Steven Stamkos Will Reportedly Hit NHL Free Agent Market

It's looking like there will be one giant fish in the pond when NHL free agency starts on July 1 after reports that Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will hit the open market.

Stamkos and the Lightning have been trying to come to terms on a new contract after his previous 8-year, $68 million deal came to an end this season.

The 34-year-old is the face of the franchise and led them to two Stanley Cup wins and three-straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, but given his play, it stands to reason he might want more than his $8.5 million AAV.

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As is the case with a lot of negotiations, it doesn't appear that Stamkos and the team can agree on a price or term length, and GM Julien BriseBois was publicly not super positive about the prospect of getting a deal done.

Now, The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun has shared a comment from Stamkos' agent saying that he will be a free agent on Monday.

Well, there you go.

Steven Stamkos will go down as one of Tampa's all-time greats, but it looks like he could be moving on. (Photo by Mike Carlson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Stamkos Should Have Plenty Of Suitors

That isn't to say that Stammer couldn't stay with the Lightning, but this week plenty of teams have been cutting deals or buying out contracts to clear some space for free agency. Some teams will have even more money to play with this year thanks to the salary cap taking its biggest jump in a few years to $88 million.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are often talked about as a landing spot for Stamkos (if Kyle Dubas was in charge still, it would absolutely be the favorite. The guy loves hauling in big fish). They're projected to have $19 million to play with per PuckPedia, but if they can find someone to take Mitch Marner off their hands (there's been talk that Utah, which has the most cap room in the league would be a good fit), could give them even more room to make that happen.

Another team to keep an eye on is the Nashville Predators. If you rank teams by their projected cap space, the team with the most money that seems closest to making a run is the Predators. Stamkos won't want to waste the years he has left with a rebuilding team, so that could be a good option.

Other strong options could be Carolina or Boston who both have the room to bring Stamkos into the equation.

Whatever happens, July 1 could be very interesting.