Stamkos says consistency remains the challenge for Predators
In an NHL.com interview, the Nashville forward discussed the team’s struggles and the adjustment to playing away from Tampa Bay.
Steven Stamkos says the Nashville Predators need steadier performances and better defensive results to return to playoff contention, according to an interview with NHL.com.
The forward pointed to inconsistent play and problems preventing goals as issues that have held Nashville back over the past two seasons, both of which ended without a playoff berth.
“It just hasn't been consistent enough for us to be a legitimate playoff contender,” Stamkos told NHL.com.
Stamkos cautioned that improving the roster alone would not turn the Predators into a championship team. He said chemistry and the way the group plays matter, and that there is no single acquisition that can solve every problem.
Now in his third season with Nashville, Stamkos also described the difficulty of changing teams after spending so much of his career in Tampa Bay. Learning new systems and building familiarity with teammates took time, he said, but he now feels more settled.
Asked about trade speculation during last season’s slow start, Stamkos said his no-move clause helped him keep his attention on his own performance.
The conversation also covered former Lightning teammate Nikita Kucherov’s development. Stamkos credited Kucherov’s growing confidence and commitment to practising with helping him become an elite player. NHL.com said the interview was conducted before reports that Kucherov had requested a trade.
