An insider has noted that a reunion between the Tampa Bay Lightning and former captain Steven Stamkos could be in the works ahead of this year’s Trade Deadline.
In a recent article with The Athletic, insider Pierre LeBrun noted that the Lightning are one of three teams that fit the bill of what Stamkos is looking for in his next team.
The 36-year-old forward has seen a drop in offensive production since joining the Nashville Predators last season. That's not entirely surprising considering the team as a whole has struggled following the summer of 2024, which seemed to be putting them in a position to succeed but instead saw them finish as the third worst team in the league in 2024-25.
In 139 games with the Predators, Stamkos has scored 55 goals and tallied a total of 97 points.
There is one major obstacle preventing a reunion though, as Stamkos’s current contract was a big part of the reason that he didn’t return to Tampa Bay in the first place. Nashville would likely have to retain salary for the remainder of the contract, as there’s very little chance that the Lightning would be willing to take on his full salary which carries an average annual value of $8-million through the 2027-28 season.