Steven Stamkos returned to Tampa as a member of the Nashville Predators on Monday night, October 29th. It was an emotional return for Stamkos, who spent the first 16 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Stamkos brought the Stanley Cup back to Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, scoring over 500 goals and recording over 1000 points with the Lightning. He wanted to remain with the Lightning. Unfortunately, as documented, the Lightning and Stamkos could not agree on an extension.
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Lightning GM Julien BriseBois valued him at ‘X’, and Stamkos valued himself at ‘Y’. Thus, the Lightning and Stamkos went in different directions. Stamkos signed with the Predators on July 1st, while the Lightning traded for and then signed Jake Guentzel to an extension.
When Stamkos returned Monday night, there was no ill will toward him. Most of the fan base knew he did not want to leave. The general manager made a business decision not to bring him back, as there were no negotiations in the summer of 2023.
The fans, his former teammates, and coach Jon Cooper knew what Steven Stamkos meant to that community. His heart will always be in Tampa, but he is a Nashville Predator now, showing that he still has a lot left in the tank.
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After the great video tribute and a standing ovation to Steven Stamkos were over, Stamkos could settle in and play his game. Though the Predators trailed 2-0, Stamkos sparked the charge with two assists as Nashville tied the game and forced overtime.
Great Video Tribute to Steven Stamkos and the Lightning players and Jon Cooper watched it and he gets to take a few laps. What a moment. Crowd chanted Steven Stamkos. Awesome #smashville #gobolts pic.twitter.com/uA4ve5yZSz
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) October 28, 2024
It was almost a storybook ending, similar to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, where he took one shift, scored a goal, and was done for the rest of the series. Stamkos had a chance to be the hero in overtime, score a goal against his former team, and win it for Nashville.
That did not happen for Stamkos and the Predators, who fell 3-2 in overtime to the Lightning. But playing in Tampa gave him the spark he needed to find what was missing in his game to start the season.
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The Predators underachieved to begin the season, but you could tell Stamkos was off. Getting this game out of the way early in the season allows the player to move on and get it over. Maybe he was focusing on this reunion too much, but Stamkos only had one goal in his first eight games.
You could see his heart and head were still in Tampa. It is a hard adjustment for players to move on. It is not a Jonathan Huberdeau situation, but it was getting close to that. You know Steven Stamkos did not want to leave Tampa, but that is the nature of the business.
But something about his game on Monday night allowed him to play more freely and look like the player from a year ago with the Lightning. Again, Steven Stamkos is still adjusting to a new system and a new coach, but it feels like now he can take off and be the player the Predators hoped he would be when they signed him to that four-year deal.
