The Three Most Likely Nashville Predators Trade Deadline Scenarios in 2024 Before we know it, the 2024 Trade Deadline will arrive, and the Predators have leverage.
The Predators should be well on their way to making their Stanley Cup Playoff debut after missing out in 2023. This would mean that head coach Andrew Brunette will take over for John Hynes when the trade deadline of March 8th arrives.
To be completely honest, we have no idea what General Manager Barry Trotz will do in his first administration. As a head coach, he’s been there many times and made his opinions known, but never as the head of a front office.
The Predators are among the very few teams with sufficient cap space to shop if they so choose, which is what could make their case so intriguing in the two or more months before the deadline. It doesn’t mean they ought to or will, but it’s an option.
Even with over $8 million in projected cap space, I doubt Trotz would be motivated to add anything to this roster if the trade deadline was tomorrow. If someone resigns to a contract extension before March 8th, that number may change. This brings us to the three scenarios that I see the Nashville Predators facing off against in the 2024 trade deadline.Trotz Puts “All In” and Expands the Roster with a Key Addition
Many fans, including myself, find this scenario frightening. When a general manager decides to unload the money truck and place all of his or her chips on the success of the current season, it’s always a big gamble. Frequently, this entails going over budget and signing a contract you don’t need to, only to ultimately miss your target.
But sometimes front desks don’t see it that way. They do occasionally act now and pursue their goals. Trotz may be that kind of general manager, but we don’t yet know.
The Predators will need to accept that the Stanley Cup Playoffs won’t happen this season and find teams willing to make a big trade for a pending UFA in 2024 before they can go all in and shop at the deadline.
With a current cap hit of $6.9 million, William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs leads the pack among the top UFAs for 2024 according to a list recently released by SportsNet’s Luke Fox. It’s safe to say that the Leafs won’t be sellers and will be competitive throughout the postseason, but they currently have no projected cap space. Nevertheless, Nylander will likely remain in Toronto.
Things about Nylander and a contract negotiation will become loud if the Leafs truly start to fall apart in the month before the deadline. Even stranger things have occurred.ย The Calgary Flames’ Elias Lindholm is a far more likely hot commodity on the trade market. a genuine top-six center for a team that is struggling this year and may have to sell him at the trade deadline.
What if Ryan O’Reilly and Lindholm are Trotz’s top two centers and he looks to really solidify his center core for a postseason run? Furthermore, Lindholm lacks trade protection. As a result, Tommy Novak and Cody Glass would be your bottom six centers, and you would most likely trade Michael McCarron at that point.
Although the Flames have an 11-14-5 record right now, there is still a lot of hockey left, so they shouldn’t be written off just yet. If they continue to lose, it’s worth keeping an eye on them as possible big sellers.
Lindholm could be the “all-in scenario” player for Trotz. There don’t seem to be any other feasible high-end options available for Trotz to purchase. Of course, things could change in the next two to three months.
Other trade candidates that I would view as “all in” players are Jonathan Marchessault (VGK), Jake Guentzel (PIT), and Sam Reinhart (FLA). Once more, I don’t see these teams trading these players, but we’ll see.
Trotz Deals His Own UFA and Adds Depth with a Role Player
Comparing this scenario to the “all in” strategy, it appears much more likely. For 2024, the Predators have three RFAs and eight UFAs. It is reasonable to assume that Trotz will consider dealing a few of them in a deadline transaction to acquire a player he desires.
When you look closely at the upcoming UFAs, not much jumps out as being exactly what the Predators need. They might look for a center or winger, but I don’t see them going after a defenseman or a goalie.
There are some excellent depth players available, like Anthony Duclair of the San Jose Sharks, who will attract teams’ attention. a winger who is 28 years old and won’t cost the earth. Just two seasons ago, he scored 31 goals for the Florida Panthers.
Many of these players will be older than thirty, so at this point the Predators don’t need to exchange young talent for experienced players. It would be a step backward and not improve your team’s chances of making the playoffs.
In order for Trotz’s plan to make sense, he must locate the ideal trade partner who can provide a player with upside who can fit Andrew Brunette’s quick-paced offensive scheme. Perhaps Jakob Vrana of the Blues or Jason Zucker of the Coyotes. I wouldn’t be surprised if either of these two Central Division teams decided to sell.
However, similar to the first scenario, I don’t see anyone who immediately claims that the player can make a significant difference right now. Vrana is intriguing to me because, should the Predators decide to take a chance on him and take advantage of the Blues offloading assets, he isn’t at a high cost and has that amazing goal-scoring ability.
Remember that the Predators can benefit from draft picks in trade situations as well. In mid-December, I’m beginning to believe that Trotz will hold that cap space for 2024 offseason free agency and contract extensions, and enter the trade deadline as more of a non-participant.
Predators Trade Tyson Barrie Eventually, Might Trade Someone Else
It’s already known that the Predators are shopping Barrie, so the question now is “when” rather than “if” they will actually trade him. You’re not looking for a major player return, but mid- to late-round draft picks will do just fine.
Following that, Trotz’s focus will be on re-signing the free agents who are set to become available in 2024. First to leap out of the page are Tommy Novak and Yakov Trenin.
Novak ought to be certain to resign. He’s an important part of your promising future, so you can’t just let him go. He will receive a well-earned raise from his current $800,000 salary. My initial estimate is between $2 and $3 million.
Trenin is a challenging one. You also really don’t want to lose him. The Predators may decide to re-sign Trenin, who is currently paid $1.7 million, if they decide not to pursue deals before the deadline. He won’t likely get a significant pay increase, but he will undoubtedly hunt for one or be pressured to explore free agency.
The Predators won’t be able to bring back Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, or Kiefer Sherwood as depth players. Is there a chance that one of these three is traded for something at the deadline? In my opinion, yes.
Not because they’ll be far out of the playoff race, but rather because they’re not in a position to be going “all in” for a Stanley Cup in 2024, I can see the Predators being more of sellers than anything else at the deadline. They’re creating something unique, but they can’t let a poor trade cause it all to collapse.
Even with his current amount of cap space, I don’t think Trotz will feel pressured to be a buyer at the 2024 deadline because I think he likes the Predators prospect pool too much. It’s not necessary to spend money just because you have it.
A few players will likely be traded (of the three, Cole Smith comes to mind), and Barrie will undoubtedly be involved. Other than that, Trotz’s best course of action is probably to keep his cards close to his chest and use what he has to move forward into the 2024 offseason.