Sportsnet 590 The FAN: Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Present on the Tampa Bay Lightning and pending unrestricted free agent ahead Steven Stamkos.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Now John Cooper was requested about Steven Stamkos. And he stated what I feel all of us imagine that Stamkos needs to be there and belongs there and needs to be a Tampa Bay Lightning. You imagine so, I imagine so. I’d argue that almost all of the listeners/viewers proper now are of the identical perception.
The issue is, none of us maintain the pen. That’s simply Julian BriseBois. He’s the one holding the pen on this one. Do you’ve a way of which approach the wind is blowing on Stamkos in Tampa? We began this dialog in early October, and right here he are actually that Tampa’s out and we’ll decide up the dialog.
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Friedman: “I heard, you realize, listening to Cooper night time, you realize, I, Cooper was it was fascinating. H made it sound like I imply, I’m assuming whereas with out figuring out precisely what’s happening, I’m positive you’d have a good suggestion of what’s happening. He made it sound prefer it didn’t need to be an extended dialog.
And, once more, it’s emotional. It’s proper after the season ended. And I don’t need to guess however he positive made it sound like there’s a deal to be made there. And he made it sound just like the Lightning themselves understand how essential it’s to make a deal.
Just like the one factor simply based mostly on pure hockey, Jeff, Stamkos was one among their finest gamers within the first spherical. He performed as arduous as, he performed as arduous as anyone did. He was productive.
You realize, like, prefer to me, Tampa Bay with out Stamkos, nevermind all, how a lot he means to them and so they imply to him, they’re simply not nearly as good a group with out Stamkos there until they suppose they’ve acquired one thing they will do to could make them higher.
I simply suppose and I’ve stated this rather a lot, the Lightning know that that’s the place he desires to be. They realize it. They went via it final time. He had all these large provides on the desk, half the league was chasing after him and he went again to Tampa, okay. They know that. They know he desires to be there.
I feel it’s all going to come back right down to are they going to make a suggestion that he feels is authentic sufficient. It’s going to be beneath market I’d guess Jeff, however are they going to make him a suggestion that makes him say, ‘yeah, that’s adequate. I’ll take it.’
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And I feel that’s what the road right here goes to be for Tampa is, make him a suggestion that’s beneath market however you realize, he’ll take it. And I feel that’s what they’re going to do.