Nashville’s Steven Stamkos says consistency will decide Predators season as he discusses Lightning rival Nikita Kucherov

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos says the key for his team to move “over the hump” is tightening the areas that have hurt the Predators’ recent results, especially the need for more consistency at both ends of the ice. In an NHL.com NHL Chat Room conversation published November 1, Stamkos described Nashville’s last couple of seasons as lacking reliable performance, citing inconsistency and the need to keep the puck out of the net as problems that have prevented the club from being a consistent playoff-calibre team.

The interview comes as Stamkos is in the midst of his third season with Nashville. At the time of the conversation, he had 15 points in 13 games for the Predators during his 18th NHL season, with seven goals and eight assists, and the totals were reported as of a game against the Carolina Hurricanes scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Stamkos’ NHL.com-provided season line also placed his career total at 1,271 points, including 631 goals, across 1,260 games.

Stamkos’ production also places him in a franchise context. NHL.com notes that he was Tampa Bay Lightning’s all-time leading scorer until Nikita Kucherov passed him on October 24. With that milestone behind him, Stamkos now leads Nashville in scoring and has spoken publicly about the goal of guiding the Predators back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing the postseason in each of his first two seasons with the team.

In his discussion of motivation, Stamkos emphasized that there is not a single factor driving him at age 36. He said his approach remains focused on preparation through the summer and that he needed to adjust after a difficult first year in Nashville and a start that he felt repeated similar struggles early in his second season. He described the transition to a new team—new players and new systems—as something that takes time to fully click, and he said he has reached a point where he feels more comfortable in his surroundings and better able to perform the role he is expected to carry nightly.

Stamkos also addressed how he viewed trade speculation that appeared during the previous season. He said he heard the discussion but did not treat it as a major personal stressor, citing the presence of a no-move clause. He further linked the broader context to both individual and team performance, stating that he and the organization underperformed relative to expectations set two summers earlier, while underscoring that his mindset was to continue grinding without changing his approach.

When asked about maintaining longevity in a league that has changed since he entered in 2008, Stamkos pointed to the need to keep reinventing elements of a player’s game as competition and pace evolve. He said he has not made a conscious effort to abandon his fundamentals, describing hockey IQ as central to success and arguing that the basic locations and responsibilities that define scoring chances—such as where goals are scored and how power-play setups work—should remain consistent even as players become faster and more skilled.

On the question of what Nashville needs to add to reach “championship-quality” status, Stamkos said there is no quick fix or single player acquisition that instantly guarantees contention. He referenced roster construction decisions already made by Nashville, including offseason moves that brought in Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei along with Stamkos, and he said expectations at the time had been that those additions would quickly transform the team into a contender. Stamkos said the Predators still require the right chemistry and skill set, and he noted the club’s apparent direction toward getting younger in certain areas, as part of general manager Chris MacFarland’s efforts.

Stamkos also spoke about facing the Lightning after years playing in Tampa Bay, saying the matchup is less “weird” with time. He described that first season as difficult because he still knew a large portion of Nashville’s opponent roster through his past teammates, and he added that because Tampa Bay and Nashville meet in preseason as well, the transition away from familiarity has become easier, even if it will never fully feel normal given the length of his time in Lightning colours.

In a larger focus on his former teammate, Stamkos discussed what initially stood out about Nikita Kucherov when Kucherov arrived in Tampa. Stamkos said that when Kucherov first joined the Lightning, there had not been significant hype because he had come in as a second-round pick. He said the early impression was that Kucherov had clear skill, but that his larger role and production grew as his confidence grew—an evolution that, in Stamkos’ telling, moved from gradual impact to becoming one of the game’s top players.

Stamkos described Kucherov’s work ethic in detail, portraying him as someone never satisfied with his own output, including in games where Tampa Bay might be winning. He said that when Kucherov was at his most driven, his mindset was still focused on improvement and on raising expectations for teammates, describing it as an attitude that pushed others to work harder as well. In addition, Stamkos said the feeling of a weight lifting after the Lightning won Stanley Cup championships helped show the payoff of that mindset.

Finally, Stamkos addressed the Hockey Hall of Fame as an eventual possibility but said it is not the main focus of his day-to-day mindset. He acknowledged that he has thought about the Hall and sees fellow players and former opponents being inducted, including friends he has watched move into coaching roles, but he said his attention is more on continuing at a high level now, including the motivation he derives from his three children. The NHL Chat Room format also noted that the interview was conducted before reports about Kucherov’s trade request circulated, even though Stamkos was asked about his thoughts on Kucherov during the conversation.