If it were up to Julien BriseBois, Steven Stamkos would be back next season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meeting with members of the press on Wednesday, two days after his team’s elimination in five games in the first round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers, the Lightning general manager said he was committed to doing what was necessary to retain the services of his captain, who could become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“I spoke briefly with Stammer when we landed after Game 5. I spoke to his agent yesterday. […] It is obviously a priority for us to see if we can find common ground. »
When asked if he had any doubts about his chances of convincing the 34-year-old veteran, Brisebois said he was “very confident” of succeeding. “We want him to be part of the team. »
Stamkos has just completed the final year of an 8-year contract that paid him $8.5 million per season. The sniper confirmed that he had a brief discussion with his GM and that he is looking forward to the next ones, but that it is difficult to predict at the moment whether it will be possible to reach an agreement.
“I am very attached to this city. I just played my 16th season there, it’s crazy when you think about it! I definitely don’t feel it physically and mentally, because I still love coming to the rink every day. I enjoy interacting with the fans. Everything about hockey in this city is amazing and I love it. Everyone has been fantastic to my family and I over the years.
“Between the day I got here and today, it’s almost night and day in terms of what hockey and this city mean to each other. It’s been fun to witness it all and I hope it doesn’t stop there for me. »
His head coach Jon Cooper confided after the elimination of his team that he had a hard time imagining Stamkos in other colors next season.
“I don’t know if there’s going to be much discussion on the issue. I hope not. He belongs here. »
“He is in control of his future. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it seems to be a bolt for life,” Cooper added.
Champion scorer of the circuit, Stamkos played 1,082 regular season games with the Lightning in his career, scoring 555 goals and amassing 1,137 points, two highs in the history of the organization.
In 79 games this season, he has scored 40 goals and collected 41 assists. In the series against the Panthers, he shined with five goals and an assist in five games.
Cooper, the man for the job
All the rumors surrounding Jon Cooper’s future with the Lightning seem to have been dismissed on Wednesday by BriseBois.
BriseBois reiterated his faith in the two-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach.
“Like all great coaches, it all starts with his leadership qualities. He is very talented. His emotional intelligence is very high. Never too high, never too low. I think that allows him to withstand storms, because there are storms,” BriseBois said of Cooper. “It’s a tough league. It’s a cutthroat business. The other teams are really good. They are trying to win. We are trying to win. It’s the elite against the elite.
“ Coop, this year again, did a fabulous job. I love our coaching staff and I enjoy working with them. I feel privileged to be able to continue working with him. I feel privileged to have been able to work with him over the last 14 years, dating back to my Norfolk days.
“He’s a special coach and he’s the best for the job. »
Cooper initially took on the role of head coach of the Lightning for the final 15 games of the 2012–13 season. In his 11 full seasons since, the Lightning have only missed the playoffs once and reached three straight Stanley Cup Finals between 2020 and 2022.
