NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Where do I go?

That was the question Steven Stamkos asked himself for most of last season, both on and off the ice.

Stamkos knew the answer in Tampa, where he arrived in 2008 as a fresh-faced teenager and left in 2024 as an icon. He also knew that no amount of preparation would make his transition from Tampa to Nashville any easier. He had to live it.

So perhaps it should not have been so surprising that Stamkos and the Predators struggled in their first season together. The future Hall of Famer scored the second-fewest goals per game (0.33) of his 17-year career, and the Predators were out of the running for a playoff spot by Christmas.

“It affected him,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said about Stamkos’ move to Nashville. “He tried to grind through it.”

One year

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