'Great Player, Great Leader, Great Friend': Lightning's Cernak on Predators' Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos gets some high praise from former teammate and current Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.

So many great things can be said about the Nashville Predators' major offseason addition Steven Stamkos as he was described as a "great player, great leader, great friend."

Stamkos signed in Nashville after spending his entire 16-year career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Along the way, he left so many great impressions on people and players, including Erik Cernak who spoke very highly about Stamkos this summer.

Cernak noted that Stamkos not re-signing "was shocking to everybody...it's even hard to talk about right now because he was a big part of my career." All the players knew it wasn't for lack of wanting to stay, but the Lightning moved in a different direction by signing a younger Jake Guentzel. Even though it is such a shock for Tampa Bay to move on from their captain, the team has had tons of success and it's hard to criticize management for repeatedly putting together a competitive team. And one team's loss is another's gain.

The Lightning defender also stated that "I will miss him (Stamkos) because he's an unbelievable person. First guy who texted me and welcomed me to the team." Cernak said that Stamkos told him "Don't worry about anything, we've got you. Just feel comfortable here." This is a very classy move and isn't a common type of story, indicating just what Stamkos does for his teammates.

For a young player, being able to be comfortable right off the hop can go a long way, and there will be some younger players coming onto the Predators soon enough who should get the same treatment, even though Stamkos is the newer one in the room.

While Stamkos might not be the main leader in Nashville's dressing room right off the bat, you can guarantee that his leadership will shine through quickly. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a former captain, so what he says and how he leads will play a big part in that room over the next four years.

Stamkos joins the Predators after a 40-goal, 81-point season and the veteran has 555 goals and 1137 career points. "Great player" is an understatement and even though he may not be in his prime anymore, Stamkos is in Nashville to win.

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