Imagine being so good that you could theoretically part with your PPG+ career captain and probably not miss a beat.
Damn you, Tampa.
They'd miss a beat, for sure, you dont get over losing a player like that without seeing it somewhere. But the bottom line is they would still be a cup contender, IMO, with Kucherov and Point clearly already having stepped up to the mantle of "star". That, with their supporting cast mostly intact, would keep them in the conversation for a threepeat for sure.
It's funny, this is kind of like the move I thought they might make in the summer of 2016 when they first signed him to that deal. Not trading him I mean, but letting him walk: They were loaded with top young talent, and (while it would've been madness) they could've let a 26 year old franchise pillar walk as a free agent, and still remained competitive. Obviously that would've been awful asset management though, and while they might still have a cup without him there is no way they'd be the steamroller they've been the last two years.
Parting with him now though? It would still be a crazy move after B2B cups, but looking at it purely in an "on paper" sense, clearing
that much cap and getting a good return via trade all in one move would be mighty tempting. Not saying they should do it, but imagine getting a boatload of picks or futures for Stammer from a team like Arizona or LA, and then having the cap space to keep Savard, Goodrow and/or Coleman? They solve their financial problems and leave the team almost whole in return for some pretty good assets.
But of course its no good keeping the whole band together if you lose the frontman