3. Paying Steven Stamkos what he's "worth"
The New Jersey Devils were very surprisingly tied to Steven Stamkos (and Jonathan Marchessault) on the first day of free agency. They had already signed defenseman Brett Pesce and were on the way to signing left-handed defenseman Brenden Dillon. However, most fans were hoping also to add a top-six forward. The Devils needed someone after trading Tyler Toffoli during the season (more on that in a moment).
Both Stamkos and Marchessault would have been perfect for this team. The legendary Lightning center has proven he still has a ton left in the tank offensively, and he would bring a championship mentality to a still relatively young Devils team. However, the Devils are dealing with a dearth of salary cap space. So, the numbers had to work.
They did not, and Stamkos (and Marchessault) ended up signing with the Nashville Predators. Barry Trotz gave Stamkos a four-year deal with an $8 million per season salary. This isn’t to say Stamkos doesn’t deserve that, but it’s just not a number the Devils can match.
A player like Stamkos becomes a luxury for the Devils, but luxury costs more than a bag at the Short Hills Mall during the start of free agency. The Devils are likely a Stanley Cup favorite right now with Stamkos in tow, but it likely means they have to sell on the future and get contracts off the books now. It would have been nice, but it just didn’t make sense financially.