The Tampa Bay Lightning are undergoing massive changes during the 2024 NHL free agency. Longtime center Steven Stamkos departed the Lightning for the Nashville Predators. Fellow veteran defenseman Victor Hedman dropped a truth bomb on potentially replacing Stamkos as captain after his big move.
Hedman gave Stamkos the utmost respect, saying it was “way too soon” to say if he would take Stamkos' captaincy, per Chris Johnston. Hedman added that he felt Stamkos was the best captain in the league and called him “Mr. Perfect.”
Victor Hedman has a lot of admiration for Steven Stamkos, which makes sense given Stamkos' tenure. Stamkos spent 16 seasons with the Lightning before his Predators move. Tampa Bay selected Stamkos first overall in the 2008 draft. Since then, he made two All-Star teams and played 1,082 games with the franchise, scoring 555 goals and registering nearly 600 assists.
Stamkos posted a heartfelt social media message after his decision.
“Thank you Tampa,” Stamkos wrote on X alongside two heart emojis. “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.”
There was a belief that Stamkos would leave during the 2024 NHL free agency period after he became engulfed in trade rumors at the deadline. Despite his departure, Stamkos will be held as a Lightning franchise legend. Almost no one knows what it was like to play alongside Stamkos like Victor Hedman. Hedman was drafted one year after Stamkos and has spent his entire career with him.
It is sad to see Stamkos go, but he looks forward to a new journey with the Predators.
Steven Stamkos prepares for new journey after Lightning tenure
Stamkos joins the highly aspirational Predators, who are looking for an improved postseason showing. Nashville finished the 2023-24 season with a 47-35-5 record and accumulated 99 points. Thus, they earned a fourth-place spot in the Central Division and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Some cold stretches plagued Nashville during the season, but one particular playoff loss caused head coach Andrew Brunette to give his club a reality check.
“It hurts, but it's supposed to hurt. It's hard, but it's supposed to be hard. I think that has to be the mentality. It's going to be even harder the next game. We'll embrace it, and we'll move straight ahead,” the Predators head coach said after his team's Game 4 meltdown against the Vancouver Canucks, via Bally Sports.
“I think the message is always the same, I don't think it's changed,” Brunette added. “I think you should feel really good about your game. There are some things we can learn from, things we can be better (sic).”
“We've done a great job — win or lose — we move straight ahead and we've been us the next game,” Brunette continued Sunday. “We have to go out and win a game. Play like you did the last two games and I'll take our chances.”
The Predators lost the Canucks series in six games, but with increased veteran leadership from Steven Stamkos, the club looks forward to a better showing in 2025.
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