Giant NHL trade, Nashville snags Stamkos! We’re thrilled, reports GM Trotz. There was also a surprise

In Nashville, I wash my hands after the first day of the open free agent market. Several great signings were capped off by the arrival of star forward Steven Stamkos. The 34-year-old cannon fodder has signed with the Predators for four years. He’ll earn a total of $32 million during that time.

Steven Stamkos was probably the biggest ace of all on the free agent market this year. There was speculation until the last minute if he would get an offer from Tampa Bay and stay where his career started in 2008. That’s when the Lightning selected him with the No. 1 overall pick.

He lived up to his expectations, and in the following years he became a prominent figure of the club, which he led to the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 with the captain’s C on his chest. But now the Stamkos-Lightning connection is history. Starting next season, the now seasoned forward will play for the Nashville Predators.

“We are incredibly excited to sign a player who will one day be a Hall of Famer. This is a great day for the future of our organization. Steven, who won two Stanley Cups as captain, is a proven winner and a leader who will make us a better team on the ice. He is a player that our younger players can learn from,” beamed General Manager Barry Trotz to the club’s website after the official announcement.

Great job Barry Trotz

In a way, Stamkos is the kind of player the whole league wants, but not everyone can afford. The Predators, however, have made some serious cuts to the roster over the last two years under the new GM. They got rid of some big names, built a young team around Roman Josi or Filip Forsberg.

As a result, they’ve created a luxury cushion under the salary cap. Before the free agent market opened, Nashville was in the best position after Utah to make some interesting signings. And the team around Barry Trotz made the most of it.

“When I became general manager of the Predators, I said many times that I wanted to bring a ‘serial winner’ to our franchise. There is no one who fits that category more than Steven Stamkos,” Trotz said.

Stamkos: I had a good feeling

The Canadian forward, who can play center and wing, had many offers, according to overseas reports. But in the end, he was most interested in the one from Nashville. He will earn $32 million in the country town over the next four years.

“It’s obviously a very special moment for my family and for me. We couldn’t be more excited to join the Nashville Predators organization, ” Stamkos said via video call from his home in Florida. He said it’s been a whirlwind of emotions in recent days.

“I had a pretty good feeling we were going to have to make a big decision when we woke up this morning,” he admitted. Former Predators players Ryan McDonagh and Luke Schenn also helped him decide on Nashville. But he said the biggest factor in signing the contract was the team meeting with Trotz and coach Andrew Brunette.

A sweet bonus for Stamkos is the arrival of his former teammate Jonathan Marchessault. When the two called during Monday’s game, Stamkos thought Marchessault was just monitoring the situation and considering a signing. ” No, Stammer, I’m coming, too,” Marchessault said. ” So that was a pretty fun surprise today,” Stamkos added.

Source: NHL, Nashville Predators