Stamkos says there’s ‘no timeline’ for new Lightning deal

NASHVILLE – Steven Stamkos is, according to The Hockey News, the most powerful man in the NHL.

“The picture on the front of the cover looked good,” he said.

Stamkos knows he landed atop the magazine’s “power and influence list” because his free agent status this summer could shake up the NHL, and specifically the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team to which he’s been constantly linked.

Unless, of course, he remains with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Is there any chance he ends this contract drama before the end of the regular season?

“I don’t know,” said Stamkos, speaking with the media at the NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Friday. “There’s really no timeline or date that you put. Obviously, it’s gone on this long, you never know what to expect. It’s been a process. I think you realize when you get in a situation like this, it either happens overnight or takes time.”

Stamkos has had to strike the balance between keeping his distance and being an active participant in the ongoing talks.

“I’d like to say, with the talks, that you’re pretty involved. You know what’s going on. It’s not daily, but there’s communication. And when there is, you’re involved in it,” he said.

Stamkos has the luxury of playing in Tampa Bay, away from the small army of reporters in places like Toronto that parse every word and examine every tweet he favorites. But Stamkos admits the contract talks creep into his thoughts with frequency.

“It’s in your head, for sure. You’re human. You try not to have it affect your play on the ice,” he said. “The guys understand. They’ve been through it before, too.”

So Stamkos waits, and he watches. Like when Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings signed his 8-year, $80-million contract extension recently.

“I wouldn’t say I was monitoring [those talks]. But you’re aware of it. That one maybe gets a little more play from me because you’re asked about comparisons and things like that. But I’m not sitting on my phone, refreshing it," said Stamkos.

Kopitar stayed with his team. No one's quite sure where Stamkos will end up.

“The lines of communication have always been open," he said.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.