It did not take long for former Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos’ homecoming to appear on the NHL schedule, and the Nashville Predators, his new club, will gladly take any kind of good feelings they can get.
Playing better after a slow start to a season brimming with high expectations, the Predators and their 34-year-old sniper will travel to Tampa, Fla., for Stamkos’ first matchup against the Lightning.
Following nearly no contract talk last season, Stamkos could not reach a deal over the summer with the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008.
On July 1 when free agency opened, Stamkos joined Nashville on four-year, $32 million contract — an amount twice what the Lightning reportedly were willing to pay.
Such an offer from the Lightning was viewed as something way beneath what Stamkos had done for the club and meant to the city.
In 16 years of elite play during 1,082 regular-season games for the three-time Cup winners, Stamkos recorded 1,137 points (555 goals, 582 assists). The captain won two Stanley Cups (2020, 2021) and the Maurice “Richard” Trophy twice as the NHL’s top goal scorer, netting a career-high 60 in the 2011-12 campaign.
Beloved by Lightning fans and team staff, Stamkos is one of the greatest players to put on a sweater featuring Tampa Bay’s blue and white color scheme.
“That’s going to be probably the toughest part, emotionally, is just the relationships that my family has had with everyone,” Stamkos told NHL.com. “The workers in the rink, the staff, everyone within the organization, the friends we’ve made away from the game. That’s the part that gets you, I think.”
The unanimous sentiment around the Atlantic Division club is that everything is so different now with Stamkos and that hammering right-handed shot not around.
“With every day, it’s a little less (strange),” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said last week. “Coming into camp and not having him there, there was definitely a different feeling.”
That difference in Stamkos’ absence has produced rippling effects.
“There’s probably a lot more voices now,” Cooper added. “I don’t think there was a better ambassador for our team than Steven Stamkos, but now there’s more collaboration with him gone.”
Sporting his famous No. 91, now in Nashville gold, Stamkos is off to an unusually slow start.
A constant threat on the power play from his regular spot on the left circle, Stamkos and his powerful blast have been feckless thus far.
He has just one marker and one point — a power-play goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 19 — and is minus-7.
However, Nashville’s play has heated up. After dropping its first five matches, it has won three straight over the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Monday’s matchup will conclude a stretch of three games in four nights, but winning makes it easier.
“We came into the weekend, three games in four nights, those are tough games, especially on the road, with traveling and all that,” said Alexandre Carrier after Jonathan Marchessault’s overtime winner on Saturday beat Columbus 4-3.
“It feels good to be back on the winning streak, but it’s early. It’s only three (wins).”
Stamkos’ homecoming will end a stretch of five matches in eight days (2-2-0) for the Lightning.
Lightning rookie Conor Geekie, 20, scored his first NHL goal in Saturday’s 3-0 blanking of the visiting Washington Capitals.
“(First goals) are tons of fun to be around,” Cooper said. “With the energy on the bench, the guys are super fired up.”
