Steven Santini News

Victor Hedman took warmups with the team but was a last minute scratch, so Santini is a surprise addition to the lineup. It's Santini's first NHL game since playing four games with the Blues in the 2022-23 season.

Santini has 123 games of NHL experience but has exclusively been an AHL player since a four-game stint with the St. Louis Blues in the 2022-23 season. The 29-year-old defenseman has five points (2G / 3A) in 14 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) this season.

Tampa's defensive depth got a little bit deeper on Tuesday with the addition of Steven Santini on a one-year, two-way contract. The 29-year-old has 23 points (5G/18A) in 123 career NHL games since making his debut in 2015-16.

Santini had an assist, two PIMs and five SOG through four games with St.Louis in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with Los Angeles. The 28-year-old defenseman was drafted by New Jersey in the second-round of the 2013 draft (42nd overall) and brings five goals, 23 points and 57 PIMs across 123 career NHL games played to the Kings.

With Nick Leddy out with an upper-body injury, Santini will make his season debut in Montreal, his 120th career NHL game. Santini has 22 career points (5G / 17A).

Santini had one-year left on his three-year deal that paid him $1.416 million AAV. The buyout will cost Nashville just $41,667 against the cap in 2021 and $275K in 2022. Santini appeared in just two games with the Predators last season, playing the majority of the year in Milwaukee (AHL).

Santini, who was acquired in the P.K. Subban trade, has been in Milwaukee all season. The 24-year-old has five assists in 17 AHL games and 21 points (5G / 16A) in 114 career NHL games.

Santini, who is a former second-round pick (2013), is a big (6-foot-2, 205 lbs) defensive-defenseman. The 24-year-old has just 21 points (5G / 16A) in 114 career NHL games but should be more than capable of eating up 15 minutes per night on the Predators third pairing.

Santini has been a healthy scratch for the last four games but will replace Eric Gryba on Thursday. Santini has registered two assists in 18 games this season.

Santini has been a healthy scratch for the last three games but will replace a banged up Ben Lovejoy on Thursday. Santini has just one assist in 12 games this season.

Santini was activated from IR on December 1st but hasn’t played since October 20th. Santini does not have a point in one NHL game or three AHL games.

Santini lasted just 2:33 TOI in his season debut on Saturday. Santini left the game after breaking his jaw when he was hit by a puck. Either Ben Lovejoy (injured) or the recently called up Egor Yakolev will draw into the lineup on Thursday.

Santini has not played in the last nine games and with the return of Mirco Mueller, Santini became their eighth defenseman. Santini has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 36 games with the Devils this season and will likely make his AHL season debut this weekend.

Santini was a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Ben Lovejoy in the lineup in Columbus. Santini will likely skate with Will Butcher and comes in with six points (1G / 5A) in 22 games this season.

Santini has been played well on the Devils’ top pairing but with the addition of Sami Vatanen on Thursday, Santini will be the first victim of a numbers game tonight. Vatanen will take his spot next to Andy Greene and brings a lot more offence so the table than Santini.