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Predators Reassign Joakim Kemell

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The Predators announced that they’ve assigned winger Joakim Kemell to AHL Milwaukee. They now carry an open roster spot into tonight’s game against the Canadiens, although it doesn’t appear they plan on filling it for now.

It’s a prudent move to get their 2022 first-round choice some playing time. Kemell cracked Nashville’s opening night roster for the first time this year but has been in and out of the lineup, sitting as a healthy scratch twice through their first four games. He didn’t record a point in either of his outings and averaged 11:04 of ice time per game, but did manage five shot attempts and four hits. Nashville did lose the possession battle with Kemell on the ice at even strength, logging a 45.5 CF%, but that’s not bad considering it’s better than how the team fared without him and he started two-thirds of his shifts in the defensive end.

If they weren’t going to be consistently using him, though, it does very little for his development to sit in the Preds’ press box. The 17th overall pick three years ago is kicking off the second year of his entry-level contract and has done well in AHL minutes so far, although the Preds would like to see him flirt more with the point-per-game threshold in the minors. He has a 41-53–94 scoring line in 146 appearances for Milwaukee since arriving there late in the 2022-23 campaign from his native Finland.

While the Preds leaned into a youth movement with their initial roster submission, they haven’t embraced it in their lineup construction so far. This year’s No. 5 overall pick, Brady Martin, got a brief look on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly but, like Kemell, has averaged under 12 minutes per game and has been a healthy scratch twice. 23-year-old Ozzy Wiesblatt was a healthy scratch for three straight to begin the year but had two assists in 9:30 of ice time in his season debut against Toronto earlier this week. Even 22-year-old Fedor Svechkov, technically the Preds’ second-line center, has had his minutes relatively limited for his role at 13:02 per game.

That doesn’t necessarily bode well for Kemell’s chances for a recall later in the season, but he’ll look to force their hand anyway with a strong minor-league performance. His power-play performance in the AHL could be something to watch. The Preds are just 1-for-17 to begin the season with the man advantage.

Predators Confident Amidst Improved Start

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Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News wrote earlier today on how Nashville has turned the page, and there is a feeling of fresh air in the organization. Although they lost to Toronto last night, in a small sample size, there are signs the group has rounded a corner, and that Head Coach Andrew Brunette’s adjustments could prove effective. At this point he, along with members of the team, are tired of talking about last season’s failure and are looking ahead. 

When GM Barry Trotz took over for icon David Poile, it appeared that the organization was finally set to do a full rebuild. Trotz picked up an assortment of veterans headlined by Ryan O’Reilly, who were mainly expected to lead through the team’s dog days. Brunette, Trotz’s former player, who scored the team’s first goal in franchise history, was brought in as head coach. 

Instead, in 2023-24 Nashville surprised everybody, and although they were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by Vancouver, it appeared the core may not be done. Likely motivated to give stalwarts such as Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg one more shot, Trotz stunned the hockey world, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei in free agency. 

As glamorous as the signings were, Trotz lost key role players in Kiefer Sherwood and Jason Zucker, both who have proven their value with their new clubs. And as we all know, the big signings did not translate. Nashville got off to a brutal start to 2024-25 and never clawed their way out of the hole. Trotz made questionable moves such as waiving defenseman Dante Fabbro, who immediately revitalized his career in Columbus. It was a brutal season all around. 

The struggles rewarded the Preds with the #5 pick in the draft, which was sorely needed, considering that the last time the team had picked in the top 10 was Seth Jones in 2013. While the streak is impressive, it’s equally incriminating, showing the organization’s long time stuck in the middle. Trotz fell for the well-rounded game of Brady Martin, passing on potentially higher offensive upside players. So far Martin has made a great impression; however he is expected to return to the OHL soon, as the team looks to properly develop the young center. 

Trotz also went for a less-flashy offseason this time around, and so far, the team is off to a good start. Juuse Saros looks the part, while the team’s defense corps look improved, with Nick Perbix playing well, along with the emergence of a more under-the-radar prospect in Adam Wilsby. As Kennedy noted, the team has a more balanced scoring attack as well. Nashville is caught in a brutal division, but with the way the roster is constructed, a turnaround is in their best interest, even if modest. 

For as long as Saros, Josi, and Forsberg are on the team, perhaps Nashville has no choice but to push for contention. Three games in, there’s a long way to go, but the group looks rejuvenated and they hope to prove doubters wrong. 

Predators Activate, Reassign Matthew Wood

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The Predators have activated forward prospect Matthew Wood from season-opening injured reserve and loaned him to AHL Milwaukee, according to the AHL’s transactions log. He was in contention for a roster spot in camp, but his injury, combined with RFA Luke Evangelista signing a contract to return to the Preds, squeezed him out of a role. He sustained a lower-body injury early in the preseason and was listed as week-to-week, but has been skating for a couple of days, so he’s evidently cleared to return and will begin his season in the minors.

Wood is entering his first full professional season and the second year of his entry-level contract. Nashville selected him No. 15 overall in the 2023 draft out of UConn, but he transferred to Minnesota for his junior season and tallied 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games there last year before making the call to turn pro. He finished out the year on the Preds’ roster and made six appearances, recording an assist and eight shots on goal while averaging 11:35 per game.

Wood, who remains waiver-exempt through 2027-28 unless he hits 160 career NHL games first, will thus make his AHL debut in the coming days. Ranked as the No. 5 prospect in Nashville’s system by NHL.com, he should be ticketed for a heavy role for Milwaukee out of the gate. It would be surprising not to see him make a legitimate push for a call-up and add to his NHL games played total this season once he gets his feet under him again following his injury. The 6’4″ winger was on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team back in his draft year and ended his collegiate career at age 20 with three seasons already under his belt, scoring a 44-57–101 line in 109 career appearances for the Huskies and Golden Gophers.

Predators Likely To Activate Luke Evangelista

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The Predators are expected to activate winger Luke Evangelista from the non-roster list before tomorrow’s game against the Mammoth, according to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Nashville has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Evangelista was left off Nashville’s initial roster submission and was unavailable for last night’s season opener due to delays in receiving his work visa. While that wouldn’t usually be a hiccup for a returning player, Evangelista spent most of the summer as a restricted free agent and didn’t have a contract in place for this season until last Friday, inking a two-year, $6MM pact. The Ontario-born winger needed new U.S. documents as a result, which ate into his season.

He will take to the ice for the first time in 2025-26 as Nashville’s second-line right winger alongside Steven Stamkos and Fedor Svechkov, according to today’s practice lines (via Daugherty). There are no other apparent lineup changes, meaning it’ll be 2022 first-rounder Joakim Kemell heading to the press box after he skated in that slot last night. Kemell, 21, broke camp with the Preds for the first time after getting his first taste of NHL action in a two-game call-up last year. He skated 12:22 yesterday and, while he was held off the scoresheet, managed four shot attempts and three hits, although Nashville was outattempted 13-6 when he was on the ice at even strength.

If Evangelista sticks in the top six, it’ll represent an increase in his role compared to last year. He spent a good chunk of 2024-25 on Nashville’s third line with Mark Jankowski and Thomas Novak until both were traded to the Hurricanes and Penguins, respectively, near the trade deadline. He recorded a 10-22–32 scoring line in 68 appearances, bringing the 23-year-old’s career total to 33 goals and 86 points in 172 contests since making his NHL debut in the back half of the 2022-23 season.

In the event Kemell doesn’t get back into the lineup promptly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Preds reassign him to AHL Milwaukee in the coming days to get playing time. The 5’11” winger had 19 goals and 40 poitns in 65 AHL games last season.

Minor Transactions: 10/6/25

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The deadline for NHL clubs to ready their opening-night rosters has passed, and as a result there has been quite a bit of roster maneuvering around the NHL today. While some moves are more notable, such as the handful of waiver claims made today, there are a few moves that are more minor, such as expected reassignments or previously reported injuries being made official with IR placements. We’ll keep track of those moves here:

  • In preparing their final opening-night roster that can be viewed here, the Utah Mammoth reassigned a pair of first-round picks. 2023 12th overall pick Daniil But was reassigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, which is where he will begin his North American professional career. Meanwhile 2024 sixth overall pick Tij Iginla was loaned back to his WHL team, the Kelowna Rockets. But is a big 6’5 winger whose KHL teammate (and fellow 2023 first-rounder) Dmitry Simashev made the Utah roster today, and it’s expected that But won’t be in the AHL for too long. As for Iginla, this season is an opportunity for him to get his development back on track after unfortunate injury luck derailed his 2024-25 campaign.
  • The Ottawa Senators reassigned the players they placed on waivers Sunday to their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. Making up the group is Jan Jenik, Hayden Hodgson, Arthur Kaliyev, Mads Sogaard, and Lassi Thomson. 2024 seventh-overall pick Carter Yakemchuk was reassigned to Belleville, his Sept. 29 birthdate making him eligible to play in the AHL despite being a 2024 draft pick. In addition to those reassignments, the Senators placed Drake Batherson and Tyler Kleven on IR to further prepare their final roster. Batherson has been out since Sept. 24 with an upper-body injury on a projected two-week recovery timeline, while Kleven has been out since Sept. 21 with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Minnesota Wild reassigned forward Tyler Pitlick and netminder Cal Petersen to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, today. Both players were placed on waivers yesterday and went unclaimed. Pitlick, 33, is a veteran of over 400 NHL games and scored 46 points in 59 AHL games last season for the Hartford Wolf Pack – he’ll likely be among the first players in line for a call-up in Iowa. Petersen, 30, was once a $5MM-a-year netminder for the Los Angeles Kings but did not play in the NHL in 2024-25. Signed to a one-year, $775K one-way deal, he’ll be the team’s organizational number-three netminder.
  • The Calgary Flames placed forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil on injured reserve today as part of their roster preparations, and also called up 2023 first-rounder Samuel Honzek. Huberdeau left Calgary’s preseason game at the start of the month with an undisclosed injury, and will miss at least the team’s season opener. Pospisil also exited the Flames’ Oct. 1 preseason game with an undisclosed injury, and will also miss the team’s first game at minimum. As a result, Honzek, 20, gets a spot on the roster in their absence. The 6’5 Slovak forward played his first season of North American pro hockey in 2024-25, scoring 21 points in 52 AHL games and also skating in five NHL contests.
  • The New York Rangers reassigned forward Brett Berard to AHL Hartford as part of their season-opening roster moves. Despite a solid training camp and preseason, the 23-year-old lost the battle for a middle-six role in New York to veteran Conor Sheary, a longtime favorite of first-year coach Mike Sullivan. The Rangers signed Sheary to a one-year deal earlier today. It’s a disappointing outcome for Berard, who looked to be making a real push for full-time NHL status last season. He skated in a career-high 35 NHL games, scoring 10 points to go alongside the 23 points he scored in 30 AHL contests.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs reassigned defenseman Ben Danford to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals as part of their season-opening roster preparations. Danford missed Maple Leafs training camp and preseason with a concussion, but has since been cleared for contact, paving the way for this reassignment. It’s the expected move for the 2024 31st overall pick, who is entering his fourth season of OHL duty. Danford scored 25 points in 61 games in Oshawa last season and will resume his post as one of the OHL’s top shutdown blueliners for 2025-26.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced several roster moves to go alongside their announcement of an initial roster: Keaton Middleton, who cleared waivers today, has been reassigned to AHL Colorado, alongside Matthew Stienburg. Meanwhile Ronnie Attard, Sean Behrens, Jacob MacDonald, Logan O’Connor, and Nikita Prishchepov have been designated injured non-roster. Ilya Solovyov, who the team claimed off of waivers from the Calgary Flames last week, was also designated non-roster but he is not injured. Solovyov’s placement is due to the fact that, per the Denver Post’s Corey Masisiak, his visa to allow him to play in the United States has not yet been finalized. It should be noted that this is not an abnormal scenario for a player involved in a cross-border transaction between NHL clubs.
  • As part of their own season-opening roster moves, the Nashville Predators placed defenseman Nic Hague and forward Matthew Wood on injured reserve. Hague is out with an upper-body injury on a week-to-week timeline, while Wood is also considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Predators Place Nicolas Hague, Matthew Wood On IR

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Having already been absent due to noted injuries, the Nashville Predators have confirmed the fate of two. As confirmed by Brooks Bratten, Nashville’s beat reporter, Nic Hague is expected to miss 2-3 weeks due to an upper-body injury, while Matthew Wood is week-to-week.

Hague was hardly able to debut with the Predators, going down early in the team’s preseason opener against Florida on September 21st. Having been acquired in the offseason from Vegas and promptly signed to a four-year deal worth $5.5MM per season, Hague’s absence solidified two smooth puck-moving defenders on the team, Nick Blankenburg and Spencer Stastney. Nashville already has a glut of left-handed defenders, and while they will miss Hague’s size, there are plenty of names to fill the void. It had been thought he could be out longer, so perhaps there is some relief for GM Barry Trotz, who made an effort to overhaul his defensive core and add more size this summer. 

Nashville’s top defense prospect, the electric Tanner Molendyk, made a strong case to make the team, but was sent down yesterday and will begin his pro career with AHL Milwaukee. 

Meanwhile, Wood suffered a lower-body injury in the Preds’ Gold Star Showcase scrimmage. It was especially unfortunate, as the top prospect was rolling in camp and making a strong case to remain with the club, having bypassed the AHL last season after coming out of college on a six-game NHL audition. 

With Luke Evangelista finally signed today, two youngsters, Joakim Kemell and Ozzy Wiesblatt, seem to have made the cut due to Wood’s ailment. Kemell, a right-handed sniper, plays a role relatively similar to Wood with real top-six potential, while Wiesblatt, despite being a former first-round pick (2020, San Jose), projects as a likely bottom-six energy forward.

Predators Re-Sign Luke Evangelista To Two-Year Deal

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Oct. 4, 11:02 AM: The Predators have officially announced the signing, confirming the $3MM AAV.

Oct. 4, 9:28 AM: Evangelista’s deal pays him $2.25MM in 2025-26 and $3.75MM in 2026-27, according to PuckPedia. That backloaded structure results in the maximum possible qualifying offer of $3.6MM, or 120% of his cap hit.

Oct. 3: The list of players who saw NHL action last season and remain restricted free agents is down to just two.  That number is soon set to be cut in half.  David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the Predators and Luke Evangelista are making progress tonight on a contract; TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) that an agreement is expected to be reached soon while Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic indicates (Twitter link) that it should be a two-year deal worth $3MM per season.

The 23-year-old was a second-round pick by Nashville back in 2020, going 42nd overall.  Evangelista spent a good chunk of his first full professional season in the minors back in 2022-23.  However, following a 24-game stint that season that saw him record 15 points in a late-season recall, he has been a full-time player with the Predators ever since.

Evangelista’s first full NHL campaign saw him pick up 16 goals and 23 assists in 80 games despite averaging less than 14 minutes a night of playing time.  That earned him some down-ballot support in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year as he finished ninth in balloting that season.  He was limited to just one goal in the playoffs that season but expectations were high that Nashville had a legitimate middle-six contributor that could be relied upon.

Last season, Evangelista had 10 goals and 22 helpers in 68 games, producing at pretty much the same clip as the year before.  While it would be fair to say they were hoping he’d take a step forward offensively, staying at almost the exact same point-per-game rate was notable in a season that saw a lot of Predators underwhelm offensively as an early-season speculative contender wound up missing the playoffs altogether and not by a small margin.

Considering that he had two seasons of similar production under his belt, Evangelista was a safe bet to land a bridge deal; a long-term pact likely wouldn’t have been feasible for either side.  That makes the fact that it has taken this long to get a deal done rather puzzling.  While it’s believed that the two sides briefly explored a three-year agreement, those talks didn’t last long given the gap in expected salary, putting the sides back to a two-year agreement.  Clearly, both sides were pretty dug in with what they thought was fair in terms of money and only the threat of the season starting early next week with him still unsigned was enough to get this across the finish line.

Evangelista will once again be a restricted free agent in the 2027 offseason.  However, there will be one big difference next time, that being his arbitration eligibility.  As long as one of the two sides files for a hearing, the case will be resolved sometime in August that summer, preventing things from getting to this point next time.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/3/25

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We’re getting into the final few days of training camp. There are only three days until opening night rosters are due, meaning only a handful of teams have significant cuts to make. Otherwise, it’s down to the final few roster battles. We’re keeping track of today’s demotions here:

Boston Bruins (per team announcement)

F Patrick Brown (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)
D Frederic Brunet (to AHL Providence)
D Michael Callahan (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)
F Riley Duran (to AHL Providence)
F Brett Harrison (to AHL Providence)
F Fabian Lysell (to AHL Providence)
F Georgii Merkulov (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)
D Victor Söderström (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)
F Riley Tufte (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)

Detroit Red Wings (per team announcement)

F Carter Mazur (to AHL Grand Rapids)
G Michal Postava (to AHL Grand Rapids)
D William Wallinder (to AHL Grand Rapids)

Nashville Predators (per team announcement)

F Zachary L’Heureux (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Tanner Molendyk (to AHL Milwaukee)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

D Scott Morrow (to AHL Hartford)
F Gabriel Perreault (to AHL Hartford)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)

D Sebastian Aho (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)
F Danton Heinen (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)
D Philip Kemp (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)
F Joona Koppanen (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)
G Filip Larsson (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, cleared waivers)

Utah Mammoth (per team announcement)

F Ben McCartney (to AHL Tucson, cleared waivers)
D Scott Perunovich (to AHL Tucson, cleared waivers)
F Gabe Smith (to QMJHL Moncton)
G Matt Villalta (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

F Nils Åman (to AHL Abbotsford, pending waivers)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

D Ryan Chesley (to AHL Hershey)
F Andrew Cristall (to AHL Hershey)
F Eriks Mateiko (to AHL Hershey)
D Leon Muggli (to AHL Hershey)
F Ilya Protas (to AHL Hershey)
F Sheldon Rempal (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)

Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators

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With training camps now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at the Nashville Predators.

The Predators are a team that many felt would compete for a Stanley Cup last season after they made a massive splurge in free agency the previous summer, acquiring Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. However, the high-priced spending spree had the opposite effect on Nashville, as the team became slow and disjointed, and was never able to put together a solid stretch of play to gain any traction. This summer, general manager Barry Trotz was much more conservative, opting to tweak a few things and run it back next season in the hopes that last year was an anomaly.

Draft

1-5 – F Brady Martin, Sault-Ste Marie (OHL)
1-21 – D Cameron Reid, Kitchener (OHL)
1-26 – F Ryker Lee, Barrie (OHL)
2-35 – D Jacob Romback, Lincoln (USHL)
2-58 – G Jack Ivankovic, Brampton (OHL)
4-122- D Alex Huang, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
6-163 – D Daniel Nieminen, Lahti Pelicans (Liiga)

Nashville will be hoping that Martin develops into a top-line player sooner rather than later, especially given their lack of depth at center. Martin is offensively capable, but what is more valuable than his scoring ability is his overall game and his capacity to play in various roles and assignments. Some scouts consider him a Swiss-Army knife who can adapt to many different roles. He has a high compete level and isn’t afraid to get physical, which should help him if his offensive game doesn’t immediately translate to the NHL or develops more slowly as he turns pro. Martin isn’t a pure scorer, but his floor in the NHL is likely as a top-nine forward, either at center or on the wing. Some believe he might be better suited to the wing, but given Nashville’s needs, he will be given every opportunity to become their center of the future.

With their second of three first-round picks, the Predators moved up in the draft to select OHL defenseman Reid. The Kitchener Rangers defender isn’t the most consistent defensively and can feel pressure with the puck in the defensive zone. Still, his offensive instincts are strong, and he is seen as a potential power-play quarterback.

With their third and final pick of the first round, the Predators picked Lee, a scoring forward who may take some time adjusting to the NHL before he settles in. Lee can struggle with consistency, which could be problematic as he attempts to become a full-time NHL player. Lee isn’t projected to be a topline forward, but he should be an excellent NHLer who surpasses 50 points per season.

With their second-round pick, the Predators drafted a very large defenseman in Rombach. Standing 6’6”, Rombach will intimidate opponents with his size and his mean streak, while playing a reliable defensive game. His offensive skills are limited and may require improvement if he hopes to make it to the NHL, as well as adjusting to the league’s speed. He is a project in many ways, but the Predators have a knack for developing their defenseman, so he should be in a good position for his growth.

Trade Acquisitions

D Nicolas Hague (from Vegas)
F Erik Haula (from New Jersey)

The Predators acquired Hague and a conditional third-round pick in exchange for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. The Predators were quick to then sign Hague to a four-year extension worth a total of $22MM. The deal, in theory, made sense for Nashville as they needed help on the backend; however, the execution left a lot to be desired as the trade and subsequent contract extension received heavy criticism.

Nashville needed help on the right side, and Hague effectively slides into Nashville’s third pairing, which is probably where he belongs, given his skill set. The problem is that Hague slides into the left side, and this makes the trade and the $5.5MM AAV more puzzling. The idea might be to flip Roman Josi to the right side, but then it pushes Hague into the top four, which isn’t ideal. The main issue with giving Hague that money is that he isn’t suited for that role and will likely be forced to play above his perfect slot.

Haula was acquired from the Devils on June 18th in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick. It’s reasonable to question why Nashville believed this move was necessary and to wonder what Nashville will gain from Haula at this stage of his career. Last year was a lacklustre season for the 34-year-old in nearly every statistical category, as his offense declined significantly along with his underlying numbers. At a $3.15MM cap hit, Haula isn’t a bargain, but he isn’t a drain on the salary cap either, or he’s signed for just this season. There’s a chance he bounces back into the 40-point range, and if he does, this trade is a win for Nashville. However, if he has a season similar to last year, it won’t be viewed positively in hindsight.

The trade was probably a result of Nashville desperately needing help in their bottom six, and although Haula isn’t exactly a game-changer, he provided a modest upgrade. The worst-case scenario for Nashville is that Haula and/or the team struggle, and he gets traded at the deadline for a package similar to what Nashville sent to the Devils.

UFA Signings

D Nicklaus Perbix (two years, $5.5MM)

GM Barry Trotz focused on strengthening his defensive core by signing Perbix to a two-year deal. The 27-year-old is a three-year NHL veteran who does a solid job of carrying and moving the puck and can add some offense. Despite his skills, he did turn the puck over quite a bit last year, which he will need to work on since he won’t be as protected in Nashville as he was in Tampa Bay.

Perbix has a good size at 6’4”, 209 lbs, but he doesn’t hit a lot, recording just 50 hits last season in 74 games. He had six goals and 13 assists last season, marking a decline from the previous year, when he scored two goals and had 22 assists in 77 games.

Nashville needed to strengthen the right side of its defensive core, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with Perbix, he isn’t likely to crack the top four, and if he does, it wouldn’t reflect well on the state of the Predators’ defensive core.

RFA Re-Signings

D Nicolas Hague (four years, $22MM) 

As mentioned earlier, the Hague extension presents issues because AFP Analytics projected him for a two-year deal at just over $2.6MM per season. That $5.2MM total package was exceeded by the $5.5MM AAV Hague actually received, which could be problematic if he performs as he has in the past. Hague’s contract aligns with extensions given to other defensemen, like Marcus Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks; however, Pettersson was a pending UFA and is a much better all-around defenseman and a proven top-four option.

Departures

F Kieffer Bellows (signed in Sweden)
D Marc Del Gaizo (signed with Montreal, one year, $775K)*
F Grigori Denisenko (signed in KHL)
D Mark Friedman (signed in Sweden)
D Jeremy Lauzon (traded to Vegas)
D Jake Livingstone (unsigned UFA)
F Ondřej Pavel (signed in Finland)
D Luke Prokop (signed with AHL Bakersfield)
F Colton Sissons (traded to Vegas)
F Jakub Vrana (signed in Sweden)
F Jesse Ylonen (signed in Sweden)

*-denotes two-way contract

The good news for Nashville is that not much talent left the organization this summer. However, there is an argument that as much or more talent departed as returned, at least at the NHL level. The Hague trade with Vegas effectively sent away Sissons, who is a defensive bottom-six forward that can contribute a bit offensively and handles tough minutes, as well as Lauzon, a very physical defenseman who doesn’t contribute offensively but isn’t much of a downgrade from Hague.

It’s fair to wonder if Hague and Haula are significant upgrades over Sissons and Lauzon, especially considering Hague and Haula make $9MM a season combined. At the same time, Lauzon and Sissons earn less than $3.5MM together. Adding the extra costs to acquire Hague and Haula results in a confusing set of transactions from Nashville’s point of view.

The remaining departures are mainly tweeners and AHL players who never really figured into Nashville’s future and won’t have much impact. Vrana was a good gamble at the end of last season when Nashville claimed him off waivers; however, he wasn’t a fit, recording two goals and an assist in 13 games. Vrana signed in Sweden this summer, and at 29, it’s unlikely he’ll return to the NHL. The same could probably be said for Friedman, who had a few stints in the NHL but couldn’t stick with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, or Nashville.

Aside from Sissons and Lauzon, none of the other players who left Nashville received one-way NHL money, which shows just how weak the group was.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Predators have plenty of cap space for the upcoming season, with just over $9.34MM available (according to PuckPedia), and they could add key players to their lineup midseason if they decide. Next summer, they will have around $40MM in cap space and need to address a few RFAs, but they might also make a splash in free agency if they choose to, although this may not be the best move considering general manager Barry Trotz’s recent free agent signings. The Predators aren’t in a bad spot with the cap, but if their pricey veterans perform the way they did this past season, Nashville could be in for a world of cap hurt, as their high-priced veterans have term remaining and would become very difficult to move.

Key Questions

What is Josi’s future?

Josi experienced headaches and fatigue last season and was eventually diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS. Josi is now back at full strength and participating in the Predators’ training camp, optimistic about his future. The 35-year-old is only a year away from being a Norris Trophy finalist and played well last season when healthy. If he can regain his form and stay healthy, it will significantly help the Predators in regaining relevance.

Who will be the top centers?

The Predators’ center depth currently leaves much to be desired, as they lack a true 1C, and will have to rely on Ryan O’Reilly in the top spot by default. Some might suggest Stamkos could fill that role as well, but at this stage of his career, he’s better suited to the wing. O’Reilly would be a better fit as the 2C, but the Predators aren’t in a position to deploy him in a role that matches his skillset. The second-line center spot is still open, but the most likely candidate is Fedor Svechkov, who had a mediocre rookie season last year and is aiming to improve.

Can the offense bounce back?

The Predators’ top offensive players underperformed last season, except for Filip Forsberg. It was a significant decline for Stamkos and Marchessault, and the Predators will count on both players to bounce back and regain some of the scoring they displayed during their free agent walk years two seasons ago. Stamkos, in particular, experienced a sharp drop, going from a point-per-game player with the Lightning to a modest 53 points in 82 games, which is below his usual level. Marchessault’s offensive stats weren’t far off his career averages, but his turnovers were terrible, and he’ll need to improve that if he hopes to re-establish himself.

Photo by Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

Poll: Which 2025 Draft Picks Will Make The NHL Out Of Camp?

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Over the course of NHL training camps, there are few more exciting things than watching which rookies break into the league out of camp. That’s especially true for players coming straight from the NHL Draft, who are often making the massive leap from junior leagues directly to competition on the world’s biggest stage at 18-years-old. As the end of this year’s camps approaches, it appears the 2025 class could offer up multiple stars capable of making that jump, and even sticking around for the full year.

The strongest bids for an NHL role sit, aptly, with the top two picks. Matthew Schaefer has seemed destined for an NHL role since he was drafted. He exudes confidence in both personality and performance, and has looked sharp from his first preseason game despite not playing a game since December 2024. Schaefer’s top-to-bottom playmaking and slick stickhandling has stayed effective against pro competition. Even with the growing pains of going from OHL injury to NHL minutes, it seems the Islanders would be foolish to not see what their star prospect can show when the season kicks off.

Michael Misa’s camp hasn’t burst in the same way as Schaefer’s – but his bright moments have surely looked as dominant. He has continued to show an impressive level of speed, deception, and highlight-reel goal-scoring. That could be enough to earn a spot on an already young and inexperienced Sharks roster – though Misa still looks a few steps back from NHL tempo and physicality. There could be merit to letting him work through those challenges next to other young, top-picks Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund. All three have found ways to make their offense work in the NHL, despite facing the same barrier that Misa is faced with now.

Fifth-overall pick Brady Martin could have the strongest chance for an NHL role behind the draft’s stars. He has fit right into an offense of heavy, smooth-moving forwards with the Nashville Predators – and even skated alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg late in camp. That’s a strong spot to be with final cuts approaching, helped along by Martin being one of only three 2025 draftees with multiple preseason points. He has two in three games.

The other multi-point scorers are former Seattle Thunderbirds teammates Radim Mrtka (1 G, 1 A, 4 GP) and Braeden Cootes (2 G, 3 GP). Mrtka has flashed as a versatile puck-mover for the Buffalo Sabres. He looks like he’ll fit right in with the Sabres’ downhill style, but has also looked a bit too shaky in his moments away from the puck. He seems headed for a return to Seattle – while Cootes is making the Vancouver Canucks’ decision tough. He’s proven capable of holding his own against pros, with the smarts and the strength to keep making plays in the dangerous areas of the ice. He could be the jolt of effective depth that Vancouver’s been searching for, though that could be a lot to ask the 18-year-old centerman.

Benjamin Kindel has also been a standout, showing he has the skill to play above his size with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s his ability to work around his experienced linemates that has helped Kindel shine. His snappy speed and smart paths around the offensive end have worked on a high-skilled Penguins offense, though Kindel has only one goal in five preseason appearances. Like many rookies, he faces an uphill battle in adjusting to NHL physicality, which could result in one more year in the WHL proving the best bet.

Each of the six draftees – all former CHL players – have done well to prove their case to stick in the NHL. At the least, it seems all five could be headed for a nine-game trial period before returning to their junior clubs. But with final cuts yet to come, it remains to be seen who will break camp with their new team.

Who do you think will make the NHL, and who needs another year of honing?

Mobile users click here to vote.

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