For some in hockey, it took seeing Steven Stamkos in another NHL sweater to believe it. It seemed at certain points in his career that he was never leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, after being in Tampa since 2008, he is officially a member of the Nashville Predators. He signed a four-year contract with the franchise for $32 million. While Stamkos is a famous name throughout the NHL, some background should be provided for Predators fans who may not know much about him.
Seeing Stamkos in Sarnia
Before he was selected first overall by the Lightning in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Stamkos grew his game in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Sarnia Sting. He first suited up for the club in 2006-07. In 63 games, he posted 42 goals and 50 assists for 92 points. He also tallied six points in four playoff games (three goals and three assists). He followed up that campaign with a 105-point performance in 61 games for the 2007-08 season (58 goals and 47 assists). Stamkos also had 11 goals in nine postseason contests after that.
In a 2008 NHL Draft filled with phenomenal talents like Erik Karlsson, Jordan Eberle, Jacob Markstrom, and Alex Pietrangelo, among others, Stamkos was the clear-cut favorite to go first. He was someone to build a franchise around. The Lightning were coming off an era that included a Stanley Cup championship in 2004, but they struggled in 2007-08 despite still having stars like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. They needed someone else to breathe new life into the roster, and Stamkos fit what they were looking for. Once Stamkos entered the league, it soon became apparent that it was a match made in heaven for both sides.
Becoming One of the Best
When Stamkos joined Tampa in 2008, Lecavalier and St. Louis were the best players ever mentioned for the franchise in their history. They were superb players for the organization, but the Stamkos Era has since taken over what that original era was. By no means was all the success that Tampa has had in recent seasons all on him, as he had other superstars around him like Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy helping out as well.
Related: Steven Stamkos’ Impact on the Growth of Hockey in Tampa
However, Stamkos wore the ‘C’ on his jersey and led the way on and off the ice. For example, when the Lightning made the 2020 Cup Final, Stamkos had dealt with a lower-body injury that sidelined him for several months. He ended up needing surgery to repair his core muscle. Stamkos worked on his recovery as much as possible to get back to playing on the team. He was able to come back for Game 3 of the Cup Final against the Dallas Stars, and while he was limited in playing time, he made an impact in the amount of time he was on the ice. He scored a goal, and Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the game. They ended up winning 5-2 and eventually won the Cup. Stamkos fighting his way through injury back into the lineup is the type of character a team wants in a captain. It is motivational for the rest of his teammates and sets an example for other players to carry themselves in the same way.
As for his stats in Tampa, Stamkos finished his time there having played in 1,082 games and produced 1,137 points in that span (555 goals and 582 assists). He is the only Lightning player who has hit 1,000 points with the club in their history. For perspective, the second-best in the organization’s history was St. Louis with 953 points (Kucherov is the closest current Lightning player with 873 points). Stamkos leads the organization in points and goals and finished second in assists to St. Louis. He also has played the most games for the team, with Hedman second on that list with 1,052 games played.
Stamkos’ stats season-by-season for Tampa are below:
- 2008-09: 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 79 games
- 2009-10: 51 goals and 44 assists for 95 points in 82 games
- 2010-11: 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points in 82 games
- 2011-12: 60 goals and 37 assists for 97 points in 82 games
- 2012-13: 29 goals and 28 assists for 57 points in 48 games
- 2013-14: 25 goals and 15 assists for 40 points in 37 games
- 2014-15: 43 goals and 29 assists for 72 points in 82 games
- 2015-16: 36 goals and 28 assists for 64 points in 77 games
- 2016-17: nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 17 games
- 2017-18: 27 goals and 59 assists for 86 points in 78 games
- 2018-19: 45 goals and 53 assists for 98 points in 82 games
- 2019-20: 29 goals and 37 assists for 66 points in 57 games
- 2020-21: 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points in 38 games
- 2021-22: 42 goals and 64 assists for 106 points in 81 games
- 2022-23: 34 goals and 50 assists for 84 points in 81 games
- 2023-24: 40 goals and 41 assists for 81 points in 79 games
Additionally, Stamkos suited up for 128 postseason games for the Lightning, and he accrued 50 goals and 51 assists for 101 points in that span. Specifically, he made the Cup Final with the team on four occasions. During the 2015 playoff run, he scored seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 26 games. For the 2020 Cup run, due to his injury, Stamkos only posted one goal in one game. The 2021 postseason saw him get eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 23 games. Finally, in his most recent Cup Final appearance, Stamkos tallied 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in 23 games.
As for awards, Stamkos has won many besides the Cup twice. He won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2022-23 and is a two-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner (2009-10 and 2011-12). He has also appeared in seven NHL All-Star Games.
Joining a Loaded Roster in Nashville
If the Predators’ roster was not on the right track before the 2024 offseason, they are there now. General manager Barry Trotz signed Stamkos, along with winger Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei, and added them to a roster with a lot of skill. Stamkos and Marchessault joined an offense with Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, and Gustav Nyquist, among others. They also have a stellar defense that includes Roman Josi, Dante Fabbro, Luke Schenn, and now Skjei. Then, the team locked up their star goalie, Juuse Saros. He will lead the way between the pipes for many seasons.
Trotz did an excellent job putting together a new core that is a Cup contender. If they are not in the conversation to win it all in 2025, they should be. They still must bring it all together on the ice, which will be up to the players and head coach Andrew Brunette. Looking good on paper can always be dangerous; they must accomplish enough at the rink. They are a team to watch out for. They have a lot of weapons throughout their lineup, and Stamkos has become one of the new faces of the organization and this next era for the Predators.
