Lightning's Steven Stamkos not letting team's silence on contract affect his game

"To be honest, I've been disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard," Stamkos told reporters. "It was something that I had expressed at the end of the year, that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations."

However, Stamkos is not letting his lack of an extension affect his play. The 33-year-old standout has demonstrated he can still produce — whether for the Lightning or another team. (The NHL's holiday roster freeze runs through Dec. 28. The trade deadline is March 8, 2024.)

Heading into Tuesday night's game against St. Louis, Stamkos has 31 points (15 goals and 16 assists) in 29 games — including his 12th career hat trick and first career four-goal game on Thursday. 

"He looks at me after the fourth (goal) and says, 'First time ever,' "Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the Lightning's 7-4 over the Oilers. "[W]e had a good little chuckle on the bench."

Even with Stamkos still producing for the Lightning, general manager Julien BriseBois stands by his status-quo position on a contract extension, per TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun.

"The answer is no, it's status quo, and I get it. Sometimes with the new year approaching, you wonder if teams will revisit that type of situation," LeBrun said recently on "Insider Trading." "Julien BriseBois was very clear before the season. He's on record. They're not going to talk contract with their captain until after the season."

Stamkos and the Lightning made three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, winning two, before losing in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. That has led BriseBois to focus on this season's result before committing to a contract extension with Stamkos.

The Lightning have 33 points and sit just outside the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. 

"Steven and I share a common goal of bringing the Cup back to Tampa, that's our objective," BriseBois said on the first day of camp," per Kevin O'Donnell of Fox13 in Tampa. "In order for us to do that in future years, we're going to need to spend our cap collars as wisely as possible. In order for me to do that, I feel like I need to gather more information." 

With the salary cap set to go up to $87.7 million next season, the Lightning will have more cap flexibility than they have had in recent summers. 

And so the waiting game will persist for Stamkos, who continues to produce for the Lightning thus fueling trade speculation.