I am still hoping maybe they use it to make a play for someone like Trouba or possibly Nichushkin.
- J35Bacher

Don't go home with hope

Don't go home with hope
- PhillySportsGuy

I know probably not what will happen but I can see benefits to it compared to picking at 18.

Don't go home with hope
- PhillySportsGuy

Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.
- jmatchett383

Thanks, Red.

Morning folks

via Imgflip Meme Maker
- MBFlyerfan

Morning folks
- YuenglingJagr

No surprise. Their hitting makes me want to punch the Phanatic.
- Mononoke

Leave the Phanatic out of this. He's the only thing that makes games bearable when that team is bad.

Go Perds

Tampa are killing it without Stamkos.

Tampa are killing it without Stamkos.
- Feanor

Strengthens the possibility of another team signing him.

Tampa are killing it without Stamkos.
- Feanor

If I am Yzerman, I have the biggest smile on my face. Tampa team can win without Stamkos, not saying he is bad, but his price tag just isn't worth it for a winning model.

Fans will be upset losing their favorite player, but I personally would rather have a team built around a team identity and not big contracts.

I also eat bagels plain.

Before you ask, no I am not a serial killer. That requires multiple killings.
- Mononoke

Pronman has the Flyers taking ya boii

If I am Yzerman, I have the biggest smile on my face. Tampa team can win without Stamkos, not saying he is bad, but his price tag just isn't worth it for a winning model.

Fans will be upset losing their favorite player, but I personally would rather have a team built around a team identity and not big contracts.
- Glak18

That's gotta sting though if he walks away and they get nothing in return.

If I am Yzerman, I have the biggest smile on my face. Tampa team can win without Stamkos, not saying he is bad, but his price tag just isn't worth it for a winning model.

Fans will be upset losing their favorite player, but I personally would rather have a team built around a team identity and not big contracts.
- Glak18

They almost have to move on without him. Killorn, Kucherov, Paquette, Namestnikov all RFAs

Johnson and Palat will be paid more next year

If I am Yzerman, I have the biggest smile on my face. Tampa team can win without Stamkos, not saying he is bad, but his price tag just isn't worth it for a winning model.

Fans will be upset losing their favorite player, but I personally would rather have a team built around a team identity and not big contracts.
- Glak18

Hedman is the one they need to retain at all costs. I know its 1 more year, but he Drouin, and Johnson are up at the same time. Gonna need that bank.

Stamkos is good as gone.

That's gotta sting though if he walks away and they get nothing in return.
- aightwebang17

The way I look at it is he was a draft pick, they got many years from him and if they can win without him then they gain cap space to improve other areas or to keep areas strong.

Sometimes subtractions can be a positive.

That's gotta sting though if he walks away and they get nothing in return.
- aightwebang17

Yeah for sure

Please. He would've had 62 points in a full season. Not the best year, but in today's low scoring era, that's still top line elite level numbers. Stamkos though, with 68 points in a full year gets slobbered over on here with talk of paying him $3 million more than Jake.

He can do better. His season was a story of 3 parts: firstly, great play, unlucky scoring results. Then he had over a point per game for over 30 games mid way through the year. All his haters who stick their fingers in their ears always miss that fact. Then he got injured: all afterwards doesn't deserve to be judged. He was laboring and did what he could. He can do better, but don't act as if his year was an unmitigated disaster. When healthy, he looked good, even through the early slump and after. The "Jake is overpaid and had a bad year" narrative is just making stuff up. He just needs to "work harder" and "care more"...that's it!
- Mononoke

Meh, the whole "on pace" argument never really did it for me. He had 11 goals in 73 games. That's not good enough. He's not overpaid yet. And Stamkos has nothing to do with the conversation. I'm not being hyperbolic.

As for the rest, you see it the way you want to, I'll do the same.

Hedman is the one they need to retain at all costs. I know its 1 more year, but he Drouin, and Johnson are up at the same time. Gonna need that bank.

Stamkos is good as gone.
- MBFlyerfan

Could drop his price a little.

No playoffs this season. Maybe he doesn't get the 11-12 million people think.

Tampa are also missing Stralman, but I hope he's back for the third round to help them beat whichever of those two poopstain teams they will face.

Tampa vs St Louis or San Jose would be a interesting finals, and should be very even.

Meh, the whole "on pace" argument never really did it for me. He had 11 goals in 73 games. That's not good enough.
- wolfhounds

The whole "assists are the work of the devil and don't matter" argument doesn't really do it for me.

Could drop his price a little.

No playoffs this season. Maybe he doesn't get the 11-12 million people think.
- J35Bacher

hometown discount?

If Stamkos wants to win he should definitely entertain staying in Tampa. They are built to win now and in the future if they can retain their players.

Tampa are killing it without Stamkos.
- Feanor

They have played very well. They are about to enter the deep end of the pool. Caps/Pens, and Blues/Sharks they will need Stamkos and Stralman to beat those teams imo. The Wings, and Fishsticks aren't a great measuring stick.

Could drop his price a little.

No playoffs this season. Maybe he doesn't get the 11-12 million people think.
- J35Bacher

If Stamkos signs with another team, no way he accepts less than 11 million. The top players don't become UFAs to match what others have gotten prior, they will always ask for a precedent amount and a team WILL do it.