Feb. 27th: Stamkos himself poured cold water on the idea of him being traded before next week’s deadline. According to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, Stamkos said, “I haven’t talked to (GM Barry Trotz) at all about that.” Stamkos later added that there was “zero” chance he’d be willing to waive his no-movement clause. Although things could change, Stamkos’ strong rebuttal against LeBrun’s report indicates he’ll finish the season in Nashville. There was no added reporting on whether Stamkos would reassess his view this offseason.
Feb. 26th: The Nashville Predators could soon part with their biggest free agency signing in recent memory. Centerman Steven Stamkos has emerged in trade rumors, though Nashville will have to work around the future Hall-of-Famers’ full no-movement clause. As things stand, Stamkos is only prepared to accept a trade to one of three clubs – the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, or Dallas Stars – per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
A reunion in Tampa Bay would certainly be the most welcome outcome. Stamkos spent 16 years with the Lightning after being drafted first overall by the club in 2008. He debuted with a 46-point season in the following season, then jumped to 51 goals and 95 points in the 2009-10 season. The season was, at the time, the third-highest scoring season from a teenager in the NHL since 2000, behind Sidney Crosby’s first two seasons in the league.
Stamkos found another gear with 60 goals and 97 points two seasons later. With that, he locked in a star’s role on top of the lineup that – with sustained scoring and an exemplary supporting cast – would lead Stamkos to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021.
Stamkos left Tampa Bay three seasons later, in one of the most coveted free agency signings of the 2000s. The move hasn’t gone to plan though, with Stamkos dwindling from 81 points in his final year in Tampa Bay to only 53 points in his first season in Nashville. Meanwhile, the Lightning have yet to fill the hole left at the center position, even deploying winger Jake Guentzel in the center role amid injury troubles. A reunion would mean a return to the top role for Stamkos, and allow Brayden Point to take a step back amid a down year.
But while Tampa Bay has stayed a top offense despite their missing piece, the Wild seem a star center shy of emerging as a super-team after trading de facto top center Marco Rossi in a package for top defender Quinn Hughes. The Wild offense could offer the mix of speed and skill to elevate a 36-year-old Stamkos, who is already scoring at a 40-goal and 63-point pace this season. Stamkos would offer a heavy shot to go with playmakers Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Mats Zuccarello.
Alternatively, Stamkos could become the next star addition to a Dallas club that acquired Mikko Rantanen ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline. Dallas has scored the seventh-most goals in the league with Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene taking on top center duties. Adding another star hand to that mix could be enough to will Dallas back to the Stanley Cup, after three consecutive losses in the Western Conference Finals.
The Predators will need to be handsomely rewarded for departing with the player who was meant to surge the club back to the top of the standings. Future capital will be the focus of any deal, as Nashville looks to expedite a rebuild of their lineup on the back of a strong prospect pool. Teams will also need $8MM in available cap space to take on Stamkos’ deal with no retention. Of the three potential landing spots, only Minnesota could afford that price tag on the day of the Trade Deadline. Tampa Bay would need to clear out $5MM in cap space, while Dallas would need nearly $7MM in space.
The teams will have a bit of time to pull together the necessary funds, with LeBrun reporting that a deal is most likely to occur around the summer. Stamkos has two years remaining on his current contract. Still, those markers will set a tense market around Nashville’s star, veteran forward. That could leave a Stamkos trade as the top agenda item for whoever replaces current general manager Barry Trotz who will step down from his post at the end of the season.
Image courtesy of Haljestam-Imagn Images.
Surprising Stamkos would consider a reunion with Tampa Bay, He was livid when BriseBois let him go.
This article is wrong on a few accounts here. First off, Steven Stamkos wasn’t playing much of center in the last several years in Tampa. He was playing on the left wing. Point was playing top-line center. Stamkos can’t really play center at this stage of his career.
As for Stamkos, this article states what Pierre LeBrun mentioned that a Stamkos trade would happen more likely in the summer not during the trade deadline. Only time will tell if Stamkos is moved out of Nashville to Dallas, Minnesota or back to Tampa which I don’t necessarily see that happening.
While this is obviously not the focal point of the article, saying “The Lightning have yet to fill the hole left at the center position” is wholly inaccurate. Stamkos played almost exclusively on the wing for his last several seasons in a Lightning sweater (as he has for much of his time in Nashville), and the two centers he played with in his last few years (Point and Cirelli) are still very much the #1 and #2C, so “a reunion would mean a return to the top role for Stamkos” is patently false (seriously, you think the Lightning would hypothetically “allow Brayden Point to take a step back” to plug Stamkos in his place at the #1C???). Really now, this sounds like an AI-generated piece.
Not that Stamkos is a likely trade candidate for them anyway, given the salary cap limitations and the impending need for a Cale Makar contract extension, it’s always interesting to me when guys don’t include the Avalanche on their list of acceptable destinations.
Stamkos to Lightning would have nothing to do with Guentzel or Point as said above.
He is intriguing to Lightning, because, even though he would not play center, he is a very good face off guy. Plus, he would add grit, secondary scoring and round out the Power Play.
The deal for Lightning or any of the teams, requires Nashville retaining half the salary for next 2 years. That could get them a prospect and a pick.
This sounds like a way to get even with Brisebois by Stamkos. There’s no way Brisebois would saddle himself with the task of getting rid of Stamkos for the 2nd time.
There is no getting even. They are not teen aged girls, they are business men.
If Stamkos was in Brisbois situation, he would have done the same thing.
If Brisbois was in Stamkos situation, he would have done the same thing.
Its about salary cap and math, not emotion.
Steven Stamkos is telling anyone who’ll listen today that he hasn’t waived his NMC, And loves Nashville. When are these self proclaimed insiders going to be held accountable? They are all completely USELESS!!!!
Pierre LeBrun simply lied about the made up story regarding Stamkos and a three team list of clubs he would consider playing for, These self proclaimed insiders have ZERO juice.
Pierre didn’t lie. The Pro Hockey Rumors author misquoted him.
PHR:
“As things stand, Stamkos is only prepared to accept a trade to one of three clubs – the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, or Dallas Stars – per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.”
Whereas The Athletic article quote was:
“As far as I understand it, Stamkos would have a very short list of teams he’d accept a trade to. It would have to be a legitimate contender and a good spot for his family.
Three teams that would fit that bill are the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
The New Jersey Devils are a fourth team in the “maybe” category.”
Pierre didn’t say Stamkos was “prepared to accept a trade” to those specific clubs like the PHR author noted; he was speculating on which teams would be a fit given his understanding of how Stamkos feels.
I see a pretty big difference in the language and I think PHR should have provided more of a direct quote rather than inferring something more concrete than the original reporter probably intended.
LeBron peddling fake news apparently.
Stamkos is not going anywhere he and his family have embraced themselves in the Nashville area.
SLASH…it looks like you fell for this one, with your first comment. You’re following behind buddy.
Hook…line…sinker………set!!
Wilf is playing insider again. One of his amusing personas.