Stamkos 'soaking it in' after potentially his last game with Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Lightning saw their season come to an end on Monday night as they fell to their state rivals, the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tampa Bay's loss might sting right now, but it could hurt even more this summer as their captain has a big decision to make about his future with the franchise, with Monday night potentially being his final game in a Lightning uniform.

After the handshake line, EPSN's cameras showed Steven Stamkos 'soaking it all in' on the ice and as the last Lightning player to leave in what very well could be his last game with the organization.




Lightning fans are no stranger to this scenario however as in 2016, the team lost in the Conference Finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins and many thought May 26th of that year would be his time game with Tampa Bay. Just two days before free agency began, Stamkos re-signed with the Lightning for eight years with an AAV of $8.5 million.

Stamkos is a franchise legend for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Winning the Stanley Cup twice, captaining the team for a decade, and currently holds team records for games played, goals, points, as well as most goals in a single season. Whenever he decides to hang up the skates, his number 91 will hang from the rafters at Amalie Arena.

With just over two months to go until unrestricted free agency opens, it'll be interesting to see what Steven Stamkos decides to do. Whether he stays in Tampa Bay or goes elsewhere to try and add his name to the Stanley Cup for a third time.