Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Steven Stamkos

Predators Owner Speaks On State Of The Team

at CDT | by 15 Comments

Alex Daughterty of The Tennessean wrote about the thoughts of Nashville Predators’ soon-to-be majority owner Bill Haslam. The story covers Haslam’s thoughts on general manager Barry Trotz, head coach Andrew Brunette, as well as the team’s summer free agent spending spree that has not worked out according to the plan. The Predators currently sit second last in the entire NHL in points after dishing out big money long-term contracts to Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

Haslam tells The Tennessean that the organization still feels that it should have spent that money on pricey free-agent acquisitions and says that it would do whatever it takes to keep making the team better.

There is no faulting the logic that the Predators had going into the summer, The team performed well last season with much less talent (on paper) and seemingly felt that some offseason moves could move the team from playoff contender to Stanley Cup contender. However, a third of the way through the season, they sit seven games below .500 and don’t look like a group that is set to go on a run.  That being said, a run of good play can change things quickly, just look at the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have won five of their last six and are back in the thick of it in the Eastern Conference.

Nashville needs more from Stamkos and Marchessault, who both have just 13 points in 28 games this season. Stamkos’ even strength production has fallen off a cliff as he has just one goal and two assists, while Marchessault has just three goals and three assists at even strength.

Skjei, on the other hand, hasn’t produced near the offense he did last season when he had 47 points in 80 games with Carolina, but the biggest alarm bell on the 30-year-old is the amount he is turning over the puck. Skjei has already matched last season’s turnover numbers with 36 in the first 28 games and could exceed 100 on the year if he keeps up this pace.

Evening Notes: O’Connor, Schaefer, Stamkos

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor will be ready for training camp this Thursday. The 28-year-old has been skating regularly for about a month and has ramped up his preparations in the last few weeks. O’Connor had season-ending hip surgery and missed the playoffs last season after setting a career-high in goals with 13 of them in 57 games.

The Missouri City, Texas native continued to be one of the fastest wingers in the NHL last year and put up strong penalty-kill numbers while finding chemistry with linemates Ross Colton and Miles Wood. Despite his strong results last season, O’Connor is likely due for some regression as he shot over 15% last year which was an increase of almost seven percent from his previous season.

In other evening notes:

  • Corey Pronman of The Athletic reports that 2025 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Schaefer has contracted mono and will miss some time to start the season. Schaefer was taken first overall in the 2023 OHL draft and spent last season with the Erie Otters where he posted three goals and 14 assists in 56 games. The 17-year-old is projected to be the first defenseman taken in next year’s draft and will likely be taken in the top 10. Schaefer’s offensive numbers didn’t jump off the page in his rookie OHL season, however,  he only turned 17 earlier this month and will see increased minutes and responsibility this season, when he returns to health.
  • Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is most excited to see Steven Stamkos’ leadership at work when the veteran begins his first training camp with his new team (as per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean). Stamkos joined Nashville via free agency and brings a large skillset to the team, but it is his reputation and leadership that has Brunette excited. Brunette told reporters that he will have Stamkos play with a pile of players early on to see how things go and to try and find the right mix. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him paired up with youngsters Thomas Novak or Luke Evangelista, given that Brunette sees leadership as Stamkos’s biggest asset.

Ducks Notes: Marchessault, Stamkos, Gibson, Gudas

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Anaheim was also one of the many teams making serious pitches for star forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos during their brief stints on the free agent market earlier this summer, said Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on today’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported at the time that the Ducks were among the top five teams making competitive offers for Stamkos, but Marchessault wasn’t linked to Anaheim until now. Many expected Anaheim to be a major player in free agency after picking up veterans Gudas and Alex Killorn in last year’s frenzy, especially with ample cap space to spend, but their offseason moves ended up being more conservative after Marchessault and Stamkos opted to both sign deals with the Predators instead.

There’s more from Friedman on Orange County:

  • The Ducks haven’t given up on trying to move goaltender John Gibson and are still shopping him with three years left on his contract, Friedman said. But there hasn’t been any significant progress, and no deal appears close with less than two weeks to go until training camp. They’ve been in trade discussions regarding the 31-year-old, who posted a career-worst .888 SV% in 46 appearances last season, for the entirety of the offseason, per Friedman.
  • With trade rumors now surrounding the Ducks’ longest-tenured player, Cam Fowler, expect them to name Radko Gudas their next captain before the season starts, Friedman said. The hulking 34-year-old defender was Anaheim’s best defensive player last season by a wide margin after signing a three-year, $12MM deal in free agency, leading the team with a +14 rating, 128 PIMs, 154 blocks, and 232 hits. The captaincy in Anaheim has been vacant since Ryan Getzlaf retired in 2022.

Predators Sign Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei

at CDT | by 20 Comments

The Predators and star free agent forward Steven Stamkos are nearing an agreement on a four-year contract that will be worth $32MM, sources tell Pierre LeBrun of TSN. LeBrun also reports the Predators are close to finalizing a deal with 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault that would pay him around $27.5MM over five years. The respective cap hits would be $8MM for Stamkos and $5.5MM for Marchessault. Nashville keeps their roll going by signing defenseman Brady Skjei to a seven-year, $49MM contract, per LeBrun.

The Predators have become the team of the summer, adding three of the market’s top names in one fail swoop. Their group is headlined by Tampa Bay Lightning legend Stamkos, who’s decided on Nashville in the first trip to free agency of his career. Stamkos has accomplished everything he could have as a Lightning, holding the franchise record in games played, goals, and points – in addition to captaining the team to two Stanley Cups over his decade wearing the team’s ’C’.

Stamkos should immediately become the team’s top option at center next to Filip Forsberg, giving the Predators flexibility in moving Ryan O’Reilly down to the second unit. Not only will the former first-overall pick assist Nashville on their already above-average 3.24 GF/G during the 2023-24 regular season, but he will also help the team increase their 21.56% powerplay percentage. Banking on repeat performances from the rest of the forward core — the Predators are poised to have one of the deadliest offenses in the league next season.

The former captain of the Lightning will not be the only 40-goal scorer Nashville will add to the lineup today. Marchessault was one of the many players to break out in Vegas’ first year of action, scoring 27 goals and 75 points – the latter still a career-high. But Marchessault’s goal-scoring upside held strong, since totaling 192 goals across 514 games with Vegas, including a career-high 42 goals this season. On a five-year contract, the Predators hope Marchessault can continue his recent work of averaging 55-70 points in a season while keeping up his status as a hard-nosed player.

General Manager Barry Trotz was not content with singularly upgrading the team’s offensive prowess as they added Skjei on a long-term contract. Skjei similarly found his stride after a move, emerging as a true top defender with 39, 38, and 47 points across the last three seasons. Skjei averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time over that stretch while adding strong value to both special teams.

The only reason for skepticism on behalf of Skjei’s contract is how well he will operate outside the Carolina Hurricanes’ system. Nashville deploys a similar system as Carolina but does not bring the same pedigree as a possession-dominant team. Because of this, Skjei’s possession metrics increased dramatically since his time with the New York Rangers, and the Predators should be confident he can add value to the team in this department rather than revert to his previous numbers.

These moves go a long way towards boosting Nashville’s top end, as they find one of the best top-line additions to the market in Stamkos while rounding out their second lines with Marchessault and Skjei. With all three of these deals considered, the Predators still boast $5.846MM in cap space, with two holes on defense. Those could be filled by call-ups Spencer Stastney or Marc Del Gaizo, though, potentially giving Nashville just enough space for one more addition.

Free Agent Rumors: Stamkos, Bennett, Verhaeghe, Stolarz, Ekman-Larsson, Grzelcyk, Martinez

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Devils are in the market for a top-six forward today, and they may end up as one of the finalists for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

They’ll be one of many teams making Stamkos’ agent’s phone ring off the hook today. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also expects the Ducks, Hurricanes, Predators and Red Wings to make aggressive pushes for the future Hall-of-Fame forward.

A return to Tampa Bay is extremely unlikely for Stamkos, whose 555 career goals and 1,082 games played have all come in a Lightning uniform. They weren’t close to an extension as of last weekend, and their signing of top UFA left winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63MM deal this morning has all but completely boxed him out.

More from around the Eastern Conference amid an already busy morning:

  • The Panthers are working hard on extensions for forwards Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe as they become eligible to sign at 11 a.m. CT today, sources tell David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. They’ve already gotten one big piece of business done today by keeping Sam Reinhart away from the open market on an eight-year, $69MM deal, but Bennett and Verhaeghe are two crucial pieces of their top-six forward group that remain unsigned past next season. It’s unclear what these deals may look like, but Reinhart taking a considerable discount on market value to remain in South Florida is surely a good indicator that Panthers GM Bill Zito can get them locked into deals that won’t break the bank.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger adds the Panthers are also trying to re-sign UFA netminder Anthony Stolarz, but they have some competition. The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are also in the mix for the veteran’s services. While a career backup, he’s one of the best options on the market in a UFA class devoid of starters. He was electric when used in Florida last year, posting a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA in 27 appearances.
  • After making Chris Tanev’s six-year deal official, expect the Leafs to add another veteran blue liner in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dreger says. OEL is coming off a Stanley Cup win in Florida after putting up 32 points in 80 regular-season games, averaging 18:24 per night. He’d likely anchor a third pairing in Toronto on the left side behind Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe.
  • The Penguins are among the teams linked to defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reports. Grzelcyk is likely on his way out of Boston after spending the entirety of his eight-year, 445-game career there. He had 11 points and a +13 rating in 63 games last season while logging 17:36 per night.
  • Alec Martinez could continue his NHL career with the Blackhawks on a one-year deal, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The three-time Cup winner fell down the Golden Knights’ depth chart last year, limited to 55 games due to injuries and healthy scratches. He still managed 17 points, though, his most offense in three years, but had a -2 rating while averaging 19:03 per game.

Steven Stamkos To Hit Unrestricted Free Agency, Lightning To Pursue Jake Guentzel

at CDT | by 29 Comments

By trading away defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Tanner Jeannot earlier this afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning have $11.165MM more to work with this summer than they did 24 hours ago. Much of the early conjecture perceived the cap-clearing moves as the Lightning making a concerted effort to keep captain Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay for the rest of his career.

We now know that is not the case as the Lightning never increased upon their original eight-year, $3MM AAV extension offer to Stamkos, as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports confirms that the star forward will reach the free agent market for the first time in his career on Monday. In a clear case of pivoting away from their captain, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes Tampa Bay made their moves today to pursue Jake Guentzel once free agency opens up on July 1st (Article Link).

Before eventually signing his most recent eight-year, $68MM extension with the Lightning, Stamkos was poised to be the hottest name on the free agent market heading into the 2016-17 NHL season. Despite never hitting the open market, the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs were all interested in signing Stamkos nearly a decade ago. However, with Stamkos signing his contract on June 29th, 2016, he was prohibited from negotiating with any other team.

This time, Stamkos will earn the ability to talk to all 32 teams before finally deciding on his future. The Nashville Predators have been the most heavily linked to Stamkos so far, but the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Red Wings, and Utah Hockey Club, among others, will all have interest in signing the star player. This does not count out the Lightning organization either as they will be in contact with Stamkos and his camp in the coming days.

On the other side of the report, the Lightning join the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Canucks as teams that are pursuing Guentzel this summer. The 29-year-old winger is coming off a season that saw him score 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games with 25 of those points coming in 17 games with Carolina after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Guentzel continued as a strong performer as he registered four goals and nine points through 11 games.

If Tampa Bay can sign Guentzel once free agency opens on July 1st, they will potentially start the 2024-25 NHL season with the best first line in the league. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov are in no danger of losing their spots on the team’s first line — and adding Guentzel to it will have opposing teams scrambling to match up against it.

Both players’ situations will unfold over the next 48 hours but one item remains clear. After bowing in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs two years in a row, the Lightning are not afraid to make tough decisions to extend their contention window.

LeBrun’s Latest: Guentzel, Skjei, Stamkos, Kane, Marchessault, Askarov

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The 2024 NHL Draft is mere hours away, but this year’s compressed schedule means we also only have three days until the opening of the UFA market. That means for most of the usual insiders, there’s a lot of reporting tidbits coming out on the fly. That was the case today for Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, who has more than a few notable updates about some of the top pending UFAs and some ripple effects of this week’s moves:

  • While things have seemingly been trending in the wrong direction between the Hurricanes and trade deadline pickup Jake Guentzel for weeks, LeBrun writes the Hurricanes have upped their offer in a last-minute bid to retain his services. Their last pitch comes in at around $64MM total on an eight-year deal, working out to an $8MM cap hit. That’s close to what Guentzel’s camp was asking for at the beginning of negotiations with Carolina, LeBrun writes, but with his name still available this close to going to market, there are likely other teams willing to offer more annually. It is worth pointing out that the Hurricanes still hold an advantage by having the ability to offer him an eighth year of term, allowing them to sign him for the same amount of total cash for a slightly lower cap hit. A seven-year, $9MM AAV deal that he’s rumored to be able to land on the open market would leave him $1MM short of the total compensation he’d get from Carolina.
  • There’s still “a chance for Carolina” to retain defenseman Brady Skjei, who checks in as the top left-shot option available should he remain unsigned come Monday. But it still appears unlikely at this stage, especially considering he could command in the $7MM AAV range on the open market. LeBrun expects the Predators to be one of the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Skjei should he not ink a new deal with the Canes.
  • Following up on a statement from Steven Stamkos’ agent earlier today that the longtime Lightning captain projects to hit the open market, LeBrun said Tampa GM Julien BriseBois is trying to make his tight cap situation work by offering Stamkos a low-AAV deal at the maximum eight-year term. He speculates they’ve offered him a deal with a $3MM cap hit, working out to a total value of $24MM. On a four-year deal, something the 34-year-old is much more likely to land on the open market, that would be twice the cost against the cap ($6MM annually). It’s something BriseBois has tried and failed to do before, with LeBrun confirming that was his strategy to attempt to keep winger Alex Killorn from departing in free agency last year. He ended up rejecting an eight-year, $20MM deal ($2.5MM cap hit) from Tampa to sign a four-year, $25MM deal ($6.25MM AAV) with the Ducks.
  • If Patrick Kane moves on from the Red Wings next week, don’t expect him to travel very far. LeBrun reports the future Hall-of-Famer’s preference is to stick in the Eastern Conference as he signs what could be the final contract of his career.
  • The Golden Knights remain hard at work trying to retain 2023 Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault, but they’re not on the verge of an extension, his agent Pat Brisson told LeBrun. Vegas has around $6.2MM in projected cap space with Robin Lehner on long-term injured reserve, which they’d likely use all of on a Marchessault extension. More moves are needed for financial flexibility, and LeBrun reports Marchessault is “readying himself for the realistic possibility that he might have to move on.“
  • Lastly, Predators top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov is all but officially on the trade block with yesterday’s report that Juuse Saros is nearing an eight-year extension to stay in Smashville. There’s still a strong chance Askarov remains with Nashville last season and enters his first full-time NHL campaign as Saros’ backup, but LeBrun reports the Preds are leveraging him to try and move into the top five of tonight’s draft. It’s not the first time they’ve done this – we wrote the exact same piece last year about the Preds trying to send him to the Canadiens to acquire the fifth-overall pick. Montreal holds the same selection this year.

Steven Stamkos Expected To Reach Open Market

at CDT | by 15 Comments

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is expected to reach the open market, his agent shared with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link). Stamkos has been a pillar of the Tampa lineup since his first-overall selection in the 2008 NHL Draft. He’s since accomplished it all in Tampa Bay – claiming the franchise record for games played, goals, and points; succeeding Vincent Lecavalier as captain in 2013; and leading Tampa to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

Not to be outdone, Stamkos followed the Cup wins with the first 100-point season of his career in 2022. He since shown zero signs of slowing down, recording 34 goals and 84 points last year and 40 goals and 81 points this year. Through his seasons that weren’t limited by injury, Stamkos has failed to reach 50 points just once – in 2008-09, when he scored 46 points as a rookie. He’s since been as consistent of a scorer as teams could ask for, still offering high-end goal-scoring at the age of 34.

The Lightning are in the rare position to stomach losing a consistent 80-point scorer, thanks to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point’s continued challenging of the 100-point mark. But Tampa will still need to find a way to replace the reliable upside that Stamkos brought year after year, should he move away from the club. That could be a very tough bill to meet as the Lightning boast just $5.335MM in projected cap space, with seven pending free agents on their NHL roster. That includes winger Anthony Duclair, who scored eight goals and 15 points in 17 regular season games after Tampa Bay acquired him at the Trade Deadline. Duclair had a career year in 2021-22, scoring 31 goals and 58 points, though he’s failed to reignite his scoring since. While he’s bound for a pay raise after a hot second-half to the year, Duclair could be a cheaper option with scoring upside to try and fill Stamkos’ top-six role.

Meanwhile, the question of what Stamkos’ next contract could look like is seemingly impossible to answer. He’s nearing the end of his career but still seems fit for a few more years in the league. And he’ll undeniably be among the year’s highest paid players, after concluding an eight-year contract with an annual cap hit of $8.5MM. There seems to be no price he couldn’t demand after potting 40 goals this season. At the very least, he likely isn’t set for a pay cut. And he’s a future Hall-of-Famer entering the open market, which could quickly inspire a bidding war.

Tampa Bay is at risk of losing the face of their franchise for much of the 2000s. That will be an impossible role to fill, especially with such limited cap space. Meanwhile, Stamkos will plan for a rare career-first in free agency – and surely plenty of interest from around the league.

East Notes: Stamkos, Hedman, Flyers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to engage in contract talks but Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois isn’t sure that a deal will get done before July 1st (as per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). The Lightning GM met with Stamkos’ representatives as recently as yesterday but with Tampa Bay’s cap crunch, the 2008 first overall pick may go to market.

Stamkos would have no shortage of suitors (as per Darren Dreger of TSN) if he becomes an unrestricted free agent and it would mark the end of an incredible era in Tampa Bay. Stamkos has won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning as well as two Rocket Richard trophies and has tallied 555 goals and 582 assists in 1082 NHL games. If the 34-year-old does go to market, he is sure to find a lucrative deal as he is coming off a season in which he registered 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois has held extension talks with defenseman Victor Hedman. BriseBois told the media that he hopes that he will agree on an extension in the coming days as Hedman is eligible to sign a new deal on July 1st. The 33-year-old has one year left on his current contract and is coming off another strong season in which he posted 13 goals and 63 assists in 78 games. Hedman’s cap hit for next year will be $7.875MM, but his actual salary will be $7MM.
  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers made a big push to try and acquire the fourth overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets. LeBrun’s sources have told him the Philadelphia made the offer on Wednesday and it was reported to include a swap of first-round picks, a player off the Flyers roster, and potentially the Flyers first-round pick next year. According to reports, Blue Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell turned down the offer, but it remains possible that the teams re-engage in the hours leading up to the draft.

Free Agency Notes: Stamkos, Stephenson, Toronto, Tanev, Teravainen

at CDT | by 11 Comments

As the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to clear out the necessary cap space to retain their captain Steven Stamkos, another team may have entered the fray. In a list of news items around the league as the hockey world heads into the offseason, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Subscription Required) indicates the Nashville Predators will attempt to sign the star forward if he hits the free agent market on July 1st.

In addition to Stamkos, LeBrun notes that the Predators will also look into the market for Chandler Stephenson this summer as the team looks to add some punch to their lineup. As one of the most active teams of last year’s free-agent period; Nashville does not appear content to be a fringe contender next season. Even without Stamkos or Stephenson on the roster last season, Nashville was one of the best offensive teams in the league as they finished 10th in the NHL with a GF/G average of 3.24.

The Predators may be better served in putting most of their efforts toward Stephenson, as Stamkos will likely look for a team closer to Stanley Cup contention if he decides to leave Tampa Bay in the first place. In any case, money will not be a factor in the negotiations for either player as Nashville owns just north of $26MM of cap space heading into the summer. According to EvolvingHockey, Stephenson will command a four-year deal with a salary of $6.1MM while Stamkos is projected to get a three-year contract with an AAV of $8.4MM.

Other free agency notes:

    • There is no question that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to add to their defensive core this offseason. However, as Pierre LeBrun reports, the team has not ruled out extending some of their current defensemen who are set to hit unrestricted free agency next Monday. That list would include Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, Mark Giordano, and T.J. Brodie although all signs indicate that the latter’s time in Toronto has ended. Edmundson and Lyubushkin are both physical defensemen who like to play with an edge while Giordano is a stabilizing presence on the back end. Depending on the cost, the Maple Leafs may decide to keep some of their current pieces around for next season.
    • Chris Tanev is looking to cash in on a solid 2023-24 NHL season as Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle of The Athletic (Subscription Required) report the veteran defenseman is looking for a four-year contract this offseason. The veteran defenseman is already engaged in contract discussions with the Dallas Stars on a new deal, but it is unknown how long the organization is willing to go on his next contract. If Tanev makes it to the open market, plenty of defensive-needy teams will be interested in his services, but the pack may thin out if teams are unwilling to make that long of an arrangement.
    • With the team’s sole focus on retaining Jake Guentzel before July 1st, it appears the Carolina Hurricanes will not make an offer to Teuvo Teravainen and he will hit the open market as suggested by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Teravainen has quietly been one of the most effective players on the Hurricanes for eight years and should receive plenty of interest once free agency opens up. If his time in Carolina has ended, Teravainen will have amassed a total of 555 games in Carolina while scoring 137 goals and 415 points overall.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top