NHL Rumor: Steven Stamkos Heads to Devils in Proposed Trade

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos

The Nashville Predators have turned things around after another horrible start to the season; they're only one point out of a Wild Card spot heading into Saturday's play. But GM Barry Trotz is aware that his team isn't quite a serious contender, and is still considering his options.

One of his biggest trade chips, under the right circumstances, is Steven Stamkos. Like the team itself, Stamkos has had a huge resurgence over the past couple of months. 17 goals and 28 points in his last 25 games has him back over the 20-goal mark for the 16th time in his 18 NHL seasons.

And while the two-time Stanley Cup winner does hold a full no-move clause, "The sense is he’d be open to waiving that for another look at the playoffs," writes Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.

Insider Jeff Marek revealed on The Sheet this weekend that an up-and-coming NHL executive has proposed to him the following trade that would send Stamkos to the New Jersey Devils — a team desperate for a big offensive boost.

This comes from someone whose career trajectory is on the way to him becoming a general manager in the NHL. Here's the deal that he would propose:
Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, and Seamus Casey to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Steven Stamkos and Justin Barron, and Nashville retains half on Barron, which gets New Jersey cap compliant.

Let's break it down, with cap hits:

To Nashville:

Hamilton ($9M, two more years to run after this season)
Glass ($2.5M, one more year)
Casey ($950K, ELC, one more year)

To New Jersey:

Stamkos ($8M, two more years)
Barron ($1.5M, RFA)

Essentially, what it comes down to for the Preds in exchange for Stamkos, is a top-four defenseman, albeit an expensive one having a down year, and a top young prospect on the blueline in Casey. There's no telling what a change in scenery like this would do for Hamilton.

Nashville has already used two of its three salary retention slots and has no intention of doing so, at all, if they do trade Stamkos.

Stamkos would be the offensive boost the Devils desperately need

For the Devils, they get the top-six goal-scoring upgrade they need. The former Lightning legend, as Marek notes, would likely find himself on the finishing end of a terrific one-two punch with elite playmaker Jack Hughes. Stamkos would also be reunited with Ondřej Palát, with whom he won two Cups in Tampa.

Although New Jersey doesn't get the massive cap relief they were ideally looking for by ridding themselves of the Hamilton cap hit, they do get an all-time great goal-scorer desperate for another crack at the Cup.

The Devils have been one of the prime suitors for Stamkos ever since his name started to swirl on the rumor mill early this season.

In the end, Stamkos has to agree to this, and Hamilton has a 10-team trade list, so he, too, has to agree, if Nashville isn't on his list.