TRENDING NEWS: Steven Stamkos is one step closer to potentially joining the Leafs.

Toronto area native Steven Stamkos is slowly seeing the likelihood of being re-signed by Tampa Bay wither away, leading to speculation about him potentially coming home.

With the Lightning recently requiring veteran Ryan McDonagh in a trade with the Nashville Predators, they now are pushed up against the cap and no longer have enough cap-space for the Lightning captain.

As the Bolts have already committed long-term to a plethora of players including Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Vasilevsky and Sergachev, to name a few, it’s seeming increasingly likely that Stamkos finds himself headed to free agency.

The blue and white will have plenty of space to sign Stamkos if they trade for the rumored superstar Mitch Marner of the Leafs. Marner was the fourth overall choice in the 2015 draft. There have been reports in the past that Stamkos is thinking of signing with Toronto. But it’s clear that those rumors have never come to pass.

Even though Stamkos is nearing the end of his career, the Leafs would greatly benefit from his leadership qualities, postseason expertise, and exceptional goal-scoring abilities. Another benefit is the power play’s evident boost.

In 79 games played last season, Stamkos scored 81 points and collected 5 goals and 6 points in 5 postseason contests.