Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told he'll have to wait on new contract

TAMPA, Fla. - Lights, cameras, the Lightning return for action. 

The Bolts reported for training on Wednesday refreshed and recharged after a 4-and-a-half-month break. 

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Tampa Bay is coming off a season in which they saw their three-year run to the Stanley Cup Finals come to an end after being eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs.

The major headline Wednesday, though, came from Bolts Captain Steven Stamkos. 

Stamkos is heading into his 16th season and the final year of his contract, and on Wednesday, he said he was hurt that the Lightning haven't discussed a deal that would allow him to finish his career in a Tampa Bay sweater. 

"To be honest, I've been disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard," Stamkos said. "It was something that I expressed at the end of last year -- that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations."

Stamkos, 33, has played for the Lightning for the entirety of his career and was part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams. Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois mentioned that there are more factors at play. 

"It's not just about Steven playing out his career in Tampa," Julien BriseBois said. "It's about Steven staying in Tampa and the Lightning remaining a legitimate Stanley Cup contender year in and year out for the remainder of his tenure as a player on the club."

"I need to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit this year. I need to see who steps up and is ready to handle a bigger role. I need to see how the team performs," BriseBois said. "I need to see how this season plays out before I make those decisions. After the season, once I've gathered that information, I can work with Steven and his agent on a contract structure that will be in the best interest of both sides."

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Brisebois made it clear the Lightning's captain will have to wait.

"I would love to extend and play here and finish out my career here, but that’s out of my hands. I can’t write a contract for myself," Stamkos said.

BriseBois acknowledged that he might be distressed at not having inked a new contract by now but said it might be for the best at this time.

Andrei Vasilevsky poses for the cameras at media day for the Lightning on Wednesday, Sept. 20. 

"I know that for him, it would have been a lot easier for him to have a contract in place, Brisebois said. "But for me, in the grand scheme of things, I think this is the right course of action at this point."

The Lightning will hit the ice with a different look this season. 

There are three key pieces gone from the roster - Alex Killorn, Ross Colton and Pat Maroon - but the core from their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships remains and this team still feels they're contenders.

"We are going to battle even though people are not going to pick us to win or to even make the playoffs, Victor Hedman said." "We still believe in our group. Believe in what we have. We've got all the pieces, and we're just going to put everything together."

After playing more games than any other team over the last four seasons, the Lightning needed a long break. They have that rest and now have the chance to reap the benefits.