With the entire hockey world staring at the countdown clock ticking down toward noon on July 1, the Tampa Bay Lightning caused all to stop and stare with jaws hitting the floor.

Steven Stamkos is reportedly staying with the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie (assuming his account wasn't hacked).

Cancel the Stamkos Sweepstakes, he has decided to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning. #TSN

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 29, 2016

This is big news for everybody around the league, taking one of the top potential free agents ever to hit the open market in the salary cap era off the market two days before the start of free agency.
And the bigger news is the contract in which Stamkos is expected to sign (again, assuming McKenzie's account did not get hacked) which comes in at a team friendly deal, averaging $8.5 million per season on an eight-year deal, the maximum length he could sign.

Stamkos's deal with TB is expected to come in at eight years, with an AAV of $8.5M.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 29, 2016

All along I never felt it was about the money for Stamkos, he wants to win. After getting the chance to look around during the window to speak to free agents, Stamkos must have felt his best chance to win was in Tampa. And with his salary cap hit coming in at $8.5 million, it's only $1 million more than the deal that expired at the end of this season.

So the captain is returning, and all of those in Lightning land are no doubt doing a lengthy happy dance all around town as signs pointed to a Stamkos departure for months now and many had come to the realization that it was unlikely he would return.

This will no doubt start a domino affect for general manager Steve Yzerman, who can now effective start to set up his salary cap moving forward and try to fill in where Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov and Victor Hedman are all going to fit in moving forward.

This move also likely accelerates a potential trade of goaltender Ben Bishop, who carries a $5.9 million salary cap hit next season, his final year under contract before becoming a potential unrestricted free agent after next season.

Stay tuned, I'd fully expect more Lightning news in the coming days (if not hours if the past 45 minutes are any indication)

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