Predators’ Steven Stamkos gets candid about sudden Michael McCarron trade

The Nashville Predators drew a line in the sand with their trade deadline plans on Tuesday evening with two depth forward deals. The most surprising return was for Michael McCarron, as the Predators managed to trade him for a second-round pick from the Minnesota Wild. While that was a tidy piece of business, Steven Stamkos wasn’t happy with the message it sent, according to Nick Kieser via X, formerly Twitter.

Steven Stamkos during the intermission in Columbus after Michael McCarron was traded to Minnesota.

"Little bit of a gut punch right before a game." pic.twitter.com/DLSmhq5w3l

— Nick Kieser (@KieserNick) March 4, 2026

Stamkos’ comments paint a very interesting picture. The veteran forward has a full no-move clause, and he allegedly has no interest in waiving it. He is still competitive and chasing his third Stanley Cup, and the frustration he showed in the mid-game interview shows that he might not be overly happy with the path the team is heading down. Does this trade make him closer to waiving his clause?

Stamkos was unhappy at this moment, and it was even before he found out that the Predators traded Cole Smith mid-game. The Smith deal happened a bit later, as the defensive forward started the game, but Andrew Brunette had to pull him from the lineup once trade talks started to pick up. It left the Predators down two regular forwards in a game they needed to win to stay in the playoff race.

Nashville now sits five points out of the last wild card spot with one more game played than the Seattle Kraken. The Predators’ strategy may never be clearer two days before the trade deadline, and it’ll be interesting to see what the players on the roster think.

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