On the Lightning and Steven Stamkos …
- Luke Fox of Sportsnet: Sportnet’s Mark Spector mentioned this week that the Flames spoke with the Lightning about Steven Stamkos.
“The Flames would be willing to deal a top young player, perhaps Sam Bennett, to acquire Stamkos at this point,” Spector wrote.
Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman said yesterday on the Fan 590 that rumors surfaced this offseason that Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was considering trading Stamkos as they either didn’t want to re-sign him or they knew they wouldn’t be able to afford him.
Stamkos makes $7.5 million and could be looking for something around $10.5 million a year.
“I had heard about the possibility about a Buffalo trade before the draft. There was rumours that Tampa sort of looked at it with some other teams,” Friedman said on-air.
The Flames may have inquired about Stamkos sometime after July 1st – when Stamkos could sign an extension. Stamkos’ no-movement clause kicked in on July 1st.
“That Calgary rumour did make its way around the league, but it was denied by everybody involved,” Friedman said. “I’ve been told it didn’t have much legs.”
Lightning owner Jeff Vinik has given Yzerman the financial go ahead to re-sign Stamkos as long as it’s “best for the long-term interest of this franchise.” Over the next two years, they’ll have to deal with free agents Victor Hedman, Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov and Ben Bishop.
“Is it possible they are thinking that maybe they’re not going to be able to with what Stamkos is going to ask for?” Friedman said.
“Is it possible that they are considering trading him instead of signing him?”
On Randy Carlyle and Compensation for fired employees …
- Darren Dreger of TSN: Randy Carlyle wants to get back to coaching in the NHL. He recently turned down interest from a KHL team.
“I pay attention and I watch a lot of games,” Carlyle told the Dreger Report. “You have to stay current and be willing to learn new things and steal a few ideas along the way.
“It’s all part of evolving as a coach.”
- Executives are not happy with teams having to give draft pick compensating for fired coaches and executives. GMs who created the rule never intended or discussed it to involved fired employees. There is enough hostility towards the issue that it could end up being removed in the new year.