It should be an emotional game and an emotional night tonight for Tampa Bay Lightning fans. Franchise icon Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa Bay for the first time since signing with the Nashville Predators as an unrestricted free agent.
Stamkos spent the first sixteen seasons of his career with Tampa Bay and cemented himself as one of the greatest Lightning players of all time. He won two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 as a member of the Lightning.
Will Stamkos feel the emotion the same way the Tampa crowd will?
The separation between Stamkos is an interesting case. He wanted to stay, and the team wanted to keep him, but only at the right price. Ultimately, Tampa Bay was unable to match what Stamkos thought he deserved and signed in Nashville. The Lightning signed Jake Guentzel instead, who was a top free agent on the market
It's hard to think Stamkos has any animosity towards the Lightning organization, considering his history and all the success he had with the team. He'll most likely be greeted with a welcome back video and a long-standing ovation from the crowd.
Stamkos needs to feed off the energy of the Tampa crowd and use it against them
Nashville has started off their season on a concerning note, although they have looked a little bit better as of late. Tonight's game will be the perfect opportunity to tell if this team was worth all the hype they received in the offseason.
You have one of your best free agent signings returning to a place he played his entire career. You have one of the best goalies in the league in the net.
Amalie Arena might be the toughest game the Predators have had this season so far. It might be crazy to say this so early in the NHL season, but if Nashville can win this game, it might be one they look back on and say that was the point we knew we were a good team.