St. Louis on Stamkos' Bolts exit: 'He's going to be happy that he experienced something else'

Martin St. Louis commented Thursday on his former teammate Steven Stamkos' unceremonious exit from the Tampa Bay Lightning, which came 10 years after St. Louis requested a trade from the team.

The current Montreal Canadiens head coach steered clear of discussing how Stamkos was treated by the Lightning before signing with the Nashville Predators on July 1. He did say, however, that he believes the 34-year-old will one day be glad he got the opportunity to play for another franchise. 

"It's tough leaving," St. Louis told NHL.com at the Shoulder Check Showcase charity event. "I'm not going to get into how everything was handled. It's hard to leave, but I don't think it's a bad thing for Stammer to go and experience something else.

"It'd be nice to stay in the same place for that long, which he was fortunate to do. What was he, 16 years there? That's a long time. I think he's going to look back on his career and I think he's going to be happy that he experienced something else, and he's going to a really good situation."

Stamkos signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Predators when free agency opened after repeatedly expressing his desire to re-sign with the Lightning. Tampa Bay, however, went a different direction, acquiring winger Jake Guentzel's rights from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing him to a seven-year, $63 million contract.

Stamkos penned a goodbye letter to the franchise and its fans in The Players' Tribune last week, writing "I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t heartbreaking."

St. Louis said he's talked to Stamkos since July 1 and discussed being traded to the New York Rangers in 2014, having requested a move after 13 years in Tampa Bay. 

"Definitely different, but at the time very emotional," St. Louis said. "A lot of changes. His kids are a little bit younger than mine were at the time, but still there's a lot of changes that come and uncertainties. But I look back at my career, and again I went into a really good situation, a really good team in New York. We fell short but we had the team to win two Cups. It just didn't happen.

"He's going to a team that is going to be in the mix. I told him that I look back on my experience and I'm glad that I did what I did, especially being able to dictate a little bit where you're going to go."

Stamkos, who replaced St. Louis as the team's captain after that trade, holds the Lightning franchise records with 555 goals, 1,137 points, and 1,082 games played during his tenure with the team. He posted 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games last season, adding five goals and an assist in the first-round of the playoffs, in what proved to be his final playoff series with the team.

The veteran forward will try to help a new-look Predators team win a Stanley Cup after the franchise loaded up in free agency by also signing forward Jonathan Marchessault and defenceman Brady Skjei.