🧭 What We Know About Stamkos
Current Team: Stamkos is under contract with the Nashville Predators, having signed a four-year, $32 million deal in July 2024 as an unrestricted free agent. This move ended his 16-year run with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 .
Performance in Nashville: He has been an active contributor for Nashville, including posting a hat trick on March 8, 2025, against Chicago, and finishing the 2024–2025 season with 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points .
No Recent Trade or Signing News: There are no legitimate reports—from NHL.com, TSN, major sports outlets, team announcements, or insider coverage—stating he has definitively signed with or been traded to Edmonton. Searches on this topic only turn up Facebook copy‑pastes, with identical sensational headlines and zero credible sourcing .
—
🔎 Likely Explanation
Rumor origin: The identical Facebook posts are classic “rumor mill” fare—appealing, unverified, and potentially orchestrated to spread quickly or drive clicks.
Why Edmonton? The Oilers are a major market with playoff ambitions (they reached the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals with Leon Draisaitl, McDavid & co.) . But Edmonton has not officially pursued Stamkos, nor made public any offer or negotiation.
Stamkos is on a no‑trade/no‑movement clause (NTC). He controls his destination—if a move ever happened, it would involve his consent plus coverage in major NHL media.
—
🗂️ What Must Happen for This to Be True
1. Public announcement from one or more of:
The Nashville Predators
The Edmonton Oilers
NHL’s official channels (NHL.com, press release)
2. Credible media validation, e.g. by:
TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN, or the Associated Press
Recognized insiders like Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie, or Katie Strang
3. Updated entry on Stamkos’s team listing—either on NHL.com or Sportsnet, TSN, etc.
None of that exists. Instead, we only see duplicate social‑media posts with no credible anchor, almost certainly created to generate buzz or possibly clicks for ad revenue.
—
🚨 Conclusion & Advisory
Verdict: This is a rumor—not grounded in verified information.
What you should do: Ignore unverified social media blasts on this topic.
If you’re an Oilers fan: Keep an eye on official channels like the Oilers’ website, NHL media outlets, or journalists such as Mark Spector, Daniel Nugent-Bowman, or Frank Seravalli. A move of this magnitude would be widely covered.
—
📝 Broader Perspective: Why This Would Matter (If True)
If Stamkos did end up in Edmonton, it would be an absolute blockbuster in NHL terms—one of the biggest free-agent signings/trades in the past decade. Here’s why:
Elite Scoring Power: Stamkos is a perennial top-tier scorer—two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner and all-time Lightning franchise leader in goals and points .
Cup Pedigree: Twice a Stanley Cup champion, twice a Captain, two-time second-team All-Star, and Hart Trophy nominee .
Age & Trajectory: Turning 35 in February 2025, Stamkos is no longer a young asset. His peak years are behind him, and he hasn’t matched his best Lightning seasons in Nashville. Editors estimate around 0.65–0.70 points per game, which is still valuable but not elite.
Edmonton’s situation: Already loaded with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, plus Jahdrak, Brickley, Bouchard, they made it back to the finals in 2025 but lost to Florida . Acquiring Stamkos would bolster their top 6, but the cost (cap space, long-term money, roster fit) would be massive.
—
📌 Bottom Line
This sensational headline is not accurate. As of today, Steven Stamkos remains with the Nashville Predators until at least summer 2028. There’s no indication of imminent trade or signing with Edmonton. It’s best to treat this as unconfirmed rumor, not legitimate news.
If you want, I can:
Track it and give you a head’s-up when (or if) credible confirmation emerges,
or show you how Edmonton’s current forward unit compares and whether adding Stamkos would make tactical sense.
Let me know what you’d like to dive deeper into.