Stamkos says Predators must believe they can win Stanley Cup

Steven Stamkos knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup.

The new Nashville Predators forward did it twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning, in 2020 and 2021, and said the Predators have to believe they can win it as well.

“We want to win a Stanley Cup. That’s why we play the game,” Stamkos said Tuesday when he met the media at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. “I think some people are sometimes afraid to say that and it heightens expectations, but at the end of the day I’ve always been a big believer that you have to believe you can do it in order to achieve it.”

The 34-year-old signed a four-year, $32 million contract ($8 million average annual value) with the Predators on July 1. The No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos has 1,137 points, (555 goals, 582 assists) in 1,082 games over 16 NHL seasons, all with the Lightning. He has 101 points (50 goals, 51 assists) in 128 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Stamkos had 81 points (40 goals, 41 assists) in 79 games last season and six points (five goals, one assist) in five playoff games. He ranks first in Lightning history in points, goals, games, power-play goals (214), game-winning goals (85) and overtime goals (13).

The Predators have never won the Cup in their 25 seasons. Their lone Stanley Cup Final appearance came in 2017, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Last season, Nashville had an 18-game point streak (16-0-2), the longest in its history, from Feb. 17-March 26 en route to clinching the first wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Predators lost to the Vancouver Canucks in six games in the first round.

“When looking at the team that Nashville had last year, the amazing run they went on and maybe some unfortunate breaks in the playoffs, not being able to advance further, but the building blocks were here,” Stamkos said.

“You look at elite goaltending, you look at elite defensemen, you look at elite forwards, they check those boxes off. Then the excitement of free agency and adding the players that were added here, not only for their skill set on the ice but the character they bring into the room, the experience they have of winning Stanley Cups or going far in the playoffs, you can never have enough of those guys as well. The expectation will be to make the playoffs and go on a run. That’s a pretty fair assessment of what this group can accomplish.”

Stamkos was one of a few key free agent acquisitions the Predators made this month. Forward Jonathan Marchessault, who won the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of that postseason, signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract ($5.5 million AAV). Defenseman Brady Skjei, who has played 76 NHL playoff games, signed a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million AAV).

Nashville also signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract ($7.74 million AAV) that will begin with the 2025-26 season and re-signed defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a three-year, $11.25 million contract ($3.75 million AAV).

Stamkos believes the Predators have the pieces in place to win the Stanley Cup.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have won a championship before and know how hard it is to get there and the experience that comes along with that,” Stamkos said. “We’ve added some players that have done that as well and that’s just a contagious attitude we can have in this dressing room.

“Something I spoke to ‘Trotzy’ (Predators general manager Barry Trotz) about at length was, we want to come here and give ourselves the best chance to win, and I think everyone saw that with how aggressive the team was in free agency. We have a lot to be excited about.”