Steven Stamkos insisted all along that he wanted to stay put in Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup. The Maple Leafs and Sabres were seeking to sign Stamkos in a bid to hasten their rebuilding plans. The Lightning have a deep and talented roster, which Stamkos helped lead to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, where Tampa Bay lost to the Blackhawks in six games. Under NHL rules, they were allowed to sign Stamkos to an eight-year contract, while other teams were limited to making seven-year offers. His status even loomed over the NHL draft in Buffalo last weekend, where several team executives expressed their interest in making a bid to sign Stamkos.

Source: thestar June 29, 2016 20:15 UTC