When Steven Stamkos left the Tampa Bay Lightning to join the Nashville Predators last summer, the veteran forward was hoping that his new team would compete for the same level of success the Bolts have had over the last several years.
Instead, the Preds started the 2024-25 season 0-5 and were never able to recover, finishing 30-44-8 in what was one of the worst campaigns in franchise history.
But the two-time Stanley Cup champion has already put that in the rearview mirror, as he told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun in a candid interview earlier this week.
“Last year was last year,” Stamkos explained. “We talked about it as a group and decided that it was in the rear view. … We talked about expectations last year — the start wasn’t where we wanted it, and it snowballed and just got off the rails. This year, there was more excitement going to camp with maybe less expectations and just the mentality of whatever happens, leave it in the past and let’s just move forward.
“We don’t know what that’s going to be, but let’s come in with a newfound energy. And I think our group has done that. It hasn’t been perfect to start the year, but we’re in a much better position than we were last year.”
It's been a much better start for Stamkos and the Predators in 2025-26; Nashville is 2-1-1 and third place in the Central Division through four games. Juuse Saros is looking excellent between the pipes, while the team has allowed just 12 total goals in four contests.
Steven Stamkos comments on challenges of a change of scenery
Stamkos spent the first 16 years of his career with the Lightning, advancing to four Stanley Cup Finals and winning twice — back-to-back in 2020 and 2021.
He was also a point-per-game player or better for a huge chunk of his time in Tampa Bay. That came down to earth in 2024-25, with the former Rocket Richard winner managing just 53 points in 82 games, his lowest total since his rookie season. He's also managed just one point in four tilts this year.
“When you’re in one place for so long, there’s so many things that you just do that’s almost, you’re unconscious to the little things that happen that maybe help prepare you to play,” Stamkos continued. “You’ve played with the same players for so long, the chemistry — you don’t think about that stuff because you just go out and play and it happens. And that was years in the making.
“In a new situation, it’s certainly difficult, the family aspect of it, the off-ice aspect of it — all those things that you don’t really think about when you’re making that snap decision in free agency. But sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And last year, it didn’t work for our group. There’s nothing you can do about that now.”
Stamkos has already flushed last year's mighty struggles down the drain, and he's part of a motivated Predators roster with something to prove — and an eye on a postseason spot next spring.
