Steven Stamkos should be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Over the past few seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning have developed a fierce rivalry through two exciting playoff series.
But the question remains: will the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt a major trade at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline?
This year’s Lightning playoff run is not guaranteed, given the play of the Detroit Red Wings and the growing competition in the Metropolitan Division.
The Lightning are expected to have just $12 million in cap space next year because of Brayden Point’s one-year contract remaining and the significant financial obligations made to Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Mikhail Sergachev, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
This makes it difficult to re-sign Stamkos, who is expected to be among the most sought-after UFAs come summertime.
Prioritizing their captain makes sense, but the Lightning might think about trading Stamkos due to budgetary constraints. Despite being the team’s lifeblood, he only appeared in one postseason game during their historic first Stanley Cup victory in the 2019–20 campaign, proving they could succeed even without him in the lineup.
The Lightning are expected to have just $12 million in cap space next year because of Brayden Point’s one-year contract remaining and the significant financial obligations made to Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Mikhail Sergachev, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
This makes it difficult to re-sign Stamkos, who is expected to be among the most sought-after UFAs come summertime.
