The biggest prize in the NHL Free Agency period is off the open market. Steven Stamkos has reportedly agreed to an 8-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Though he has been taken off the open market he still might not be off the market as a sign and trade could still be possible. The current edition of the Collective Bargaining Agreement states that any free agent may sign up to an 8-year deal with his current team and only seven years with any other team in the league. A sign and trade had been thought as possible as early as yesterday.

Stamoks' $8.5 Million dollar AAV (average annual value) is relatively low when rumors had deals he would have been presented in the 10s of millions.

NHL Network's Kevin Weekes seems to believe that Stamkos is in Tampa to stay however.

Now if the Red Wings, or any team want Stamkos it will be on Tampa Bay's terms and it will be a much steeper price then any contract a team could have offered him come July 1.

The Red Wings will have just over $18 million in cap space when the free agency period opens. They still have four restricted free agents who are due some of that money in Petr Mrazek ,Danny DeKeyesr, Alexey Marchenko, and Teemu Pulkkinen.

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