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Steven Stamkos has been the Tampa Bay Lightning's captain since 2014, and over the past decade, he's helped them remain one of the NHL's top teams. His run as the leader featured back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021, and another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022.
This year, the Lightning lost a five-game series in the first round to the eventual Cup champion Florida Panthers. But Tampa Bay has the talent to regroup and contend again during the 2024-25 campaign.
In order for that to happen, though, the Lightning can't let Stamkos go.