Lightning's Victor Hedman Talks Seeing Steven Stamkos In A Predators Sweater
There are moments when certain players who have been with a team for a long time move and suddenly they look really weird in another jersey.
And that's from a fan's perspective. Think how weird it must be if you played with the guy.
The NHL Player Media Tour is this week in Las Vegas and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman and almost certainly the team's next captain, Victor Hedman, was asked about what it was like to see his longtime teammate and former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos throwing on a Nashville Predators sweater.
"It’s just different," Hedman said. "Obviously, I’ve had some time to dissect and spent some time with Stammer a few weeks ago at a wedding, so that was super nice."
It became clear as the free agency approached that the Lightning and Stamkos weren't going to be able to get a deal done, and that effectively made Stamkos the big fish in the free agency pond.
Victor Hedman discussed what it was like to see his long-time Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos in a Nashville Predators uniform.. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
He was snapped up by the Preds along with a couple of other big names in Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skje, making the Predators the big winners when it came to free agency this summer.
The way the Predators have loaded up after making an unbelievably strong run through the spring and into the playoffs should make them a competitive team that's scrapping way toward the top of the tough Central Division.
However, Hedman said that it isn't having Stamkos in the team's lineup from a competitive perspective that he'll miss, it's not having him in the lineup as a pal.
"Listen, obviously we’re going to miss Steven Stamkos," Hedman said. "But me, personally, more as a friend and not having him next to me on the plane and sharing meals on the road and whatnot. We’ve done that for 15 years. That’s going to be a big change."
The Predators and Lightning will play a pair of games against each other in the preseason, but the Predators will visit Tampa on Oct. 28.