Steven Stamkos insisted all along that he wanted to stay put in Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup.

The two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading goal scorer gave himself that opportunity Wednesday, re-signing with the Lightning for eight years and foregoing a chance to test free agency.

The team confirmed the agreement, which is worth $68 million, meaning the 26-year-old captain will earn an average of $8.5 million per season.

The deal was reached two days before Stamkos had the opportunity to gauge his worth on the open market, where the four-time All-Star star with 312 goals was expected to command far more lucrative offers from numerous bidders, including his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings.

Instead, he chose to stay with the team that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft.

“I am excited to move forward with the Lightning ... for the next eight years,” Stamkos said in a statement released by the team.

“It’s not often that a player gets the chance to spend his career in one organization, and I am hopeful that this agreement sets me on that path. ... Most importantly, I look forward to working with my teammates, coaches and our management in our goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”

The 26-year-old center is third on Lightning’s all-time scoring list for goals and points. He was the NHL’s leading scorer in 2012 and shared the title with Sidney Crosby in 2010.

“The contract that we agreed to is a number that (the Lightning presented) a while back. ... Ultimately Steven was willing to accept,” general manager Steve Yzerman said.

The GM added that when resumed talks with agent Don Meehan on Wednesday: “I hadn’t given up hope, but I certainly wasn’t necessarily expecting it to get it done.”

Lightning teammate Ryan Callahan welcomed the news, writing on Twitter: “Could not be more happy to have El Capitan Back!!!” Callahan then joked that Stamkos will be picking up the tab at a fast-food restaurant.

The agreement comes as something of a surprise after Stamkos and the Lightning were unable to negotiate a contract extension during the season. The uncertainty led to Stamkos potentially becoming the highest-profile player to hit the free agent market in several years.

His status even loomed over the NHL draft in Buffalo last weekend, where several team executives expressed their interest in making a bid to sign Stamkos. Sabres general manager Tim Murray was among them, and referred to Stamkos as “the big fish.”

Yzerman remained hopeful that a deal could be reached, saying as recently as last weekend that he had not closed the door on re-signing the team’s star.