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Steven Stamkos' name is back in the rumour mill.
With the Canadiens in the market for a #2 center, it' s only logical that the Tampa Bay Lightning legend's name comes up in Montreal from time to time.
Would the Predators member say yes to the Canadiens? Theoretically, he has at least three reasons to do so.
1. Martin St-Louis was his teammate in Tampa Bay. The two get along well, and MSL has been a mentor to the man who has become a Tampa Bay icon in recent years. Honorable mention to Vincent Lecavalier's presence in the organization, by the way.
2. The Canadiens are good.
3. The word on the street is that, in order to accept a deal (there's no guarantee he'll leave, of course), Stamkos would have to play with a player who can pass him the puck.
And since the Canadiens have Ivan Demidov on their roster, Steven Stamkos could see an opportunity to play with a sort of Nikita Kucherov 2.0 again.
I know someone that could get him the puck easily. https://t.co/v57ksRUiOZ
– Alex
(@AbsCoverage) November 5, 2025
But then again. You also have to wonder if the Habs really want to go after a player who has slowed down quite a bit and is making $8 million a year for another two and a half years.
The Preds could withhold salary and the cap goes up… but still.
The real questions are: does the Habs feel capable of re-signing him? And do they want to take such a gamble with a player who's quite a bit older than the club's current core?
With Stamkos playing less center than he used to, these are legitimate questions.
extension
And of course, despite the factors that could attract Stamkos to the city, we have to wonder whether he'll want to come and play in Canada and Quebec if the deal goes through.
There's no question that the answer is yes.
Stamkos, who grew up in Toronto, has always signed in places where taxes are advantageous… and it's possible he doesn't want to uproot his family once again.
If he does leave, it may be to stay in a similar environment. And that's if he leaves…
