Great Free Agency Calls, By Dan Shaughnessy

Dan Shaughnessy, on the roster needs of the Boston Bruins, three days ago:

I say, “Go Big or Go Home.”

Make a splash. No more talk about “assets.’’ Get some proven players. Durant. Butler. Cousins. Stamkos. Subban.

Now.

I bet you're wondering just how well those two calls turned out?

(Steve) Stamkos surrendered his free agency Wednesday. He agreed to an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person requested anonymity because the contract has not been announced. Although he would have become an unrestricted free agent Friday, Stamkos realized his best move was to stay put.surrendered his free agency Wednesday. He agreed to an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person requested anonymity because the contract has not been announced. Although he would have become an unrestricted free agent Friday, Stamkos realized his best move was to stay put.
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After the P.K. Subban-for-Shea Weber trade, the Predators have the Warriors’ same winning combination of an innovative system and the personnel to execute it. And like Steve Kerr’s system, Peter Lavioette’s succeeds by redefining positions. It allows defensemen to play more like forwards, pinching as far as the goal line in the offensive zone and carrying the puck end-to-end. Granted, Nashville is not the only team to give their defensemen the green light to do this, but the Predators make it a feature, with at least one player abandoning the blue line on every offensive possession.

I can understand not knowing about the Subban trade, as it seems to have caught a lot of people off guard, but you would think a sports columnist may have read a column or two about Stamkos' situation and wondered if it would be a good thing for him to leave a perennial playoff team. Not Shank, apparently.