Stamkos future up in the air after worrying comments from Alex Killorn

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has a big decision to make this summer.

He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a future Hall of Famer amid another 40-goal season and is a Bolts legend on and off the ice. He's the guy whose voice used to welcome people at Tampa airport. Yet his future in South Beach is murky. Stamkos talks about wanting to stay in Tampa forever, but last summer's contract talks got him pretty frustrated. Now, with unrestricted free agency looming, it's like the elephant in the room for the organization.

Could these playoffs be Stamkos's farewell tour in Tampa Bay? Killorn, his former teammate, gave a hint.






The Lightning's GM, Julien BriseBois, has been saying all season how he wants to keep Stamkos around. Yet the longer this drags on, the more it feels like Stamkos could be the next big cap casualty in the team's quest for more Cups. Tough calls are part of the game, especially in Tampa, where they've mastered the art of hard decisions as much as they have they have the boat parade celebrations.

Just think about it: It's been nearly 6,000 days since the Lightning played without Stamkos. Now, he's less than 90 days away from hitting the open market.