Monday marked the end of an era for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After 16 seasons, Steven Stamkos is departing, with the veteran signing a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators.
Following his decision, Stamkos posted a heartfelt message on social media directed toward the Bolts and their fans.
“Thank you Tampa ❤️❤️I don’t have the words yet ….. I will soon. It’s still too early to process. Just wanted everyone to know how thankful we are for 16 years as a bolt.My family and I are excited for the next chapter.”
The Lightning selected Stamkos first overall in the 2008 draft. He made two All-Star teams since then and played 1,082 games with the franchise, scoring 555 goals and registering nearly 600 assists.
There was always a belief that Stamkos could leave in free agency after trade rumors swirled at the deadline. The Predators emerged as a frontrunner for him and managed to bring him in along with Jonathan Marchessault as well. That gives Nashville two legitimate offensive weapons.
Steven Stamkos was an icon for Lightning
Stamkos was truly a franchise cornerstone for the Bolts for the last 16 years. His production has stayed consistent for over a decade now, too. The 34-year-old just scored 40 goals and supplied 41 assists in 2023-24, which isn't far off his numbers from Year 3 in the league. You can see why Stamkos was a hot commodity in free agency.
The Canadian helped the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups only a few years ago and will forever be in the Tampa Bay record books. He leads the franchise in goals, games played, and points.
When the Bolts signed Jake Guentzel on June 30th, the writing was on the wall for Stamkos to test free agency. You can't really blame him for leaving, though. The Preds are giving him $8 million AAV, while Tampa was only offering around half of that. It was a no-brainer to sign elsewhere, despite his love for the organization that brought him into the league.
For what it's worth, Stamkos made it clear in September that he wasn't happy the Lightning didn't approach him about a new deal last offseason:
“To be honest, I've been disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard. It was something that I expressed at the end of last year — that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations,” Stamkos said Wednesday. “I'm ready whenever. I guess that was something that I didn't see coming. But it is what it is.”
The Lightning will be looking to bounce back in 2024-25 following a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers after barely getting into the postseason. The addition of Guentzel is solid, but there's no sugarcoating it. Stamkos' departure will be felt.
Guentzel joins a core led by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, their two best players. Kucherov just put up 144 points, while Point had 90.
Nashville is getting one heck of a player in Steven Stamkos and it does appear they will continue to be aggressive in free agency.
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