Ryan McDonagh Fired Up To Be Back With The Boys In Tampa, Hopes Stamkos Stays

We're just gearing up for the NHL's Conference Championships, and while 28 of the league's 32 teams are officially on vacation, at least two of them have GMs who are still putting in work, and that's how we ended up with veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh being dealt by the Nashville Predators back to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

And he seems pumped about it.

McDonagh spent five seasons in Tampa from 2018-19 to 2021-22 at which point he was dealt to the Predators.

On Tuesday, Nashville and Tampa cut a deal that sent McDonagh and a 4th-round. pick in this year's draft to the Lightning with a pair of picks — a 2024 7th-rounder and a 2025 2nd-rounder — heading to the Predators.

McDonagh was part of a Predators team that made a heck of a run down the stretch and is now returning to a Lightning team with whom he won a pair of Cups.

Many of the key players from those teams are still in the fold, including captain Steven Stamkos, who is a free agent come July 1.

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois told reporters, per Sportsnet, and McDonagh himself spoke highly of Stamkos and expressed hope that they'd find a way to re-sign him.

"He's the definition of a Bolt. He’s done everything in his career to be as successful as he could and bring as much success to that organization and that franchise," McDonagh said, according to Lightning beat writer Chris Krenn. 

"He’s just such a competitor, such a gamer, a great motivator, a great leader by example and a vocal leader too. I can’t say enough great things about him and the importance of bringing him back. Hopefully they can find a way to make that happen and we can keep building special memories here in Tampa together."

The Lightning are still a competitive team and it would probably take a lot to lure Stamkos away from them, but who knows where he'll be playing come October.