Three Most Likely Scenarios for Nashville Predators at 2024 Trade Deadline
The trade deadline will be March 8, and by that time, the Predators figure to be at the very least within arm’s reach of getting back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing in 2023, and subsequently leading to the head coaching transition from John Hynes to Andrew Brunette.
Let’s be honest with yourself here; we have zero notion what General Manager Barry Trotz will do in his fist go around in this role. He’s been there multiple times as a Head Coach and had his say, but never as the leader of a front office.
What makes the Predators’ case potentially so interesting in the two-plus months building up to the deadline is they’re one of the very few teams that actually have considerable cap space to go shopping if they want to. Doesn’t imply they will or should, but the option is there.
If the trade deadline was tomorrow, I’m not so certain that Trotz would be inclined to add anything to this roster even with over $8 million of expected cap space. That number could alter by March 8 if someone is re-signed to a contract extension before then. This gets us to the three situations I can envision unfolding for the Nashville Predators at the 2024 trade deadline.
Trotz Goes “All In” and Adds a Major Piece to the Roster
This prospect scares a lot of fans, including myself. It’s always a significant bet when a general manager decides to unload the money truck and put all of their chips on that current season’s run. It typically means splurging and taking on a contract you don’t need, and then you fall short of your ultimate aim nevertheless.
Front offices sometimes don’t think that way, however. Sometimes people do live in the now and go for it. We don’t know yet if Trotz is that kind of general manager. To go all in and go shopping at the deadline, first the Predators will have to locate clubs ready to move a big time pending UFA in 2024 and succumb to the thought that the Stanley Cup Playoffs aren’t happening this season.
SportsNet’s Luke Fox has put out a list of the top UFAs for 2024, and William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs tops the way at a $6.9 million current budget hit. Safe to say the Leafs will be completely in the mix for the postseason and won’t be sellers, although they have zero forecasted cap space at the moment. Still, expect Nylander to stay with Toronto.
If the Leafs were to really start breaking apart in the month coming up to the deadline, then things will get loud surrounding Nylander and a contract discussion. Crazier things have happened. A much more likely hot commodity on the trade market is Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames. a real top-six center that’s playing for a team that’s floundering through the season and might be forced to be sellers at the deadline.
What if Lindholm is available and Trotz tries to really strengthen his center core for a playoff push with Lindholm and Ryan O’Reilly as his top two centers? Lindholm also has no trade protection. This would push Cody Glass and Tommy Novak as your bottom six centers, and you’re probably trading Michael McCarron at that point.
The Flames now sit with an 11-14-5 record, but with a lot of hockey left, you can’t count them out yet. Just worth watching them as possible major sellers if they keep losing.
If there’s a “all in scenario” for Trotz, Lindholm might be that person. I just don’t see any other feasible high ticket possibilities out there for Trotz to shop for. But things might obviously change in the next two-plus months.
Other trade options that I would consider as a “all in” type of player would be Sam Reinhart (FLA), Jake Guentzel (PIT) and Jonathan Marchessault (VGK). Again, I don’t see these respective teams trading these men, but we shall see.
Trotz Adds to the Depth with a Role Player, Deals a UFA of his Own
This scenario looks considerably more realistic than the “all in” strategy. The Predators have eight UFAs for 2024, and another three RFAs. You have to imagine that Trotz will entertain dealing a handful of them in a deadline deal for a player he wants.
When you actually go deep into the pending UFAs, there isn’t a lot that’s eye popping in terms of what the Predators really need. I don’t see them shopping for a defenseman or definitely not a goalie, but center or winger might come into play.
You have several solid depth guys out there that will draw interest from teams, like Anthony Duclair of the San Jose Sharks. A 28-year-old winger who won’t arrive at a really exorbitant cost. He racked up 31 goals for the Florida Panthers just two seasons ago.
A lot of these players are going to be 30-plus in age, and the Predators don’t need to be trading away young skill for older talent at this time. It would be taking steps backward and in the process not making your team more viable for the playoffs.
For this situation to make sense for Trotz, he needs to find the proper trade partner bringing up a player with upside and a match to Andrew Brunette’s fast paced attacking style. Maybe Jason Zucker from the Coyotes or Jakob Vrana from the Blues. Two Central Division teams that wouldn’t surprise me if they’re sellers.
Even yet, much like the first scenario, I don’t see anyone that jumps off the page that suggests that player can make a major change in the now. Vrana is intriguing to me since he has that amazing goal scoring talent and isn’t at a premium cost if the Predators were to take a bet on him and take advantage of the Blues selling assets.
Don’t forget the Predators have draft picks to utilize to their favor as well in trade scenarios.
More and more, I’m guessing here in mid-December that Trotz will go into the trade deadline as more of a non-participant, and hold that cap space for contract extensions and free agency in the 2024 summer.
Preds Trade Tyson Barrie at Some Point, Possibly Trade Someone Else
We already know that Barrie is being shopped by the Predators and it’s really just a matter of “when” and not “if” the Predators move him. You’re not expecting anything significant in return in terms of a player, but some mid to late draft picks will suffice.
After that, Trotz will focus his attention to re-signing the pending free agents coming up in 2024. Tommy Novak and Yakov Trenin are first to pop off the page.
Novak should be a lock to re-sign. He’s part of your bright future and you can’t just simply let him go. He’s going to get a well-deserved pay boost from his $800,000 income he makes today. At least $2 to $3 million is my early guess.
Trenin is a hard one. You definintely don’t want to lose him, either. If the Predators keep out of being buyers before the deadline, then that could imply their intentions to re-sign Trenin, who presently makes $1.7 million. Although I don’t think his compensation hike will be huge, he’ll be looking for more or if not be pushed to test free agency.
Some depth players that the Predators won’t be able to all bring back are Kiefer Sherwood, Cole Smith and Michael McCarron. Is it possible that one of these three gets included in any sort of deal at the deadline? I guess so.
I can see the Predators being more of sellers than anything at the deadline, not because they’ll be far out of the playoff race, but just because they’re not in a position to be going “all in” for a Stanley Cup in 2024. They’re constructing something great, but they can’t risk it all coming tumbling down with a terrible transaction.
I like the Predators prospect pool too highly right now, and I think Trotz does too, to think he’s going to feel forced to be a buyer at the 2024 deadline even with his current amount of cap money to do so. Just because you have it, doesn’t mean you have to spend it.
We’ll see a handful players perhaps traded (I’m thinking Cole Smith out of the three), and definitely Barrie. Other than that, Trotz’s best play is probably just clutch his cards tight to his chest and forge ahead to the 2024 offseason with what he’s got.