Stamkos calm as Trade Deadline nears with Nashville Vs Ottawa chatter in background
With 11 days remaining until the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p. m. ET; March 6), nashville vs ottawa talk is one of several storylines orbiting a Predators club that could be a seller. Steven Stamkos says he isn’t worried about his job as teams and fans watch where Nashville might move pieces before the deadline.
Nashville Vs Ottawa and the looming March 6 cutoff
Stamkos told The Athletic he’s “not too worried” about his future and noted he holds a full no-move clause, meaning he would decide any potential destination. The Predators sit at 26-24-7 and are four points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card in the Western Conference, a position that has them squarely in trade-deadline conversation.
Stamkos’ surge and what it changes
After a slow start — five points (four goals, one assist) in his first 22 games — Stamkos has produced 39 points (24 goals, 15 assists) in the past 24 games. He is signed for two more seasons under the four-year, $32 million contract ($8 million average annual value) he signed July 1, 2024. That run helped Nashville climb off a low point: the club was last in the NHL on Dec. 1 with an 8-13-4 record but has since gained ground in the standings.
Those concrete numbers matter for trade planners. One evaluation of the Predators’ options lists Stamkos alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault as veteran forwards who could draw interest, in part because Nashville has been 30th in goal differential (-94) over the past two seasons. Moving a scorer of Stamkos’ recent form would change how contenders contemplating a short-term push view the market.
What the team and market look like now
Club signals are mixed: Nashville’s recent improvement has pushed them back into the playoff conversation, but the roster’s defensive struggles over two seasons provide a rationale for a reset. The front-office change referenced in recent coverage also factors into trade calculus, with Nashville positioned to weigh competitive aims against longer-term roster construction.
Stamkos emphasized he hasn’t had conversations about being moved and that he signed to play competitive hockey. The Predators’ next game is at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, a short-term checkpoint before clubs must make decisions ahead of the March 6 deadline.
For now, the clock and the standings provide the clearest deadlines: teams have until 3 p. m. ET on March 6 to complete deals, and Nashville’s immediate slate — including the Thursday game — will be watched closely by other clubs and fans typing terms like nashville vs ottawa into search bars as they track schedule and trade noise.
