Stamkos Becoming ‘This Year’s Seth Jones’ Amid Trade Talk

On Wednesday’s episode of Morning Cuppa Hockey, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman joined hosts Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen to discuss whether it’s time for the Nashville Predators and Steven Stamkos to consider parting ways. “Everybody knows what’s going on here…” said Friedman.

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Stamkos has struggled since leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning and the fit in Nashville doesn’t seem to be ideal. That has led to trade rumors and there are talks around the league about whether Stamkos is the kind of player a team can take a risk on and reap a huge reward because he just needs a different environment.

Friedman was asked if there’s a “Is there a situation where someone’s willing to Seth Jones the contract and eat maybe two million and make it a little more digestible? What’s your gut on that one?” The question was asked because Jones didn’t fit in Chicago, but once he got to Florida, he became a completely different player.

“You’re the third person this week who’s brought up Seth Jones with Steven Stamkos,” Friedman said. “It shows that Jones has sort of become the patron saint of, ‘Maybe it doesn’t work here, but it can go work somewhere else.’”

Friedman noted that during his last three seasons with the Lightning, Stamkos consistently registered between 240 and 280 shots per year. Last season, that number fell to around 170, and this year’s pace is around the same. He pointed out that Nashville lacks a playmaker like Nikita Kucherov (or anyone close)that is capable of setting up Stamkos for his signature one-timers.

“If there was a situation where Stamkos could go somewhere with a facilitator who fits his game,” Friedman added, “I think everyone would be open to it. But that has to materialize first.”

For now, the Predators aren’t actively shopping Stamkos, but it sounds like all parties are open to the idea of keeping a future trade on the table. Friedman suggested Stamkos’ $8 million cap hit is not that big a number in today’s salary cap landscape. If a team thinks Stamkos can do for them what Seth Jones did for the Panthers, the move feels like a no-brainer.

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