Looking back on the Captain's exit. Who's to blame? Trade rumor mill starts to turn

[@scottbaron121]

Listen...and this is coming from a FAN: These decisions are hard to make...but NECESSARY. Vinny. Marty. These guys didn't finish their career in Tampa. JBB has done a helluva job making this team YOUNGER and COMPETITIVE over the LONG TERM. It sucks that Stammer won't finish his career here. It DOES. But bringing in a YOUNGER replacement (Guentzel) has made this team a NOT Pittsburgh. Do you want Stammer and a degradation of the TEAM, over the long term or do you want a potential WINNING team for the future? This CURRENT team has a great, YOUNG core. Kuch is the "old man"...and he's 30. Our NEW core is Kuch, Hagle, Paul, Cirelli, Guentzel, Point...that's one HELL of a top 6. Our D should be better. JBB did the best he could for the FRANCHISE. And THAT is what matters.

[@Константин-т7ь2м]

Why do we need Vatrano? He'll be 31 years old in March 2025. You could trade Kaliyev from LAК, as an option to Tampa Bay. Young players with potential are required. It is absolutely necessary to attract more young people to the roster, that Geekie, that Groshev, that Goncalves. We are in trouble with the RD position and that problem needs to be addressed.

[@jimybourassa4369]

To be honest, the idea of trading out Perbix at the D line is not stupid. With the arrivals of Moser and McDonagh plus the steady place of Hedman, Raddysh and Cernak in the lineup. There is one spot left in the lineup for Perbix, Crozier and Lilleberg. Perbix played great on its first year but at times last year, I prefered to see Lilleberg or Crozier holding the puck and they are showing more grit or more intensity in the playoffs than what Perbix showed against Toronto and Florida so to trade Perbix now, is not necessarily a bad move and he will get plenty of times in Anaheim in a younger chore of players. Also, if we trade Gauthier two trade picks plus Perbix just to get Vatrano, it would feel like in total opposition to what we did with the Guentzel-Stamkos swap and Sergachev trade which was about making Tampa younger, regaining prospects, building a competitive team while keeping a descent prospect pool. Giving too much could be a Jeannot 2.0 although Vatrano would definitely be a great addition for us. Now Zegras I am a little mixed feelings about him. When you just think about him and what he needs, it's to be traded elsewhere, it's not a fit in Anaheim. He's 23 years old which means he's still young which means his good years are ahead of him, could give Cooper a lot of options with him and Guentzel both able to play on both 1st and 2nd lines. Brings offensive punch. It's kind of a guess but this player is one of creativity and skills to create plays. He makes me think of Drouin at the beginning of his career and Drouin thrive in Tampa while he was there, there's a Lightning structure Zegras could fit into and the lightning work ethics culture could help him become more mature and more of a two way player. The issue I have is this one. Trading for Zegras would cost a lot, despite what I said above, what if it didn't work? What are the amount of draft picks or prospects were trading to Anaheim in exchange for a player which is a guess. Also, Zegras has a cap hit of 5,7 million, we're busting the cap if we acquire him, this would mean salary cap retention in Anaheim which has a price or other side moves like getting rid of Sheary would have to occur and would change the team's image.

[@aecon13]

I'd see is I could unload Shery in the deal somehow, especially if you end up getting Zegres and his cap hit into the conversation, I'm okay in theory to a trade that swaps Vatrano for Perbix/EG as the base of the package. Not sure what we'd have to give up for Zegres, without a Cenak/Gudas swap being part of the arrangement, with Ana haolding onto some of Gudas cap hit.

[@kylegiesbrecht213]

To offer a guy 40% of his open market value is a huuuuge insult. To consider a 40 goal scorer would take anything less than 5.5(even at that aav is still very very low) he was never treated as good as the other stars in Tampa bay. On the other side, I think it was good to walk away from him to keep their window open for maybe another 2-3 years longer

[@Saint_Anger79]

Stammer's already made bank, he wanted more $$ knowing our cap situation... He made a business decision for himself valuing his services to the top bidder, no hard feelings, best of luck, and thanks for the memories Stammer, but one can say not a very Captain like move knowing ur team's circumstances.

[@beverlyb1881]

Tired of hearing so much negativity re: Briesbois, Lightning and Vinik. Stammer toast of Nashville, good for him. Can we start a market blitz for our new team please! Get fanbase proud of Lightning again a d excited for new season!

[@invecta18]

I think that not keeping Stamkos is tragic , to be honest. I have read by Eric Ericsson that the amount offered was 3 million? doesn't sound credible. Here is the thing . We will never know exactly that amount really was and it will be kept under raps unless Stamkos of JB tells us. Any other amount that you hear is just someone making it up. What we do know it that it was not enough for Stamkos. Just a wild guess, I could have seen it as being about 6 mil. and I will guess Stamkos ego would not take that. Now I do understand his point. He is a 40 goal scorer, a captain , a leader and certainly one of the very, very best players on and off the ice for the lightning and the NHL for that matter. I can see why he fells his is worth more and he is. The problem is the Lightning have other top players that are taking up all the cap space. So he will make about the same in Nashville, minus being able to live here. being a part of a team he built, playing with players he is very connected to, etc, etc, etc. At 8 million a year for 8 years, he has to have plenty of money unless he was M C Hammer,. For an extra 1 1/2 million a year, given the cost of living being cheaper here. etc, I think he should have stayed here. If he only got a million a year like a few other players have done to finish their careers, he still would have a rich mans fortune to live on. After you have 40 or 50 million dollars, doesn't the quality of life factor in ? I know I would have considered the lightning gave me a huge salary and an ideal team to play for and I think he should have paid it back. My take.

[@coreyhessler1626]

I may sound like a bitter die hard Lightning fan but I blame Stamkos. He was fully aware of our cap situation and what we needed personel wise to contend for the cup again. In no way on planet earth could we pay him 8 million AAV and still contend for a cup. Julian definitely holds some blame with his 3 million AAV offer, but he understands the cap and how we are up against it. The fact Stamkos went to the media and made it personal makes it seem to me like he was defending himself because he knew he was being guilty of being a little bit greedy. Perception is reality.... I think it's ironic he went to Nashville. My brother lives on 5th and Broadway with his balcony facing Bridgestone arena, and yes he is a die hard Lightning fan too.

[@invecta18]

I really agree with you totally. Here is point I would make, That amount of 3 mil is just a speculation coming out of someone's butt. We will never really know what exactly he was offered unless Stamkos or Julien BriseBois tells us. That info will be kept private and some sports writer will speculate an amount, in this case 3 million, and other writes will repeat that amount as fact and it certainly is not. I will speculate it was probably more, and Stamkos did not want to take a lesser contract. I am guessing he wanted the same deal he has had and with the cap and other player getting bigger money, as Stamkos has done for 8 years, it was not possible. He got serious money for 8 years, Captain of the team, 2 Stanley cup wins, and one of the best franchisees in the NHL. . He has way more money that anyone would need for a luxurious lifetime of living and he still couldn't pay it back by taking less for some reason. I blame Stamkos and this is my speculation without fact and I totally agree with you.

[@kylegiesbrecht213]

Also if you’re worth 100k a year why would you entertain making 30k a year. Put that into perspective and you would laugh at whoever offered that out of the room