Nashville Predators are trying to find the right pieces for Steven Stamkos

The Nashville Predators need complementary pieces for Steven Stamkos

Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin. He was asked about the battle of the Nashville Predators and Steven Stamkos. Pagnotta said the Predators have tried to find the right pieces for him.

NHLRumors.com Transcripts

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Scott Laughlin: “Also, look at some of the numbers here, Dave. Cole Smith, Michael Bunting, Nick Perbix, Michael McCarron, Justin Barron, what do they have in common? They all have more points than Steven Stamkos to start the season in Nashville. So with one goal and two points in his first ten games mentioned previously, is Stamkos just getting a little older and therefore off to a slow start? Or is there something in terms of roster construction with the Predators? that indicates that maybe they not getting the Stamkos from Tampa Bay just because they don’t have anyone who can get him the puck on a regular basis How do you see the slow start for Steven Stamkos?”

Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, it’s a bit of a not necessarily interesting one to me, it’s more of a, I mean, look, first of all, I agree, I think he’s reached a point in his career where you need those complementary pieces to play with to excel, at least offensively and numbers-wise, and it just doesn’t seem like he’s been found, or that the Predators have found the right fit for him that complements his game.

And at the same time, look, this is a team that has been trying to improve their center position over the past few seasons. You’ve got Ryan O’Reilly, holding down the fort at center and on the top unit. And I think they prefer Stamkos on the right side, rather than on the forward spot. They just couldn’t find that piece. And that’s why they had to use Stammer in the middle.

And they just haven’t found A yet, that’s part of it, and then B, they just haven’t found the right pieces to kind of play next to now, with (Tyson) Yost and (Luke) Evangelista. We just haven’t been able to get his game going. And it is at this point of his career, at 35 years old, you will have to find him a little bit; he’s going to be 36 in a few months, you basically want to get those pieces that allow him to do what he does best, and give him the puck and put him behind the opposition against the netminder.

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This is just the nature of the beast, of his game and how his performance has evolved. Instead of being the driver, you have to have someone who complements his game. I think this is more the case than what we’re seeing from him at this stage of his career.

And it will have to be up to Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators, pardon me, to find that piece that allows him to excel.

NHL Rumors.com Note: A quick note on this situation in Nashville. It’s a similar situation to when the New York Rangers signed Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. The Predators have two of the same players in Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. They only needed one goal scorer, not two, because they changed their entire identity. Do they want to change the mix there?

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