Steven Stamkos is turning back the clock at 36, and his numbers back it up.
The Nashville Predators veteran has 34 goals in 70 games this season, tied for 14th in the NHL. He leads the league in game-winning goals with 10 and is tied for the most hat tricks with two, including a four-goal performance on December 11. Last season, his first with Nashville after leaving Tampa Bay, Stamkos scored 27 goals in 82 games.
The Predators sit at 75 points, holding the second wild card in the Western Conference with 12 games remaining. They have won four straight, the longest active winning streak in the NHL, and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Stamkos has contributed five points, three power-play points and six shots on goal during that stretch.
Since November 26, Stamkos is tied with Cole Caufield and Nikita Kucherov for the NHL lead in goals with 30 each over that 48-game span.
Among active players, Stamkos ranks third in career goals with 616, behind Alex Ovechkin (932) and Sidney Crosby (653). He is one of just five active players with at least one 60-goal season, joining Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Ovechkin and David Pastrnak. He won the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2010 (51 goals) and 2012 (60 goals) and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Lightning.
Three advanced metrics help explain the resurgence.
His shot speed stands out. Stamkos ranks seventh among forwards in shots over 90 mph this season with nine, sits in the 97th percentile in hardest shot velocity at 95 mph, and is tied for ninth in the NHL in slap shot goals with six. Over the past two seasons combined, he leads all NHL forwards in slap shot goals with 16.
His scoring locations have also improved. Stamkos ranks among forward leaders in high-danger goals (15, 94th percentile) and midrange goals (nine, 92nd percentile). His combined goal total from those areas is already higher than all of last season. His high-danger shooting percentage jumped from 18.6 percent last season to 30.6 percent this year, ranking in the 95th percentile at the position.
His offensive zone presence and skating remain strong as well. Stamkos ranks in the 92nd percentile among forwards in offensive zone time percentage at 45.8 percent. He also ranks in the 90th percentile in even-strength skating distance and the 84th percentile in max skating speed. Notably, among the 26 players with at least 30 goals this season, Stamkos averages the fifth-fewest minutes per game at 17:47, a sign that coach Andrew Brunette is managing him carefully to keep him sharp.
Nashville missed the playoffs last season and general manager Barry Trotz recently announced he will step down after this season. But Stamkos’ rejuvenated play has the Predators firmly in the postseason picture heading down the stretch.
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