Does anyone really want to see Steven Stamkos in any other team's sweater than Tampa?
After 16 seasons with the Lightning and two Stanley Cup victories, the future Hall of Famer is poised to leave in free agent, with plenty of teams across the league likely to be interested in adding him this off-season.
He is not the player he once was but to pretend that Stamkos is not still a threat to find the net or change a game would be asinine.
He scored 40 goals and assisted on 41. He played 18:13 per game, with 17:46 of production, meaning he is still maximizing his minutes and playing meaningful hockey.
Stamkos is an all-timer, a guy who would instantly elevate any team he plays for with his experience and locker room presence alone. Adding him to a team like the Nashville Predators, where there is a sense of familiarity in the form of past teammates Ryan McDonagh and Luke Schenn, would elevate that squad to a playoff contender.
There are the Florida Panthers, a team staring down its first Stanley Cup title but facing the very real likelihood that it loses some combination of Sam Reinhart, Nick Cousins, and Vladimiar Tarasenko. Losing those players would create the necessary cap space to make such a signing possible.
Never count out the Toronto Maple Leafs, either.
Despite being a Leafs killer for the majority of his career, and going to battle with the team, Stamkos grew up in Ontario as a fan of the team, as most his age did. Depending on what happens with Mitch Marner and the will it or won't it happen extension, he would be provide the championship experience the team lacks and potentially get the organization over the six-decade roadblock it has faced since its last Stanley Cup title.
Any one of those teams, or any other contenders seeking that one final piece to complete their championship puzzles, are logical landing spots for Stamkos.
Still, depending what happens with the Panthers and Reinhart, staying in Florida and closing out his career with a championship contender feels like the best option for a player who has helped elevate the NHL over the course of his career.
Prediction: Stamkos signs with Florida
