Early in his media day press conference, Steven Stamkos was asked about the turnover of the roster and he answered,
“It’s tough, you lose some really good players, not only really good players, but really good people. Guys who meant a lot to this organization on the ice and in the room, too.”
Could someone else, Victor Hedman or Brayden Point, stand before the media next year and echo those sentiments when talking about the departure of The Captain? Possibly. Even with the cap expected to go up next season, there is a chance that there just isn’t the money to bring back the face of the franchise.