Anthony Cirelli unhappy after departure of Steven Stamkos

It's officially the end of an era for the Tampa Bay Lightning, as longtime forward and team captain Steven Stamkos is no longer part of the team. He departed the only NHL club he's ever played for to sign a four-year, $32 million deal with the Nashville Predators. 

The AAV of $8 million he'll be earning with the Predators is twice as much as the $4 million AAV he was reportedly offered by the Lightning, a deal that wasn't satisfactory to him. And while Stamkos has already bid goodbye to the Lightning with a lengthy piece in The Player's Tribune, the sting of his departure is still sticking with his now-former teammates. 

Anthony Cirelli is feeling particularly disappointed about Stamkos choosing to sign elsewhere, along with the trade of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes). In fact, Cirelli was up front about it, saying "it sucks". 

“It’s going to be weird not seeing Stamkos and Sergachev come back,” Cirelli told TSN1050’s First Up on Monday. “We brought in some skill and we know McDonaugh from his time here before with the leadership ability and game that he brings each and every night. We brought in some really good players and people to try to go for it again.”

Sergachev departs just two seasons into the eight-year contract that he agreed to with the Lightning in the summer of 2022. Meanwhile, Stamkos had been a member of the club since being elected with the 1st overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft from the Sarnia Sting. 

It's going to be a strange sight to see Stamkos wearing the gold and navy of Nashville, but that's the reality of the business that is professional sports. 

Recommended articles:

• Derek Lalonde, Peter DeBoer and more reveal their favorite players.
• Toronto's Matthew Knies makes unreal defensive play
• Another blow hits the Lightning minutes prior to Game 5
• Anthony Cirelli suffers scary injury in Game 4
• Uproar on social media over controversial 1st goal in Game 4