Steven Stamkos signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators, the center told TSN on Monday. The contract reportedly has an average annual value of $8 million.
The 34-year-old forward had 81 points (40 goals, 41 assists) in 79 regular-season games for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, and had 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in the final 18 games after that. NHL trade deadline on March 8 to help Tampa Bay earn the first wild card to the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Stamkos then led Tampa Bay with five goals in the first-round series against the Florida Panthers, which the Lightning lost in five games.
“You always think something is going to work out, but this morning when I woke up, we knew we were going to make the decision to be somewhere else and that was exciting for my wife, for me, for our kids and for our family,” Stamkos told TSN. “And like I said, just having a team show as much interest as Nashville and how excited they were about the possibility of me coming.
“It made us feel very special and very good. It made that decision a lot easier.”
Stamkos wasn’t the only former Stanley Cup champion to join the Predators on Monday. Jonathan Marchessault, who won the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23, told TSN he’s also going to the Predators.
“Nashville was the ideal team for me,” the 34-year-old forward told TSN. “I’m at a point in my career where I don’t just want to play games, I want to win games.”
Marchessault, an original member of the Golden Knights, said he was “disappointed” to not be able to re-sign with Vegas, but added: “I turned the page an hour ago. We move on. A new chapter, a new challenge for me and my family.” .
Stamkos signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) on June 29, 2016 and was eligible to sign a new contract with Tampa Bay last season.
“Steven earned the right to test free agency,” Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. “I didn’t go to him last season to make a deal. I went to him quickly after this season and took the risk that we could end up like this, and now we’re here. And to be fair, I think both sides have tried to make a deal.” up to this point. We just haven’t been able to do it yet.”
Stamkos, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, has 1,137 points (555 goals, 582 assists) in 1,082 games over 16 seasons, all with the Lightning ranking first in points, goals, games, power-play goals (214 ). game-winning goals (85) and overtime goals (13) in team history.
He twice won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for most goals in a season (51 in 2009-10 and 60 in 2011-12) and led the Lighting to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
“At the end of the day, winning is still what motivates me,” Stamkos said on May 1. “Being a big part of that culture motivates me. Obviously, certain things have changed now; I have an amazing young family that has put down roots. I’m in this city and I really enjoy living here and playing here. From that perspective, the decision now is more That’s just me, and it’s amazing for me to have that and be in that situation.
“There are different factors to last time, but nothing has really changed in terms of my mindset and where I wanted to be and play, and that was here. So that certainly hasn’t changed.”
Since entering the NHL, Stamkos is second in goals behind only Alex Ovechkin (690) and fourth in points behind Sidney Crosby (1,302), Ovechkin (1,240) and Patrick Kane (1,212).
“When you’re not in control of the situation, you just have to accept it,” Stamkos said. “There were certainly times throughout the year where you thought about those things in private conversations with friends, family, mentors and things like that, but for me, I tried to leave it at home and when I got to the rink it never crossed my mind.”
Stamkos is third in playoff points (101) and assists (51), second in goals (50) and fifth in games (128) in Lightning history.
“He belongs here. We know it, he knows it,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said April 29. “We’ve grown up together, he’s a great player, but he’s also… I mean, he controls his own destiny. But I don’t know what’s going to happen. But he feels like a Bolt for life, but only he and Julien can respond.” to that question.”
Marchessault, winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, scored 69 points (42 goals, 27 assists) last season and scored four points in seven playoff games.
He has 487 points (230 goals, 257 assists) in 638 regular season games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, Florida Panthers and Golden Knights.
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