With his position at Hendrick Motorsports being publicly questioned

Steven Stamkos was an observer, not a participant, in the NHLs free-agency frenzy on Friday, and that was just fine with him.The Tampa Bay Lightning captain, who removed himself from the unrestricted-free-agent market on Wednesday by signing an eight-year, $68 million contract to stay with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008, was able to sit back, relax and watch the madness of free agency unfold without a hint of stress.I definitely was interested, like any other hockey fan was, to see where guys would end up and what would happen, Stamkos told ESPN.com on Saturday. But there was never a moment where I said, What if? I think in essence that kind of solidifies the decision that I made, and Im happy about it.Stamkos and the Lightning -- my early pick to win the Stanley Cup next season -- have a lot to be happy about these days. Somehow they have come out of the zaniness of the 2015-16 season, when?Jonathan Drouins trade request and the lingering Stamkos contract situation fueled headlines for much of the year, looking better than ever.Stamkos, 26, and defenseman?Victor Hedman, 25?-- who signed a $63 million contract extension on Friday -- are both now locked up with eight-year deals, the 21-year-old?Drouin rescinded his trade request, and the future looks oh-so-bright for the Bolts.This year was pretty crazy, when you think about it, Stamkos said. I dont think anyone could have expected all that stuff to happen -- some of the stuff we had to deal with as a team and as an organization this year. But thats a testament to the ownership and the management and the players willingness to understand the situation that we have. The situation ultimately is that we have a really, really good team that can compete for a long time now.Its funny how it all turned out, right?When Jonathan took the trade request back, that was huge, Stamkos said. We all saw what he did in the last five regular-season games and in the playoffs. Given the opportunity, the way he prepared himself for games, he was almost a new player. Sometimes you need to go through some tough, adverse times in your career to learn. He did that. He learned that at a young age, and hes going to be a stud in this league for a long time.Stamkos and Hedman have long shared a bond.Victor and I are extremely close friends, Stamkos said. We came up in this organization as 18-year-old kids. To say that were going to be together for the long run, and on one team, thats something special. We have talked a lot throughout this process. I joke with him that sometimes I forget the time difference [with Sweden] and Im calling him at 4 in the morning. But hes always getting back to me as quick as he can. It was extremely exciting to see him sign. A big reason why both of us stuck around is because of the relationship that we have as teammates and as friends as well.Stamkos left mind-boggling money on the table from the likes of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres?and?Detroit Red Wings?to return to Tampa Bay. He put winning first. It tells you a lot about his character.Some other free-agency news in my last blog of the season:The contract that Stamkos signed on Wednesday would also become the norm a few days later, on July 1: a signing-bonus-laden deal. His eight-year, $68 million deal includes $60 million paid out in yearly signing bonuses and just $8 million in actual salary. That trend continued on Friday.Milan Lucics deal with the Edmonton Oilers includes $23 million in signing bonuses and $19 million in salary. Kyle Okposos contract with the Buffalo Sabres:?$25 million in signing bonuses and $17 million in salary. Andrew Ladds deal with the New York Islanders: $31.5 million in signing bonuses and just $7 million in salary. Loui Erikssons contract with the Vancouver Canucks: $28 million in signing bonuses and just $8 million in salary.The practice is not unprecedented. David Clarksons contract with the Leafs signed on July 1, 2013, was perhaps one of the first: His seven-year, $36.75 million deal is made up of $27.75 million in bonuses. All of these contracts are front-loaded, too.These deals are structured and in line with the CBA [collective bargaining agreement], a player agent said on Saturday. They provide protection to the players on the back end of the contract for future events such as a lockout or buyouts.Theres a possibility of another lockout as early as September 2020. Signing bonuses are paid out on July 1 regardless of a lockout, whereas salaries are not, so thats money in the pocket of these players even if theres a work stoppage. We also saw more than a dozen buyouts over the past 10 days. The signing bonuses are payable and outside of the buyout provision in the CBA.I asked NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly via email on Saturday how he felt about all this:Its not the first time we have experienced this, Daly said. Its a practice thats permitted by the CBA. I assume the clubs, agents and players all know what they are doing and are prepared to live with the results.Interesting answer.As I tweeted about Friday, the Los Angeles Kings made one last attempt at re-signing Milan Lucic on Thursday morning, offering him an eight-year deal worth $34 million. It obviously wasnt close to the $42 million over seven years that the hulking winger got in Edmonton, but the Kings and GM Dean Lombardi value Lucic and tried one last time to reel him in, which is why they put veteran Matt Greene on buyout waivers Thursday to clear cap space. But once Lucic turned it down, the Kings decided not to buy out Greene. The Kings will now have more cap space to play with a year from now, when Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson will be restricted free agents -- and thats a very good thing. Theyll need it. Im sure Kings fans would have liked to have seen more fireworks on July 1 rather than the depth signings the club made. But believe me when I say that having salary-cap room a year from now, when the cap may barely go up, will be a blessing.Speaking of Lucic, he had cut down his long list of suitors to two teams by Thursday. Outside of Edmonton, where he ended up, the only other club he was strongly considering was Montreal. And the motivating factor in considering the Canadiens was the acquisition of Shea Weber. Lucic saw the Habs in a different light once Weber was acquired Wednesday; such is the respect that many players around the league have for the former Predators captain. Im on the record saying I feel the Predators won the trade in the long term simply because P.K. Subban is younger and has peak years ahead of him. But dont underestimate the leadership impact that Weber is going to have in Montreal. Hes one of the most respected players in the NHL.In the wake of acquiring Subban, the Predators were still trying to improve their team Friday. A source told me that they tried hard to acquire Eriksson and, to some degree, Ladd.Two GMs had excellent weeks: Tampas?Steve Yzerman and San Joses Doug Wilson. I cant tell you how many comments Ive gotten from other GMs around the league about Yzermans re-signing Stamkos and Hedman (and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy). The GMs have praised the patience that Yzerman showed in sticking to the $8.5 million average annual value he offered Stamkos -- the most he felt he could offer in order to keep most of his team together moving forward -- not to mention keeping Drouin at the trade deadline. What a year for the Tampa GM. He still has to sign the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov this summer. And a year from now Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Drouin will all need new contracts. It wont be easy keeping everyone on the team, and he likely wont be able to -- a deal for goalie Ben Bishop is expected to happen within the next year -- but already, Yzerman has done the most important heavy lifting.Wilson, meanwhile, scored huge points in getting Mikkel Boedker for just $4 million a year on Friday. That was hands down the best value signing of July 1. The winger could have signed for more money elsewhere but wanted to join a serious contender and play again for head coach Peter DeBoer, whom he played for in junior hockey. His blazing speed on the wing is an element the Sharks needed. I also think the signing of David Schlemko will turn out to be one that people talk about next season, a real underrated puck-mover on the back end. The Sharks had a very good day.In my final note, heres something too funny not to share. The first day of free agency is a crazy day. I was doing live TV for TSN all day and working my phone like a maniac, sometimes juggling a bit too much. Case in point: When it was rumored that the Kings had signed veteran defenseman Tom Gilbert, I texted Kings assistant GM and Hall of Famer Rob Blake and wrote: Rob, have you guys signed Rob Blake? He responded: Might have to. Ha, that made me laugh out loud. What a brain cramp on my part -- and a witty response on his end.OK, folks, thats it for me this season. What a blast. Lets talk again in September, when the World Cup of Hockey on ESPN is upon us! Wholesale Yeezy . PAUL, Minn. Discount Yeezy . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. https://www.fakeyeezywholesaleonline.com/ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. Cyber Monday Yeezy . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. Yeezy China . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Theres already a lot of talk about the Oct. 23 restrictor plate race at Talladega Superspeedway and how it could shake up NASCARs Chase for the Sprint Cup.?But first, theres the small matter of actually locking into the 16-driver field for the Chase. And even though NASCARs 10-race elimination style playoff doesnt start until September, Saturday nights Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway may ultimately have an impact on the Chase grid.?With frequent multi-car crashes, the plate races often produce big swings in the point standings. Daytona was no exception; several drivers who were already in a precarious position in terms of the Chase got swept into a 22-car big one on Lap 90 of 160.?Jamie McMurray triggered the massive pile-up, and he also took one of the biggest hits in terms of the Chase. McMurray entered the Daytona weekend on the bubble among drivers who havent scored a race win in 2016, and the 34th-place finish Saturday knocked him out of the top 16 if the Chase started today.?Conversely, Tony Stewart solidified his position in the Chase despite crashing with 11 laps remaining to be classified 26th. That still put Stewart nine places ahead of Brian Scott and helped him move ahead of Scott into 30th place in the point standings, which is a requirement for him to be Chase eligible, making him one of the evenings big winners.?Because the Chase field is determined first by race winners, one spectacular Saturday night or Sunday afternoon could land a surprise driver in the field. With Stewart making it into the top 30, there are now 11 race winners this year all in the top 30, currently leaving five positions open through points.? ?Tony winning last week takes up another spot, so it makes us have to work a little bit harder, said Kyle Larson, who helped his cause with a sixth-place finish in his Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Its going to be tough making the Chase if we dont get a win, so Im happy about the points we earned tonight.?Heres a look at how several drivers vying for a place in the Chase fared at Daytona:?Winner: Austin Dillon -- What a difference a year makes for the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Dillon ended the rain-delayed 2015 Coke Zero 400 with a mangled race car after being launched into the fence on the final lap in an incident that left five spectators injured. This year, despite being among the 22 drivers involved in the big wreck on Lap 90 of 160, Dillon brought his car home in one piece in seventh place. After being two points to the good for a Chase place before the race, Dillon now has a 25-point cushion.?It was a solid night for us, Dillon said. Made a lot of ground from 18th to seventh and wish we could have got a bit more, but Im proud of our day. These are wild and crazy races, and its a lot better to come home seventh on all four wheels than upside down.?Winner: Ryan Blaney -- Rookie Blaney came into Daytona two spots out of making the Chase by points, and he left as the last driver in. As Team Penske showed with Brad Keselowski winning and Joey Logano finishing fourth, the Fords were fast, and Blaney spent time at the front of the field before being delayed in a pit incident. He worked his way back into the top 10 but got swept into Stewarts wreck, ending the day 14th for a net gain of 16 points on the day.? ?It was a long night for sure, Blaney said. We were still fast affter the thing in the pits -- got up to sixth, I think, and we were in a good spot until [Stewart] wrecked, got turned in front of us and it hurt the right-front pretty bad.dddddddddddd Weve got nine more races [before the Chase]. I just want to run the best we can and well see how the points shake out.?Winner: Trevor Bayne -- The 2011 Daytona 500 winner made the biggest points gain of the night, a net of plus-27 after a third-place finish in the Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Bayne gained two places in the standings and is now seventh among drivers hunting the five remaining Chase berths, 10 points behind bubble man Blaney.?Overall a really solid points day for us, Bayne said. Its not a win that we need to get in the Chase, but its a great step in the right direction for making it in on points.?Winner: Kyle Larson -- Larson dodged a bullet when his Ganassi teammate McMurray bounced his Chevrolet off the No. 42 Target car. Larson held on and brought the damaged car home in sixth place, putting him 19 points behind Blaney after a net gain of 14 points on a Chase berth.?A really good night, Larson said. A lot of guys around us in the points had bad nights so we made up some points on them, which is good. We just have to keep digging. We have something like eight races left until the Chase (actually nine), so thats a lot of time as long as we dont have any DNFs. There are some good tracks coming up for me and for our team, so hopefully we can go there and execute.?Non-winner: Jamie McMurray -- The former Daytona 500 winner didnt have any luck Saturday. A bump with his teammate Larson appeared to cut a rear tire, sending McMurrays Ganassi Chevrolet into the spin that collected more than half the field. The No. 1 car got out for a few more laps to gain a couple of extra points over those that sustained terminal damage, but a 34th-place finish was severely damaging to his Chase hopes. After arriving on the bubble, McMurray is now four points behind Blaney for the 16th spot.?It seemed like a tire maybe went down and it actually felt like I hit oil, McMurray said. Its unfortunate but its just part of plate racing.?Non-winner: Kasey Kahne -- With his position at Hendrick Motorsports being publicly questioned despite holding a contract with the team, Kahne didnt need a bad result at Daytona. But he got one, finishing 30th despite a mammoth effort from his crew to get the No. 5 Chevrolet back on track some 40 laps down. Kahne was one spot out of making the Chase before Saturday nights setback, and although he dropped another two places at Daytona, he remains just 13 points behind Blaney, the same deficit he faced coming in.?Non-winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- The master of restrictor-plate racing never looked comfortable this time at Daytona, qualifying his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16th and rarely troubling the top 10. Dale Jr. bulldozed through the 22-car melee but sustained enough damage to keep him at the tail of the field for the rest of the night. His 16th-place finish dropped him to third among winless drivers, but he still managed to make a net gain of nine points on the Chase bubble. Hes now 24 points to the good.?I just rode around, he said. I couldnt get in there and get two and three-wide because the car needed a couple lanes to run well. ' ' '