Indeed, the captain will finish his contract on July 1st and will then be able to test the free agency market. Julien Brisebois has been quite discreet throughout the campaign regarding his plans with his veteran, which has greatly helped to fuel discussions.
With the recent elimination of the Bolts, it is certain that these speculations will increase over the next few weeks and that many, as Grant McCagg has done, will link him to the Montreal Canadiens.
Stamkos was earning an average salary of $8.5M last season. At his age, it is very likely that he will accept a pay cut, but surely not at the expense of the duration. He will want to secure his next years with a medium to long-term contract. It will therefore be interesting to see the intentions of the main interested party.
It also remains to be seen if Kent Hughes is ready to add a well-known veteran to his lineup. While he has already said that the next summer will be important, he has also added that it will be less so than the following one. Therefore, we can presume that the big player will arrive with the CH in the summer of 2025 and not 2024. Nothing is impossible, however, and if Stamkos really wants to be a Habs, Kent Hughes will have no choice but to consider him.