Steven Stamkos gives fans a first glimpse of him in his new Predators gear

This summer, we witnessed the end of an era in Tampa when Stamkos was not extended a fair offer from Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois and took his talents to free agency.

After some deliberation and no shortage of interest, Stamkos inked a 4-year deal with the Nashville Predators worth a staggering $8M per season.

Stamkos released a short clip on the Predators' official Instagram account, from his new locker room stall in Nashville.

He also posed for some photos in his new gear!

Stamkos potted an impressive 40 goals and 81 points this past season, showing that age is just a number. The 34-year-old proved a lot last season, but I don't think there was ever any doubt that Stamkos could remain effective throughout his mid 30's - it's the 37, 38, 39 range that people are worried about.

There's no doubt that the Predators are a better team with Stamkos than without, and I could myself among those who are intrigued to see how well he performs in his first year in Smashville this season.

Source for stats: HockeyDB
Steven Stamkos stats and bio