From the outside looking in, there seems to be a crinkle between Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the man himself says otherwise.
After various reports from a number of media outlets suggested that the Lightning captain is likely to take his talents outside of Tampa, the 25-year-old broke his silence Saturday to clear the air.
"Like I've always said, I envision myself winning a championship here and want to do that," Stamkos told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "Obviously we got close last year, and I'm the captain of this team and I want to be that leader."
Liking tweets that have suggested a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs and a dragged out contract negotiation with the Lightning have helped fuel the rumor mills this season.
However, Stamkos remains adamant there is no truth to reports that he has already made the decision to move on from the only NHL organization he has ever played for.
"Absolutely not," Stamkos said. "Not even close. That's why people say, 'I've got a feeling. I think, speculate.' There's so much information out there that's probably false. Like the ones about my parents moving to Tampa (which Stamkos said is not true). That just comes with the territory."
Speculation in recent seasons has also suggested the narrative that the club's star forward and head coach Jon Cooper have had a falling out, largely seen in Stamkos' move from center to the wing. Once again, Stamkos refuted those claims.
"That's false, too," Stamkos said. "That's the thing. There's been so many different articles written about Coop and I. How do they know what's going on in the room? A lot of it is speculation, a lot of it is a story that needs something to make it seem legit, there needs to be a reason (he's still unsigned). Why no one has had any concrete stuff is because there hasn't been anything to talk about.
"I think obviously the people who know me and are close to the situation know what's true and what's not true."
The fact remains, however, that Stamkos and the Lightning remain without a contract extension past this season. And while the team's captain might refute claims that suggest he is on his way out, only a new contract will silence the masses.
