Lightning Season Preview: Steven Stamkos, and the contract that lies in wait

It should be a time of rampant optimism in Tampa Bay.

The Lightning are just a few months removed from their inspiring run to the Stanley Cup Final - one many outsiders would argue was unexpected, and one that even some in the organization would probably concede was a little bit premature.

With expectations redefined by success, the Lightning return fully equipped and boasting an augmented roster that, for the moment, is safeguarded from the consequences of winning.

Runners-up, on the up. All good, baby.

But not quite.

Because there's a brooding thought germinating in the back of the minds of many Lightning fans, its growth obstructing those good-time endorphins from flowing free.

Say hello to the Steven Stamkos contract stalemate.

Whether media-made or a legitimate controversy, Stamkos' looming unrestricted free agency is dominating the chatter around a team on the verge of establishing itself as a power in the NHL. It became this way when general manager Steve Yzerman deemed an extension for his captain the No. 1 priority over the summer. It became this way when he failed to get that job done.

Dumping gasoline on the fire is the hockey market that fuels the league's headline mill, Stamkos' hometown of Toronto, which is reveling in the opportunity to push propaganda and the unfounded suggestion that the local star does indeed want to bolt for Mike Babcock's Maple Leafs.

So not only will the contract holdup hijack the narrative until it's resolved, but it'll change the meaning of success for a club that should have its sights fixed on nothing less than a second Stanley Cup for the franchise mantle.

But is another run worth it, should Stamkos walk?

Yzerman emerged a winner last time he squared off with a star, replenishing assets with his trade of former franchise pillar Martin St. Louis. But if he chooses such a recourse again, he'll risk undermining everything he's built over the past half-decade.

Then again, opening the vault for Stamkos could fracture the roster just the same.

Projected Depth Chart

X-Factor

It took a half-decade and a reliable, systematically sound playing partner in Anton Stralman, but Victor Hedman has become the complete, Norris-caliber force many expected.

Hedman's incredible, freakish blend of skill and size was introduced to the masses in the Stanley Cup Final, but the 24-year-old "monster" dominated opposing offenses and powered the NHL's most potent attack all season long.

He doesn't receive the same recognition, but Hedman is without question as integral to the Lightning's success as Stamkos. And his free-agent status in the summer of 2017 is a factor that Lightning management and Stamkos' camp cannot overlook.

Player to Watch

Jonathan Drouin is a curious case.

He wasn't just a trendy pick - he was the overwhelming Calder favorite at this time last summer. He was expected to bring the undeniable, can't-miss talent of a third overall pick and assimilate perfectly into an already-dangerous lineup after his season of polish in junior.

Then he flopped.

Drouin scored four goals in 70 games, failing to carve out a role - or any real function - in Jon Cooper's lineup. With the Bolts' entire rank and file set to return (save for Brenden Morrow, who'll be replaced by Erik Condra), Drouin isn't even a lock to begin the season in a top-nine capacity.

He could bring the Lightning's firepower to a whole different level if he can find himself on a line with other capable offensive players. But his rise will have to begin with Cooper's trust.