. Since making his debut with the franchise in 2008-09, Stamkos played in 1044 games, scoring 533 goals and dishing 564 assists for a total of 1,097 points. He helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups and owns a number of franchise records, including most career points and most career goals.
