NASHVILLE -- Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault were on a line together during a practice session on the first day of training camp for the Nashville Predators.
Stamkos, 34, was at left wing with Tommy Novak at center. It was his first official practice since signing a four-year, $32 million contract with Nashville on July 1, after playing 16 seasons for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"The first day was good," Stamkos said. "It was really a good pace out there. I felt like a young kid again getting out and just feeling out your surroundings. It's been nice to be here for a while to get acclimated with the family and get into a routine, but it's always exciting to get on the ice for the first day of camp."
Marchessault, 33, left the Vegas Golden Knights to sign a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Predators on July 1. He and Stamkos were Lightning teammates from 2014-16.
"I remember he was probably one of the guys that impressed me the most in Tampa, how fast he is, and you see how elite his shot is," Marchessault said. "It's definitely great to be on the ice with him."
Though it's unclear if Stamkos, Novak and Marchessault will begin the regular season together, Novak's playmaking ability could be a good fit. Stamkos (40 goals) and Marchessault (42) reached the 40-goal mark last season.
Novak had 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games.
"He's a slippery player," Stamkos said. "He can get into positions and somehow he comes out with the puck. As a centerman, that's a great quality to have. Obviously, he has that skill set. I didn't know a ton about him before coming here but just watching him in some pre-camp skates, obviously today and then talking to some guys, you can tell that the way he's progressing he'll be a really good two-way center in this league.
"If he ends up playing with [Marchessault] and I or however the lines end up, he's a guy that can distribute the puck. As a guy who likes to shoot it, that's nice to play with."
Stamkos and Marchessault have been in Nashville for weeks leading up to camp. They feel like they've already started to build camaraderie with their new teammates that will pay off on the ice during the season.
"I've been in a spot where we've had a tight group, and I didn't think there was something like that somewhere else," Marchessault said. "Showing up here, it's really similar. It's a tight group, and they welcome their new players really well.
"I'm definitely happy to be here. I think the reflection of a good team on the ice is the reflection of the chemistry off the ice as well. I think that's something that gets done in the first few weeks and months of the season. I'm definitely happy to be part of that."
