Twenty-eight days have elapsed since Steven Stamkos signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Nashville Predators. I think, but I am not sure, that enough time has passed for me to process what felt like a break-up. It was the type of break-up where one person is still madly in love with the other, but that person, for whatever reason, believes that it is time to move on, that there is someone better out there. Meanwhile, family and friends watch, silently praying and hoping that the couple will resolve issues and reunite.
If that sounds emotional or dramatic, good because I am willing to bet that most Lightning fans were emotional when they watched the drama around Stamkos unfold. I was heartbroken to learn that he would be wearing a new jersey at the start of next season. He has been one of my favorite players since I was 12. Like most Lightning fans, the thought that he would not sign a contract extension never seemed like a real possibility. In my mind, he would retire in Tampa Bay where he began and where he belonged.
Steven Stamkos looks on after what could be his final game as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rab1Ls7lqE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2024
Stamkos, as we all know, did not want to leave Tampa Bay. He was still madly in love. And Tampa Bay…did not want him to leave either. So who was the other person in this relationship prepared to sever ties and look for someone better? Julien BriseBois.
Much of the commentary surrounding BriseBois’ decision has been emotional, understandably so. However, serving as the general manager of an NHL team is like running a business. No, it is not like running a business, it is running a business. In this business, BriseBois is not paid to be emotional. He is paid to win. Letting Stamkos leave may have hurt, and hurt badly, but he believes it better positions the Lightning for future success.
Setting Aside Emotion
When I was growing up, my father told me never to make a decision when I was hungry, angry, late, or tired. Put another way, try not to be emotional when an important decision needs to be made. This is never easy to do, especially when you are deeply invested in something like we are with sports and athletes. Read Stamkos’ farewell letter to Tampa Bay, and tell me it does not bring a tear to your eye.
It is natural for us to be emotional. However, it often skews the lens through which we view a situation. That is why putting emotion aside in business (to a certain degree) is an essential skill. It allows you to look at a problem objectively and make the appropriate determination. People who master this skill often are put in positions of authority because others trust them to block out nonessential noise.
BriseBois proved that he can wield this skill with confidence and decisiveness. Practically the entire Lightning fanbase and media (including myself) argued for extending Stamkos. Nonetheless, BriseBois let the former captain sign with the Predators. As paradoxical as it may seem, this decision proves that BriseBois has the best interest of the Lightning at heart because he clearly believes that the organization is more competitive without Stamkos’ contract on the books.
The Lightning could not afford to pay Stamkos what he earned from the Predators. And I mean that—he earned the $32 million he will receive over the next four years. BriseBois made a business decision, a decision not completely devoid of emotion but with emotion established as a secondary priority to what would be best for the organization.
We have the right to evaluate and debate whether or not BriseBois made the correct choice. It is our right as fans of the Lightning, Stamkos, hockey, and sports at large for that matter. If we argue from a place of emotion though, we will be approaching this from a different angle than the Lightning general manager. He is paid the big bucks to handle these situations objectively. That is what he did.
Filling a Stamkos-sized Hole
BriseBois did not let Stamkos leave without attempting to fill the gaping hole. Most notably, he signed Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million deal after acquiring him from the Carolina Hurricanes. Whether or not Guentzel will fill Stamkos’ offensive shoes remains to be seen, but you have to hand it to BriseBois for locking up the largest free agent on the market this summer. He also brought back fan favorite and shutdown defenseman Ryan McDonagh, signed the hard-nosed Latvian Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year contract, and locked in veteran goal scorer Cam Atkinson to a one-year deal.
Then, perhaps a little too soon for our sore hearts after Stamkos left, BriseBois inked Victor Hedman to a four-year, $32 million contract extension (an identical deal to what Stamkos signed in Nashville I will remind you). This was after he made the shocking decision to send Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club for defenseman J.J. Moser and forward Conor Geekie. Significant expectation weighs on Geekie who is predicted to become an impact player in the NHL in the not-too-distant future. A slew of other moves rounded out BriseBois’ busy offseason.
All this to say, BriseBois made a concerted effort to retool (a popular word these days) the Lightning without going into a full rebuild. I recently made the case that BriseBois was doing everything he could to keep the Lightning’s Stanley Cup window open because he is confident they could win another championship. What he has done so far reinforces that argument and forces that window open a little wider.
Lightning Are a Very Different Team
Time will tell whether BriseBois’ decision concerning Stamkos improved the Lightning’s chances of winning another Stanley Cup and avoiding a rebuild like the Pittsburgh Penguins are facing. He certainly is attempting to thread that needle. Whether or not you agree with him, well, like I said, is an opinion to which you are entitled. Certainly, many have made their displeasure heard (see Tweet below).
The issue with last year’s Lightning roster:
– relied almost entirely on 3 elite forwards and 2 high-end defensemen
– minimal forward depth
– unproven/low-end/overwhelmed defensemen outside of those twoLuckily, this year’s team is completely different! pic.twitter.com/sgkAkBfPts
— Andrew Weiss (@WeissHockeyTalk) July 15, 2024
However you look at it though, the Lightning are a very different team than last season. Stamkos’ departure alone would have made this evident. Throw in the Sergachev trade and the additional signings of higher-profile names like Guentzel, McDonagh, and Atkinson, and we are looking at a new era of hockey in Tampa Bay.
Our hearts may not like it. It hurts to see Stamkos in a Predators jersey. But BriseBois did not let his emotions cloud his judgment. For that reason at the very least, his actions deserve commendation.
