Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators were one of, if not the busiest team in the NHL this summer. Most pundits believe that the Predators won the summer, which means precious little if the team doesn’t gel and deliver on the ice. It’s hard to argue with the assessment that Nashville won out the summer as the team added multiple Stanley Cup champions and locked up their franchise goaltender. However, with all the big-money deals, the Predators have assumed a great deal of risk, and it isn’t unheard of for teams to load up in the summer, only to have it not work out on the ice.

Draft

1-22: C Yegor Surin, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-55: F Teddy Stiga, USA U18 (NTDP)
3-77: D Viggo Gustafsson,  HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-87: F Miguel Marques, Lethbridge (WHL)
3-94: F Hiroki Gojsic, Kelowna (WHL)
4-99: G Jakub Milota, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
4-127: F Viktor Nörringer, Frölunda HC (SHL)
7-213: F Erik Påhlsson, Dubuque (USHL)

The Predators’ first-round selection Surin played most of last season in the MHL posting 22 goals and 30 assists in 42 games. He was also heavily penalized with 108 PIM during that time. He is a solid puck handler and is quick and agile, however, many scouts viewed him as a later first-round pick so Nashville might have reached when selecting him 22 overall.

In the second round, Nashville selected Stiga who was actually projected to go higher in the draft. He is slated to go to Boston College next year and has been described by scouts as being cerebral, as his playmaking and offensive instincts are highly acclaimed.

In the third round, Nashville selected defensive defenseman Gustafsson who doesn’t put up much offense but has a good reach and is a stabilizing presence in the defensive zone. Some scouts felt that Gustafsson was a reach in the third round due to his limited offensive abilities.

Many scouts view Marques as a steal in the third round as he is considered a well-rounded offensive player with a high skill level and very good offensive instincts. Last season, he posted 28 goals and 46 assists in 67 WHL games and should see a bump in those numbers this upcoming season.

Trade Acquisitions

G Magnus Chrona (San Jose)
C David Edstrom (San Jose)
F Jordan Frasca (Pittsburgh)
D Andrew Gibson (Detroit)
F Ozzy Wiesblatt (San Jose)

Edstrom was acquired in the Askarov trade with the San Jose Sharks and has been traded twice since being drafted by Vegas in the first round back in 2023.  The 19-year-old spent last season in Sweden posting seven goals and 12 assists in 44 games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. While those numbers look pedestrian, the young center tied for first among skaters under the age of 20 in assists and tied for fourth in points amongst players his age or younger.

23-year-old Chrona played up and down the Sharks organization last season seeing action in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. Most of his playing time was in the AHL where his numbers weren’t pretty. Chrona posted a 3.49 goals-against average with an .894 save percentage and a 6-17-6 record. While his numbers weren’t great in the AHL, it was his first season as a pro, and he has great size at 6’4” and 209 pounds.

Gibson is probably the most intriguing of all of Nashville’s trade acquisitions this summer. The 19-year-old is a big, mobile defenseman who can take care of his own end and get around the ice with relative ease. He likely will project as a bottom-pairing defenseman, however, if he can develop better offensive instincts and puck skills, he could slide into a top-four role in the future.

UFA Signings

F Kieffer Bellows (one-year, $775K)*
D Nick Blankenburg (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Vinnie Hinostroza (two-year, $1.55MM)*
C Jake Lucchini (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Jonathan Marchessault (five-year, $27.5MM)
G Matthew Murray (one-year, $775K)*
D Brady Skjei (seven-year, $49MM)
C Steven Stamkos (four-year, $32MM)
D Spencer Stastney (two-year, $1.65MM)*
G Scott Wedgewood (two-year, $3MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

There were no bigger winners than Nashville in this year’s free agency window. Brand new general manager Barry Trotz put the team on an entirely new course with the signing of future Hall Of Famer Steven Stamkos, bolstered by the additions of solid #2’s Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault. Nashville will host the first change of scenery of Stamkos’ evergreen career. He continues to score at a top rate, recording the seventh 40-goal season of his career last season and breaking the 100-point mark as recent as two seasons ago. His supporting cast in Nashville’s top-six are all coming off defining years of their own, with both Marchessault (42) and Filip Forsberg (48) recording career-high goals, and Ryan O’Reilly once again reaching 69 points for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

That may be one of the few top-sixes better than what Stamkos was working with in Tampa Bay, and Nashville continues the excitement into the bottom-six. Every single role, save for Tomas Novak’s spot as third-line center, seems up for grabs – which could make for good training camp competition between veterans like Hinostroza and Cole Smith, and promising youngsters like Luke Evangelista and Juuso Parssinen.

Meanwhile Skjei should bring relief to Roman Josi, finally bringing another elite talent to a Predators blue-line in need. The pair will work with fellow UFA signee Stastney to man the left-side, while Dante Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, and Luke Schenn will fight out for ice time on the right-side. They’ll look to protect franchise goaltender Juuse Saros and one of Murray or Wedgewood at backup.

RFA Re-Signings

D Marc Del Gaizo (one-year, $775K)*
C Juuso Parssinen (one-year, $775K)

* denotes a two-way contract

Nashville wasn’t as exciting in handling their RFAs, so far only inking Del Gaizo and Parssinen to league-minimum contracts. Both players will join the long list of depth players fighting for a roster spot out of training camp, though their chances of earning ice time vary. Del Gaizo earned the first nine NHL games of his career last season, after posting routine scoring and strong defense in the minor leagues. He recorded three assists with the Predators, though ultimately closed the year in the minors once Nashville’s blue-line got healthy. Parssinen has carved out a much more consistent role, splitting his time nearly perfectly between the NHL and AHL lineups over the last two seasons. He’s managed a commendable 14 goals and 37 points in 89 career games with the Predators, and could be a favorite to sneak his way into a minor role to start the year.

Parssinen’s chances could hinge on when Nashville’s only remaining RFA, Philip Tomasino, decides to sign. Tomasino’s role in the lineup has been debated since he made his debut in 2021, and while his 70 points in 148 career games isn’t anything to scoff at, it also fails to vindicate his first-round selection in 2019. Next season will need to come with an improved role for Tomasino, though whether it will be a chance to become an everday lineup piece, or a final chance before the team moves on, could be dictated by his next contract.

Departures

F Wade Allison (signed in Europe)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Winnipeg, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Yaroslav Askarov (traded to San Jose)
D Tyson Barrie (Edmonton, PTO)
F Anthony Beauvillier (Pittsburgh, one-year, $1.25MM)
F Nolan Burke (traded to San Jose)
C Liam Foudy (New York Islanders, one-year, $775K)*
F Cody Glass (traded to Pittsburgh)
G Troy Grosenick (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
D Jordan Gross (signed in KHL)
G Kevin Lankinen (unsigned free agent)
D Ryan McDonagh (traded to Tampa Bay)
D Roland McKeown (signed AHL contract)
F Kiefer Sherwood (Vancouver, two-year, $3MM)
F Jason Zucker (Buffalo, one-year, $5MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Nashville managed a franchise-defining summer surprisingly unscathed. Their biggest loss only came recently, when premier goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov requested a move to a bigger role. He’s now landed in San Jose, while Matthew Murray will take on his role as third-string. The trio of Beauvillier, Barrie, and Glass each stand as more impactful lineup changes, though none of the three were able to win out much of a role last season. In fact, Sherwood may stand as a more notable loss than any of the three – after potting a career-high 27 points last season, most of anyone on this list.

The list of departees will certainly change things up at the bottom of the NHL, and top of the AHL, lineup. But the turnover offers more opportunity than hesitation, and could end up a great proving ground for Nashville’s quickly-improving prospect pool.

Salary Cap Outlook

Nashville is entering training camp with a projected $1.496MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. That should be just enough to sign Tomasino to a reasonable, short-term deal – though it may take some strategic cap logistics for Nashville to carry enough of a buffer into the new year. Nashville might need to get used to cap gymnastics, though, with four years of paying $20.5MM for their trio of Stamkos, Marchessult, and Skjei ahead.

Key Questions

How High Can Nashville Go? The impact of Nashville’s off-season additions can’t be understated. The Predators ranked 10th in the league in goals-per-game last season, and have now added one of the main faces in the fifth-ranked Lightning. It seems the wind is behind each of Stamkos, Forsberg, Marchessault, and O’Reilly – seemingly setting Nashville up with one of the best forward groups across the NHL. But questions swarm the bunch – with even simple things like Stamkos’ role on the wing versus center standing relatively unclear. The Predators will also have to balance between keeping effective linemates together – such as O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist – while injecting enough change to take the next step. That could be a lot to handle for fresh-faced head coach Andrew Brunette, though the reward for putting the pieces together correctly could be staggering.

Which Prospects Will Get A Chance? Nashville has quickly reeled in a heap of promising prospects – with Parssinen and Tomasino flashing at the NHL level, while each of Zachary L’Heureux, Joakim Kemell, and Fyodor Svechkov plant their feet in the minors. All five are worthwhile pros capable of filling NHL ice time, likely bringing the decisions between them down to semantics – such as L’Heureux’s discipline or Tomasino’s scoring consistency. Nashville may not need to worry as much about their third-line during the regular season, thanks – frankly – to the additon of Stamkos. But they’ll need sharp depth to make a long playoff run, and have 82 games to properly bring any of their selected youngsters up to NHL speed. How ice time is disseminated among the bunch of top prospects will stand as another difficult task ahead of Brunette’s staff.

Was Saros The Right Choice? 2024-25 will be a defining year for Nashville not only because of their UFA signings, but also their firm selection of Saros over prospect Askarov. It’s hard to knock that decision – after all, Saros boasts a .917 save percentage in 350 career games, standing as one of the league’s best starter where Askarov is all potential. But Saros will now fully embrace the role of franchise starter in an organization known for their goaltending, taking the torch from mentor and Predators legend Pekka Rinne. Saros is as ironclad as they come, playing in the most games of any NHL goalie since 2021 and recording a save percentage north of .910 in every season save for last year (.906). That’s precedent worth staking your faith in – but years of heavy usage and now no contingency plan both contribute to the narrow spotlight that Saros will draw this season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.