from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

- On July 19, 2011, the Lightning made a wise decision. Less than three weeks into his residency as a restricted free agent, Steven Stamkos signed a five-year, $37.5 million extension. It was a slam-dunk move. Stamkos’s status as the first overall pick in 2008 and subsequent production of 119 goals over the life of his entry-level contract gave Tampa Bay enough data to determine he was worth a prime-time payday.

A similar deal should await Nikita Kucherov.

The right wing does not have Stamkos’s pedigree. Kucherov lasted until the 58th pick in 2011. He scored a career-high 30 goals in 2015-16 as a third-year NHLer. Stamkos pumped in 45 pucks in his third season, following up a 51-strike sophomore year.

But the first segment of Kucherov’s career promises his peak years should be very good. The Lightning would be best served locking him up for the next phase, just like they did with Stamkos.

- David Backes gave the Blues everything they had. The captain led the way with his heart, grit, and strength in the regular season and playoffs. No team would want to say goodbye to such a leader.

The reality, however, is that Backes is 32 years old and about to be unrestricted. If he’s looking for a long-term deal, he’s not getting it in St. Louis, regardless of how he’s served the franchise. GM Doug Armstrong knows that bringing Backes back depends on what he can give the team in the future. At Backes’s age, it’s not as much as 23-year-old Jaden Schwartz has to offer.

“What you’ve seen around the league is that if you get too aggressive, those contracts are sometimes difficult to maneuver around in years pushing out,” Armstrong told St. Louis reporters of long-term extensions to veteran players.

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