After a slow start, Stamkos reignites his offensive game, leading the Predators' impressive turnaround and hinting at his championship pedigree.
The saga of the Nashville Predators signing Steven Stamkos back in the summer of 2024 has been a lengthy one.
After spending 16 years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning two Stanley Cups and establishing himself as a future Hall of Famer, Stamkos signed a 4-year, $32 million contract with the Predators.
Along with bringing Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei and Vegas Golden Knights Conn Smyth Winner Jonathan Marchessault, the Predators skyrocketed to the top of the Stanley Cup odds.
However, as soon as the puck dropped to start the 2024-25 NHL season, it all fell apart. A 30-win season saw Stamkos net just 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 82 games, the lowest single-season total when playing 55 games or more since his rookie year.
He got off to an even slower start to the 2025-26 season, scoring just two points (one goal, one assist) in the first month of the season. Even though he had three points (three assists) in 10 games for the majority of November, he had three points (three assists) in 10 games.
Similarly, the Predators stumbled out of the gate and tripped through November, going 8-13-4 over that stretch.
However, over the last month, Stamkos has seemingly rediscovered his mojo and is starting to look like an all-star-caliber player.
In Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild, Stamkos had two points, which included the overtime winner. He's proven to be clutch in crunchtime situations as he has six game-winning goals this season.
"I just saw Haulsy (Erik Haula) get the puck wide, and I just was hoping he saw me," Stamkos said on the game winning goal. "He kind of glanced my way and I knew he did and just tried to skate as fast as I could backdoor. Heck of a pass."
While he's still on pace for what'd be a career low 50 points in 82 games, that could change very soon. He has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 11 games and is riding a five-game point streak.
The stretch included a four-goal performance in a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 11.
"That’s what you want as a player, is to come to the rink and to be an enjoyable experience because we’re all on the same page and we’re winning hockey games," Stamkos said following Tuesday's win.
The Predators are in the midst of a complete turnaround from the beginning of the year, winning eight of their last 12, at .500 for the first time since Oct. 26, and are three points outside the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Stamkos was part of the grind the Predators put in during the first quarter of the season, and they are staying ambitious.
"That’s the feeling you want and we’ve gone through some tough stuff for sure in the last year, and the beginning of this year, but we stuck with it," Stamko said. "We could've easily quit, but this group has been very resilient. We’re not where we want to be yet, so we gotta keep it going."
While Stamkos is nowhere near the numbers he put up during his time in Tampa Bay, the veteran center is showing that star power is still there, and the hard work to get back to that point is starting to come to fruition.
Up next: Nashville Predators (16-16-4, 5th in Central) at St. Louis Blues (14-16-8, 6th in Central) on Saturday, Dec. 27 at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.