How legit is Steven Stamkos going to the Chicago Blackhawks rumors?

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos may have just played his final game for the Lightning. With contract talks going nowhere between Stamkos and Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, is Chicago in the rearview mirror for Stammer?

Back in September of 2023, Steven Stamkos vocalized his frustrations with the lack of contract extension talk, "To be honest, I’m disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard," Stamkos said. "It was something that I expressed at the end of last year that I wanted to get something done before training camp started."

As the season rolled on, the situation seemed to get worse as no extension was signed and rumors of dealing Stamkos at the deadline became louder and louder.

BriseBois made sure to shut down the rumors as fast as possible saying, "Steven Stamkos is not getting traded, so we can put that one to bed. That's not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances."

With the regular season ending, and Tampa Bay clinching a playoff spot for the seventh straight year, the focus turned to winning another Stanley Cup for Stamkos and his Lightning.

Unfortunately for Stamkos and Tampa Bay, they would only win one playoff game in 2024 as the Florida Panthers defeated them in five games, once again putting a question mark over Steven Stamkos' head of where he should sign.

So how do the Chicago Blackhawks fit into this? Well, with Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson coming out and saying that he wants to start competing for a playoff spot, you can bet that he will start to make aggressive trades and signings this offseason.

There's no question that Davidson has everything he needs to lure Stamkos to Chicago. $30 million in cap space, an 18-year-old who has already become a superstar in Connor Bedard, a guaranteed top-three pick in the 2024 draft, and a chance to play for an original six team are the goodies that Davidson can offer to Stamkos.

Landing Steven Stamkos would be a tremendously helpful addition for the Chicago Blackhawks. Stamkos brings leadership, playoff and Stanley Cup Final experience, and he is still one of the top players in the league as he potted 40 goals this year for the seventh time in his NHL career.

If Stamkos is not offered an extension and decides to test the free-agent market, he will most likely be looking for a multi-year deal worth about $6-8 million per year.

Free agency opens up on Mon, July 1st, and all eyes will be on Steven Stamkos as he becomes a UFA for the second time in his NHL career.