Julien BriseBois uncertain if Lightning can re-sign Steven Stamkos

TAMPA — With just three days remaining until captain Steven Stamkos can test free agency, general manager Julien BriseBois said Friday morning that he’s uncertain whether a deal can get done to keep the longtime face of the franchise in a Lightning sweater.

BriseBois said he had discussions with Stamkos’ representatives as recently as Thursday in Las Vegas, but “I don’t know if we’ll be able to reach an agreement (by Monday),” BriseBois said. “Both sides are interested in getting a deal done, but we haven’t been able to agree to terms that are satisfactory for both sides.”

Things can change quickly at this time of the season, and when Stamkos was a free agent in 2016, negotiations also came down to the wire, two days before free agency opened. Stamkos explored other options then — there was a week-long interview window before July 1 when he could meet with other teams — but he remained in Tampa Bay.

The difference this time is that the Lightning have little cap space, especially after re-acquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh and his $6.75 million cap hit. With just 18 players under NHL contracts, they have $5.335 million available under the $88 million cap for 2023-24. That alone might not be enough to get the captain signed, let alone fill out the rest of the roster.

General manager Julien BriseBois clearly is focused on making the Lightning a top-10 defensive team again. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

BriseBois seemed more optimistic about signing defenseman Victor Hedman to an extension. Hedman is entering the final year of his eight-year contract with an $7.875 annual cap hit.

“We’ve had discussions with Victor’s agent about an extension,” BriseBois said. “And in his case, we have more runway before we have to get a deal done. He still has one year left on his current agreement. That being said, the plan remains to be in a position to announce an agreement on a new contract for Victor in the coming days.”

BriseBois wouldn’t comment on whether he’d have to trade an existing contract to re-sign Stamkos. And that’s not necessarily something they would have to do now. Teams can be 10% over the cap until the beginning of the season, but the trade market is typically most robust going into the draft and free agency.

And he wouldn’t engage the possibility of a Lightning team without Stamkos, saying it would be premature to comment on the impact, but said that the team does have contingency plans if they suddenly have to replace him. Stamkos is still a top-six forward coming off a 40-goal, 81-point season at the age of 34.

The Lightning may be at an impasse with Steven Stamkos, but it appears likely defenseman Victor Hedman will get a new deal soon. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

“We are working on different plans with different variables, possible trade scenarios, possible agent signings there,” BriseBois said. “It’s not just about filling one hole, it’s about building the best team possible ... (for) next season and in future years.”

If Stamkos does reach free agency, he will have his share of suitors and likely would draw better offers. He carried an $8.5 million cap hit last season.

BriseBois is a shrewd negotiator, dedicated to keeping the Lightning competitive without going through a rebuild. And he noted Friday that the team was a top-five club in total goals scored, the power play and penalty kill, but ranked 22nd in goals allowed. While BriseBois attributed some of that to the early-season absence of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and other injuries, the focus is on getting better defensively.

“How do we get back to being a top-10 defensive team,” BriseBois said. “And then how do we best manage the pieces of this puzzle to do that? That’s something we’ve been working on ever since the end of the season. ...

“Certainly getting Ryan McDonagh back is a big part of us being a better defensive team. And obviously, a healthy Andrei Vasilevskiy will also contribute to us being a better defensive team. And I think those two combined are already a really good start towards our objective of getting back to being a top-10 defensive team.”

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