Steven Stamkos’ first season with the
Nashville Predators ended with his lowest production over a full NHL
season since his rookie campaign in
2008-09.
Stamkos isn’t faring any better early
in this season, netting just two points in his first 13 games. This
is not what the Predators expected when they signed the two-time ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion to his four-year
contract in July 2024.
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News
believes that trade speculation could begin to swirl around Stamkos
if his numbers don’t improve soon. He cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte
Friedman envisioning a scenario where management and the 35-year-old
forward meet to discuss their options.
Stamkos has a full no-movement clause
in his contract, along with an expensive average annual value of $8
million. Proteau speculated he could waive that clause to go to a
Stanley Cup contender, suggesting the Carolina Hurricanes, Los
Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs as possible destinations.
Meanwhile, Paul Chapman of The Province
noted that CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal claimed the struggling Vancouver
Canucks had “poked around” on Stamkos. Chapman considers him to
be well past his prime but doesn’t blame the injury-ravaged Canucks
for considering all options.
For now, there’s no indication that
Stamkos has asked for a trade or been approached about it by
Predators management. If he were to go to a contender, the Hurricanes
have the cap space and tradeable assets to outbid the Kings, Leafs and Canucks.
Is Moving To Center The Answer For Getting Steven Stamkos Going?
Steven Stamkos has just one goal in 11 games. Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette hopes a switch to center will jumpstart Stamkos and the team’s offense.
Turning to the Pittsburgh Penguins,
they’re off to a better-than-expected start, jockeying for first
place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox singled out
long-time Penguins star Evgeni Malkin as a key reason behind that
strong start. The 39-year-old center is among the league’s top 10
scorers with 18 points. However, Fox questions whether Malkin and his
teammates can maintain that pace.
Malkin is in the final season of his
contract. Fox noted there were recent rumblings that it could also be
his last NHL campaign. He wondered if the future Hall of Famer would
be open to gett moved to a Cup contender at the trade deadline.
Fox believes Malkin would be a
high-interest trade target even if his production drops as the season
progresses. He thinks the Florida Panthers might be a suitor, perhaps
seeing Malkin as a replacement for sidelined center Aleksander
Barkov.
Similar speculation surfaced over a
month ago after Barkov underwent season-ending knee surgery. At that
time, Malkin stated he wanted to remain with the Penguins, but he
didn’t know how he’d react if GM Kyle Dubas approached
him about accepting a trade.
If Malkin were to be traded, it won’t
happen at this stage of the season. Dubas indicated he intends to
meet with him during the February Olympic break to discuss his
future.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
