*Photo from The Hockey News*
This one is quite the stunner. The Nashville Predators and center Steven Stamkos have agreed to a 4 year, $32 million contract, according to TSN's Pierre Lebrun. The Predators have made the signing official.
Drafted first overall by the Lightning in the 2008 NHL draft, Stamkos leaves the only team he's ever played for after 16 seasons for the Predators. Stamkos had been captain of the Lightning since the end of the 2013-2014 season and now has a deal that pays him $8 million annually in Nashville.
As captain of the Lightning, Stamkos led them to 3 Stanley Cup Final appearances in a row and 4 total, winning two in a row and falling short the 3rd time. He won two Rocket Richard trophies as the league's top goal scorer and is second in franchise history in playoff goals and 3rd in playoff points. He leads the franchise in games played, goals, and points.
Stamkos said "This was a unique experience for me for sure. Something I hadn’t really done in my career. When you’re trying to navigate where you’re going to play, there’s certainly a lot of factors that go into that. One, being a competitive team. Two, going to an organization that’s committed to winning. Three, probably the most important part, is it a fit for you and your family? When you have young kids like I do, being in the right city has to make sense for them as well. And then it’s got to be the right fit for you as a player. You try to check those boxes off as you go along. Some teams hit a couple. Some teams hit one or two. But I felt like Nashville continually, as we went through this process, hit a lot of those boxes."
This past season was another proficient one for Stamkos in his 16th in the league. Playing in 79 games, he scored 40 goals and added 41 assists for 81 points, averaging 18:14 of ice time per game. In the playoffs, he contributed 5 goals and one assist in 5 games.
Stamkos has spent 16 seasons with the Lightning, debuting right after he was selected first overall in the draft. He has 555 goals and 582 assists for 1,137 points, averaging 19:10 of ice time per game over 1,082 games. He has an additional 50 goals and 51 assists in 128 playoff games.
Nashville GM Barry Trotz said of adding Stamkos that "It's huge because it's a statement, I think, for the rest of the League that these players will come to Nashville. These players see what we're doing with our franchise. We have lots to offer, and we're very determined to win. We're committed to that. That's what players want."
The Predators open their season at home October 10 against the Dallas Stars. They make their only trip to Tampa Bay October 28, where Stamkos is sure to be met with a thunderous ovation by fans.
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