Steven Stamkos never wanted to leave the Tampa Bay Lightning, and with the way his first season as a Nashville Predator went, you can understand why.
It’s never easy to leave the only place you’ve ever called home, and for Stamkos, the acclimation process was a struggle. Not only did his personal numbers plummet, but the team as a whole was a major disappointment, flopping after an offseason full of flashy moves.
Despite finishing 30th in the league standings in 2024-25, general manager Barry Trotz has kept the same veteran core intact heading into 2025-26, for now at least.
On Tuesday, Nestor Quixtan of Heavy Sports proposed an interesting trade between the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers that would see Steven Stamkos and Alexis Lafreniere swap places.
Rangers acquire: Steven Stamkos
Predators acquire: Alexis Lafreniere
“This proposed trade idea involves Alexis Lafreniere going to Music City, mainly due to cap considerations. With the Rangers up against the cap ceiling, space will be needed to fit Stamkos’ contract under the cap,” Quixtan wrote.
“The trade candidate in this case would be Lafreniere, as the jury is still out on the former first-overall pick. Lafreniere hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been great, either. So, moving on from Lafreniere and bringing in a proven Stanley Cup champion in Stamkos could be a win-now move the Rangers might consider as a short-term fix,” Quixtan added.
This would certainly be a fascinating trade for both sides; however, trading a 23-year-old Lafreniere for a 35-year-old Stamkos doesn’t fit the Rangers’ plan of giving younger players more opportunities moving forward.
Stamkos is a prime candidate to bounce back in 2025-26
While a Stamkos for Lafreniere trade may be improbable, that’s not because the Rangers shouldn’t have any interest in the seven-time 40-goal scorer.
His 27 goals and 26 assists for just 53 points in 82 games from last season aren’t pretty on the surface, but a lot of that is because of a very slow start and a rare 13-game pointless streak throughout the month of February.
As Stamkos enters his second season as a Predator, more comfortable with the system and his surroundings, he should see his point totals climb closer to what we’ve normally seen during his illustrious career.
If Nashville does get off to another poor start in 2025-26, then speculation around a change of scenery for Stamkos will certainly grow louder, and there won’t be a lack of interest in his services around the league.
