Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will hit the free agent market July 1 according to Pierre LeBrun. Given his history with Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, he could be a fit for the Red Wings.

Steven Stamkos will be a free agent July 1, this time for real.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Friday morning that Stamkos will become a free agent July 1. Given his familiarity with Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman and rumors connecting Stamkos and the Red Wings, there’s a chance he could be the top six upgrade that Detroit is looking for this offseason.

Stamkos, who primarily plays left wing at this point in his career, scored 40 goals and 81 points last season. His best contributions come on the power play, where his one-timer brings lethality to the 1-3-1 structure that he and Tampa Bay perfected. His resume and ability suggest that he will earn a big pay day on the open market as teams try to bring on his talent.

Taken with the grain of salt required from the feee agency rumor mill, Detroit is interested in Stamkos. But more importantly, Stamkos is interested in Detroit. As THN Detroit’s Sam Stockton wrote earlier this week:

Among those is Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, whose tenure in Tampa may be running short. “If Stamkos hits July first, I could see a lot of reasons why [Detroit] would be a fit,” opined Johnston. He added something which is perhaps more significant than any individual player connected to the Red Wings via rumor when he said that Detroit is a team of whom free agents believe “okay maybe this is a team I can win a Cup with in a couple year’s time.” That should make recruitment easier for Yzerman and his brain trust.

If Yzerman plans to sign Stamkos, he would bring more offense to the top six in addition to the type of veteran, playoff-savvy leadership that he has prioritized in the past two free agent cycles. There are intricacies of role and fit to be ironed out — for example, Stamkos plays the same power play position as Alex DeBrincat, who the Red Wings moved significant assets to acquire. But, a player of Stamkos’ caliber isn’t always available.

Detroit as an organization knows this all too well. Back in 2016, Stamkos was rumored to be headed toward unrestricted free agency following the expiration of his contract with the Lightning. Former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland wanted to sign Stamkos, and Detroit was among the favored destinations for Stamkos. But at what felt like the 11th hour, Yzerman himself signed Stamkos to his now-expiring contract.

Clearly, Stamkos is fond of checks signed by Yzerman, and perhaps there’s a chance he could sign them in the future. The interest seems to exist on both sides, and for now it’s a waiting game to see how free agency shakes out.