The Tampa Bay Lighting have opened training camp, although the NHL team still has unfinished business with team captain Steven Stamkos.
The 33-year-old forward has yet to get clarity on his contract situation, something he admits has been a disappointment, ESPN reported.
"Yeah, to be honest I've been disappointed in the lack of talking in that regard," said the long-time Lightning captain. "It was something I expressed at the end of last year that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations...I'm ready whenever, I guess that was something I didn't see coming and it is what it is."
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Stamkos is in the final year of his eight-year $68 million contract with the Lightning. The final year of that deal includes an AAV of $8.5 million.
The top pick of the 2008 NHL Draft expressed his desire to stay on with the Lightning. But given his age and injury history, contract extension talks may be stalled with the Tampa Bay Lightning head honchos trying to crunch numbers.
Also, the Lightning may only be open to a short-term deal. It could be similar to what Claude Giroux and Joe Pavelski got in recent years, the Daily Faceoff suggested.
Stamkos future with the Lightning uncertain
This could be a problem for the Lightning under the watch of general manager Julien BriseBois. His focus is to make sure that the team remains an annual Stanley Cup contender. However, the salary cap has become a worry, a reason why the team may need to take out some key pieces - including Stamkos.
"In order for us to do that in future years, we're going to need to spend our cap dollars as wisely as possible. In order for me to do that, I feel like I need to gather more information. I need to see how this season plays out," the Lightning general manager said in a report from the Tampa Bay Times.
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