Tampa Bay Lightning trade rumors: Is no move the right move?

When Steven Stamkos broke his right tibia in November, the Tampa Bay Lightning were essentially written off by both fans and critics alike. Most teams don't manage to sniff the playoffs when they lose the best goal-scorer in the league for three months.

So, considering the circumstances, it's incredibly impressive that the Tampa Bay Lightning are hovering around the top of the Atlantic Division as the final stretch of the regular season begins. A lot of credit for the season's success has to go to coach Jon Cooper and General Manager Steve Yzerman, but veteran winger Martin St. Louis deserves his due for carrying this team for stretches over the last few months.

Instead, it's entirely likely the Lightning will deal him away in the next few days. All signs point to St. Louis wanting out of Tampa Bay. Whether he's still miffed at Yzerman for leaving him off the Olympic roster or just eager to win another Stanley Cup before he retires is pure speculation at this point, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Lightning might part with him soon.

The most likely destination is New York. Glen Sather and Yzerman apparently discussed the parameters of a trade before the Olympics, but talks broke down because Yzerman is asking for a lot in return. And why shouldn't he? St. Louis is Tampa Bay's top scorer this season and a valuable asset. It's going to take a lot for the Rangers to pry him out of Florida.

A straight-up Ryan Callahan for St. Louis swap might make sense in EA Sports NHL, but the reality is the Lightning won't take a rental player in exchange for a franchise icon. It's a complicated issue, and it might not get resolved until this offseason.

Assuming Martin St. Louis remains with the Lightning, Steven Stamkos' return will be the biggest addition to the roster this week. If Tampa Bay acquires any help, it will probably be on defense. Ben Bishop has played spectacularly, but a goalie is often only as good as his blue line. With Sami Salo battling injuries and Eric Brewer not getting any younger, expect the Lightning to try to shore up their defense at the deadline.

If Tampa Bay wants to go big on deadline day, they have the prospects to do so. Jonathan Drouin, Andrey Vasilevskiy, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Connolly, and Slater Koekkoek headline what is one of the league's deepest and most talented prospect pools. Steve Yzerman has the assets to get anyone his heart desires.