The Tampa Bay Lightning talked all last season about wanting to retain star forward and longtime captain Steven Stamkos, with his free agency pending. That didn’t happen.
Many Toronto hockey fans and backers at Ontario sportsbooks wanted the native of Markham, Ontario, to return home and play for the Maple Leafs. That didn’t happen either.
We had provided exclusive odds over the past few months about where Stamkos, a two-time NHL goal-scoring leader, would wind up. Here is what we’re left with:
Steven Stamkos Next Team Odds
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
Nashville Predators | ---- | 100% |
Stamkos signed with the Nashville Predators on Monday, the first day of the free agent window. The team made an announcement on social media at its account on X (formerly Twitter) hours after initial reports indicated that Stamkos was leaving Tampa Bay for Nashville.
Our provisional odds for stories such as this are not available at Ontario sports betting apps; they are exclusive to OntarioBets.com.
What Happened With Stamkos In Tampa Bay?
Stamkos, 34, has been with the Lightning organization his entire career, since Tampa Bay selected him No. 1 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. He led the NHL in goals with 51 in 2009-10, just his second full season. He exceeded that with a 60-goal campaign in 2011-12, finishing a career-best second in Hart Trophy voting.
He mostly played centre throughout his career, though he had played more on the wing in the past few seasons and had appeared on the first line far less frequently, giving way to Lightning stars such as Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point on the top line. Those two in particular emerged as better goal prop wagers for hockey betting in Ontario, though Stamkos delivered an overall game and intangibles that still made him a very valuable player. That’s why Stamkos has worn the captain’s “C” on his Bolts sweater since 2014.
Of course, his biggest highlight was leading Tampa Bay to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. But his contract was up at the end of this season and, as with many recent Cup winners, the Lightning ran into salary cap issues that slowly stripped away many key contributors to those championship teams.
The Lightning just acquired former Penguins and Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year contract worth an average of $9 million per season. That might have sealed Stamkos’ fate in Tampa Bay, with Guentzel essentially replacing Stamkos as a top-six forward.
2025 Stanley Cup Odds
As for Stamkos’ new team, the Predators have been very busy with the free-agent window opening.
Nashville also signed Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault for five years, $27.5 million. Marchessault has had Stamkos as a teammate before, as a young Lightning player from 2014 to 2016. The Predators also announced they have retained star goaltender Juuse Saros (eight years, $61.92 million) and defenseman Alexandre Carrier (three years, $11.25 million).
Caesars Ontario Sportsbook lists Nashville at +1800 to win the Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 season. That’s tied with the Boston Bruins for the 10th best odds. Among teams that missed the playoffs this year, only the New Jersey Devils (+1400) have better odds. The Leafs are at +1500. The Florida Panthers, who won their first Stanley Cup on June 24, are the favorites at +900, followed by the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, all at +1000.
USA Today photo by Kim Klement Neitzel
