Stamkos insists he wants to remain with Tampa Bay
Steven Stamkos hopes he hasn’t played his final game for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goal-scorer can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, however, he reiterated Friday that he would like to stay with the team drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008 and came within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup final for the second consecutive year.
“I certainly hope to be back. We obviously have unfinished business here,” Stamkos said a day after Tampa Bay’s 2-1 loss against the Penguins Thursday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.
“This group has been unbelievable, the city has been unbelievable for me,” he added.
“I can’t believe it’s been eight years already. Time flies.”
Stamkos, 26, missed the first 16 games of the Lightning’s playoff run before returning to the lineup for Game 7 against the Penguins, less than two months after having surgery to treat a blood clot discovered near his right collarbone.
He described the past eight weeks dealing with his health while also watching his teammates experience the highs and lows of the postseason as stressful, but not because of the uncertainty of his future.
General manager Steve Yzerman said re-signing Stamkos is one of “many priorities” for a team that also has two key veterans — mammoth defenseman Victor Hedman and No. 1 goaltender Ben Bishop — with one year left on their contracts and several players who figure to be in line for significant raises.
Devils
New Jersey signed French defenseman Yohann Auvitu to a one-year, two-way, entry-level contract Friday. Auvitu, 26, spent parts of the previous six seasons in Finland’s top pro league.
Canucks
Canucks Sports and Entertainment named Jeff Stipec as the new chief operating officer of the company that operates the NHL’s Vancouver franchise and Rogers Arena.