NHL Rumors: Steven Stamkos sign and trade a possibility?

Could the Tampa Bay Lightning pull off a historic sign and trade with pending unrestricted free agent center Steven Stamkos?

The Tampa Bay Lightning could be losing their captain and arguably best player in franchise history in center Steven Stamkos to free agency if they don’t re-sign him by July 1. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has been an aggressive general manager, proving to be almost as efficient in the front office as he was deadly on the ice as a player. Could he pull off a sign and trade with Stamkos to ensure that he gets something for losing him?

The NHL has rarely, if ever, seen a sign and trade happen, especially in recent years with the salary cap. One big reason for that has been that, until the new collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2013, there was no incentive for teams to participate in them because the team that re-signed him couldn’t do anything more than the other teams. The new CBA allows for teams to re-sign their own free agents to an eight year deal maximum while other teams can only sign them for seven.

That extra year could mean a lot to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings or whoever signs Stamkos. One interesting caveat to this is that Stamkos would likely have to agree to not having a no-trade clause or a no-movement clause. If a player waives an NTC or NMC, the team that he is traded to is under no obligation to honor it, even if Stamkos doesn’t have to waive it to be traded from the Lightning.

The Lightning could probably get something for Stamkos, but obviously they would have to work something out with another team as well, likely hurting the return for Stamkos. But it would be something rather than nothing. The CBA rules regarding contract clauses could make it fall apart, though.

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