Stamkos sees himself following the Kane, Toews model to sign extension in July
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos would surely break the market if he hit unrestricted free agency.
The 24-year-old superstar sniper is poised to hit the open market as a 25-year-old in the summer of 2016. If he did become available, there's no doubt NHL teams across the continent would fall over themselves to make him the highest paid NHL player of the salary cap era.
Stamkos doesn't see it going down that way, though:
Steven Stamkos says similar to Kane and Toews, he envisions potentially signing an extension in July one year out before he becomes UFA.
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) January 23, 2015
In the NHL, players are unable to sign extensions with their current teams until they're exactly one-year away from their contracts expiry. That means Stamkos - whose current five-year contract expires following the 2015-16 season - will be eligible to sign a lucrative contract extension this summer.
From the sounds of it, he intends to do just that...
Stamkos says he loves it in Tampa, team has a great future and he wants to part of it
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) January 23, 2015
That has to be a relief for Lightning brass, and the club's fans. Meanwhile the streets of Toronto seem likely to be flooded with tears in the not-too-distant future.