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NHL rumors: Steven Stamkos linked to Lightning, Stars, Wild a week before trade deadline
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- NHL rumors: Steven Stamkos linked to Lightning, Stars, Wild a week before trade deadline
NHL rumors: Steven Stamkos linked to Lightning, Stars, Wild a week before trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Nashville Predators are rapidly looking set to make major moves ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, especially if their playoff odds take a hit over the coming days. Currently sitting four points out of a Wild Card berth, the Predators are evaluating their long-term roster direction as general manager Barry Trotz prepares to step down at the end of the season.
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Among those potential moves might just be an exit for Steven Stamkos , who the Predators are not understood to be desperate to move on, but might still consider offers , per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
While Stamkos is reportedly content in Nashville, he holds a full no-movement clause and has proactively prepared a list of preferred destinations should management opt to sell, keeping in mind his family. That exclusive list features three primary Stanley Cup contenders: the Tampa Bay Lightning , Dallas Stars , and Minnesota Wild , with the New Jersey Devils viewed as a peripheral option.
A mid-season blockbuster involving the veteran forward hinges entirely on salary cap mechanics. Stamkos carries an $8 million average annual value (AAV) with two years remaining on the four-year, $32 million pact he signed in July 2024.
The Wild present the most seamless financial fit; they boast an estimated $10.34 million in cap space and have a glaring need for a top-six center after trading Marco Rossi in a package for defenseman Quinn Hughes . Conversely, the Stars and Lightning face severe financial hurdles.
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Dallas, which already acquired Mikko Rantanen ahead of the 2025 deadline, sits just $1.4 million below the cap. A potential reunion with Tampa Bay , where Stamkos spent 16 seasons and won back-to-back Stanley Cups, would require the Lightning to clear roughly $5 million in space unless Nashville retains a significant portion of the contract.
On the ice, Stamkos has orchestrated a massive offensive resurgence of late. Following a turbulent 2024-25 introduction to Nashville, where he posted a career-worst minus-36 rating and a 16-year low of 53 points, the forward currently has 27 goals over his last 43 games.
Related: Canucks rumors: Tyler Myers not interested in trade to Red Wings
Related: NHL rumors: Canucks' Tyler Myers considering a trade to Red Wings
