The contract report that leaked out in Hockey Night in Canada last night and went wildfire today was brought up to Steven Stamkos during Sunday’s Bolts Family Carnival event at Amalie Arena. There is something to read into the statement but it’s not on Stamkos’ reaction to the offer or anything like that, it’s broader with rhetoric of recent weeks.
Per the Tampa Bay Times, here’s a direct quote from Stamkos on the report:
“I’m not going to comment on that. [….] We haven’t talked about that stuff in the media all season long and I don’t know how they get a hold of stuff like that. All the things that we’ve talked about, it’s staying internally and it’ll continue to be that way.”
This is a bleak contrast to how Jonathan Drouin and agent Allan Walsh have expressed themselves in recent weeks – through words and actions – regarding the business of the sport. It also clings better to how other talent who has come and gone from the Lightning in recent years has conducted themselves when it comes to negotiation and transaction talks. That stuff is not for the media or the general masses, and using the court of public opinion for leverage only raises bad blood between parties.
You’re encouraged to click on over to the Times report to read up more on the Bolts Family Carnival event and reactions to it.
