Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Nashville Predators.

Things were not supposed to be like this in Nashville.  After a stellar second half to last season, the Predators were one of the most active teams in free agency, signing a trio of core players to long-term contracts, making them a trendy preseason pick to be a safe playoff team, if not a viable contender in the Western Conference.  Instead, they currently sit 18 points out of a Wild Card spot, meaning they’re likely to be on the outside looking in, barring a fantastic run like they had a year ago.

Record

19-28-7, 7th in the Central

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$32.381MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: NSH 1st, TB 1st, VGK 1st, NSH 2nd, TB 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, COL 6th, NSH 6th
2026: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 7th

Trade Chips

This season hasn’t been a great one for Gustav Nyquist.  The 35-year-old has just nine goals and 11 assists in 52 games despite logging over 17 minutes a night.  However, he’s only one season removed from a career year, one that saw him put up 23 goals and 52 assists in his first season with the Preds.  With that in mind, it’s quite reasonable to think that the veteran is more than capable of rebounding and bouncing back in the right situation although he’d likely be playing a little lower in the lineup.  Nyquist has a $3.185MM AAV and Nashville could pay that down by up to 50% which would make him easier for a lot of teams to afford.  He’d probably land them a mid-round pick in return.

The other veteran of some note up front isn’t a rental.  That would be center Ryan O’Reilly.  This is only the second year of a four-year contract and considering he’s Nashville’s top middleman, he’s not necessarily a logical trade candidate.  But the belief is that GM Barry Trotz is allowing teams to make pitches for the 34-year-old who is being treated as if he has full trade protection even though he doesn’t have any in his contract.  However, his $4.5MM cap charge is team-friendly for someone who would be a second or third-line option on most playoff teams and with it being difficult for teams to add impact centers, it stands to reason that the Preds could command a significant return for O’Reilly’s services which might be enough for Trotz to approach him about a move.

Veteran forward Michael McCarron hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft billing back in 2013 but has become a quality fourth liner.  As someone who can play both center and the wing, kill penalties, and play with an edge, he’s likely to generate some interest.  Considering he’s signed through next season at $900K, his market could be stronger than it might seem.  With Colton Sissons only having one year left after this on what was once a seven-year contract worth $2.857MM per season, he’s likely to attract some attention from teams looking to add some grit and versatility to their bottom six.  Center Thomas Novak has struggled this season after two straight years of more than 40 points.  With two years left at $3.5MM, he isn’t someone Nashville might be ready to give up on but if they are looking to shake things up, there should be teams interested in him as well.

The options aren’t as plentiful on the back end but veteran Luke Schenn is someone to keep an eye on.  He’s no stranger to being moved at the trade deadline and would be of interest to teams looking to add some grit to their third pairing while the fact he’s a right-hand shot will make him a bit more appealing.  A $2.75MM price tag through next season for someone who’s best served as a sixth defender tempers that appeal a bit, however.  Even so, Nashville might be able to unload the full contract for a light return while if they retain some money, he could bring back a mid-round selection.

Team Needs

1) Young, NHL-Ready Pieces: While Nashville has traded some of its younger players away this season, they’ve also added one in Justin Barron in exchange for veteran Alexandre Carrier.  With an older roster in general and a couple of months of likely just playing out the stretch, this feels like a good time for Trotz to take a flyer on two or three younger players that could potentially benefit from a change of scenery.  Not all will pan out, obviously but if they could even pick up one player who could be part of the plans beyond this season, that would be a good step in the right direction while hedging against some concerns they seem to have about rushing their top prospects with AHL Milwaukee to the big club.

2) Impact Center: With three first-rounders, they could possibly take a bigger swing on the trade front as well and look to bring in someone more established.  Someone like Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens, for example, is young enough to be a key player for a while so even though buying might not make a lot of sense right now, if the right opportunity presents itself, they could strike.  If Trotz goes that route, getting a center should be the priority.  With O’Reilly in possible trade discussions and Novak struggling, targeting a longer-term player down the middle would be a reasonable target.  That feels like more of an offseason move but if the opportunity presents itself now, the Predators could plausibly try to land that player even while selling some of their veterans.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.