With the Predators hanging around the playoff race, it’s unlikely they’ll be significant buyers or sellers by Friday’s trade deadline. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be active on the trade front. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the team has made it known that they’re open to weaponizing their cap space – more than $37MM available on deadline day, per CapFriendly – to add assets. That could come in the form of being a third-party retainer although they only have one retention slot left. Alternatively, they could take on an undesirable contract or two while adding future assets in return for taking those on. If they’re willing to do so, GM Barry Trotz will undoubtedly have some teams calling him to see what the price of that might be.
Predators Rumors
McCarron Fined By Department Of Player Safety
- The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Wild winger Mats Zuccarello and Predators winger Michael McCarron $2K each for unsportsmanlike conduct during the second period of Thursday’s game. Both players received minor penalties on the play. The money from the fines goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Predators Sign Austin Roest To Entry-Level Deal
The Predators signed right-wing prospect Austin Roest to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday, per a team release. The deal will begin next season, expiring and making him an RFA in 2027. Terms were not disclosed.
Nashville selected Roest, 20, in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. The son of former Red Wings and Wild center Stacy Roest has played the last four seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and has served as team captain this season. He’s tied for the team lead in goals this season with 31, and his 59 points in 54 games rank fourth.
Roest becomes the third player selected by the Predators in last year’s draft to ink his entry-level deal. All have come from the WHL. First-round pick Tanner Molendyk and second-round pick Kalan Lind signed theirs last summer.
The 5-foot-10, 181-lb forward’s production has dipped slightly from last season’s 78 points in 60 games that got him selected last year after being passed over in 2022. If he cracks the NHL lineup further down his development path, he projects as a playmaker whose forechecking game makes him an ideal fit for an offensively-inclined third or fourth line.
His chances of cracking the NHL lineup next season are slim. Thus, his professional career will begin with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals or ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators in 2024-25.
Morning Notes: Senators, Khusnutdinov, Wild/Predators
The Senators’ top four on defense has rarely been healthy at the same time this season, mainly due to Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub struggling to stay healthy. Zub has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury, and although he appears ready to return tomorrow against the Coyotes, it could be one step forward and as much as three steps back, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Chabot, Jake Sanderson, and center Joshua Norris all underwent MRIs for undisclosed (upper-body in Norris’ case) ailments yesterday, per interim head coach Jacques Martin, putting their statuses for the Arizona game in doubt.
Aside from the on-ice impact derailing their recent momentum, it’ll be quite the roster puzzle to make corresponding recalls. Zub is the only extra skater on the Ottawa roster, and despite that, they have no cap space for any standard recalls unless they determine one of their three newly injured players will miss at least 10 games and 24 days, in which case they can be placed on LTIR. For a $0 emergency recall, Ottawa would have to play short a player for one game, meaning they could be limited to just 16 skaters tomorrow. They could then recall two players whose cap hits are $850K or less for Saturday’s road game in Philadelphia.
Other things to keep an eye on this morning with the deadline approaching:
- The Wild hope to have newly signed prospect Marat Khusnutdinov with the team by the end of next week, GM Bill Guerin told Joe Smith of The Athletic on Wednesday. After inking his two-year, entry-level deal yesterday, the 21-year-old Russian center will now begin the work visa and immigration process. Guerin confirmed that Minnesota would start him in the NHL upon his arrival and forego an initial assignment to AHL Iowa and anticipates him stepping into a center role down the stretch. The 2020 second-round pick had six goals, 14 assists, 20 points, and a -14 rating in 55 games with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg and HK Sochi this season.
- Sticking with Minnesota, their game on the road in Nashville tonight will likely go a long way toward informing trade deadline strategies and playoff outcomes for both teams. The Predators now have a five-point gap between them and ninth-place Calgary for the final playoff spot in the West, while the Wild are looking to swing two points in their favor to draw within four of the postseason cutoff with a game in hand. Minnesota’s 8-2-1 run since the All-Star break has them squarely back in the playoff conversation after falling out of it entirely a couple of months ago, but a similarly scorching stretch from Nashville has helped them tighten their grip on a playoff berth for the 16th time in the last 20 seasons.
Nashville Predators Have Received Trade Interest In Kevin Lankinen
During media availability today, the General Manager of the Nashville Predators, Barry Trotz, mentioned that the team has received trade calls on backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen (X Link). This announcement now confirms that both Nashville goaltenders are receiving trade interest, as some viable playoff candidates remain interested in Juuse Saros, as well.
In his second season within the Predators organization, Lankinen has continued to be a serviceable backup option for the team, producing an 8-4-0 record in 17 games played, coupled with a .892 SV% and 3.23 GAA. For any acquiring team, it is more than unlikely that Lankinen will become a serviceable starting option, although he has been required to play nearly half the season earlier in his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.
New Jersey Devils Interested In Juuse Saros
In an article from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, he mentions that the New Jersey Devils have had a consistent interest over the last several weeks in goaltender Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. However, Seravalli points out that the General Manager of the Predators, Barry Trotz, has been informing teams that Saros will not be moved while the Predators are in a playoff position.
The Devils’ situation between the pipes has been an issue dating back to last summer when the team was strongly connected to Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck before he signed a seven-year contract extension in Manitoba. Throughout this season, New Jersey has largely been connected to nearly all the names currently present on the market, while almost acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames a few weeks ago.
The problem in net has been persistent this year, with the Devils currently ranked 22nd in the NHL in goals against per game, and 31st in the league in team save percentage. Combining the numbers from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid at the NHL level this season, the team has a .892 SV%, 3.22 GAA, and a whopping -20.5 goals saved above average.
Even with experiencing a down-season by his standards, Saros would mark an immediate upgrade over all three goalies that have started for New Jersey this season. In 46 starts, Saros has managed a 23-21-2 record coupled with a .904 SV% and a 2.95 GAA. Before this year, Saros finished top-10 in Vezina Trophy voting in each of the last three seasons and is still signed for a moderate $5MM salary for one more year.
Owning just short of $9.5MM in cap space come deadline day, the Devils could comfortably afford the contract of Saros, especially if they were able to move out Vanecek in the same deal too. Nashville may not be too high on Vanecek overall but could view him as an expensive short-term backup with his contract ending after the 2024-25 season.
As Seravalli highlighted in his article, the Predators do not seem keen on making a substantial move in net when the team currently holds the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Things could change leading up to the March 8th trade deadline, with Nashville sustaining plenty of pressure from the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Seattle Kraken for that spot.
If the Predators do end up moving out Saros, they already have an heir-apparent in Yaroslav Askarov currently playing for their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. As the team currently rides a 19-game winning streak, Askarov has produced a 21-7-1 record throughout the season with a .920 SV% and 2.11 GAA, showing that he may be ready to take the full-time step to the NHL.
Egor Afanasyev Assigned To Milwaukee
- The Predators announced that they’ve returned winger Egor Afanasyev to AHL Milwaukee. The 23-year-old was recalled two weeks ago but didn’t see much game action with Nashville, suiting up just twice where he was held off the scoresheet. Afanasyev has been quite productive with the Admirals, however, collecting 21 goals and 21 assists through 42 games so far this season.
Mark Jankowski Recalled From Milwaukee
- A day after being sent down, Mark Jankowski is back up with the Predators, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 29-year-old is one of the top scorers in the minors this season, notching 47 points in 40 games with Milwaukee while also chipping in with a pair of goals in seven games with Nashville while averaging a little less than 12 minutes a night of playing time.
Capitals, Predators Undecided On Deadline Strategy
Both the Capitals and Predators remain within striking distance of a playoff spot two weeks away from the trade deadline. However, the pair of former and current Barry Trotz-staffed teams aren’t exactly underperforming their already mediocre expectations. As such, stretches of inconsistent play for both teams have them undecided on whether to sell off their pending UFAs, Pierre LeBrun reports for The Athletic on Friday.
The Capitals and Predators are ninth in their respective conferences and have no teams to leapfrog to get into the last Wild Card spot. Nashville has a greater chance of making it in – they’re tied with the eighth-place Blues at 62 points but have played one more game than their Central Division rivals. Washington is five points behind the Lightning and has three games in hand, still giving them a decent shot to make up ground over the next two weeks despite a -30 goal differential that ranks seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
As LeBrun reports, it’ll be a waiting game for each front office as they hold off for as long as possible before deciding whether or not to acquire assets or make a run for the postseason. Two of the Capitals’ next four games are against key divisional and Wild Card rivals in Detroit and Philadelphia – a pair of wins there, plus a victory over the division-worst Senators, put them in a favorable position to make it a battle down the stretch for captain Alex Ovechkin to make his return to playoff hockey.
Nashville’s next three games all come against bottom-feeder teams before an all-too-important clash with the Wild, another Wild Card challenger, to close out the month. The Blues have a much more difficult schedule to close out February, facing three teams in playoff position in Detroit, Winnipeg and Edmonton – all on the road.
Joel Edmundson, Anthony Mantha and Max Pacioretty would be the primary trade targets from Washington, and LeBrun reports GM Brian MacLellan is willing to retain salary if they opt to sell. All three of their retention slots are open. Edmundson, in particular, would be a doable add for any contender – the Capitals already have him at half his original cap hit after a retained salary trade from the Canadiens. They could further slash his cap hit to $875K if they retain half in a second deal. He has a 10-team no-trade clause as part of his deal, however.
Pacioretty fully controls his destiny with a no-movement clause. However, at age 35 and coming off back-to-back Achilles tendon injuries, he’d likely want a chance at a Stanley Cup elsewhere if Washington decides to sell. The six-time 30-goal scorer has just one marker in 20 games this season.
The 29-year-old Mantha is having somewhat of a resurgence under first-year head coach Spencer Carbery with 18 goals in 51 games, his highest goal total since back-to-back 20-goal campaigns with the Red Wings five years ago. The Capitals can reduce his cap hit as low as $2.85MM without involving a third party.
Nashville’s pending UFAs carry a little less prestige and trade value – even once-renowned power-play quarterback Tyson Barrie has been a healthy scratch at times this season and is having his worst offensive campaign in over a decade. 26-year-old center Thomas Novak is an interesting proposition for contenders if he becomes available, especially in a thin market at just $800K against the cap. He has 29 points in 46 games this season, tied for fifth on the team while averaging 14:19 per game.
The shiny object in Trotz’s arsenal is starting netminder Juuse Saros. While he carries term on his deal, his name has been popping up in trade talks more frequently, and it’ll only appear more if Nashville falters and enters sell mode.
Unlike Washington, the Predators don’t have the ability to retain the salary of multiple players. Two of their three slots are taken up by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen, each through at least 2025. They’re also carrying significant dead cap in the form of the buyouts of Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris through 2028.
Predators Reassign Mark Jankowski To AHL
The Dallas Stars made a move today as they’ve assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. Pouliot was called up earlier in the week and dressed in three games for Dallas, posting no points while averaging 13:15 of ice time per game. Pouliot’s demotion could mean that one of Jani Hakanpää or Nils Lundkvist is set to return.
The 30-year-old Pouliot was the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and has never been able to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. At this point in his career, he continues to be a productive AHL defenseman and a good depth option for NHL teams. Pouliot has eight goals and 23 assists in 44 AHL games this season.
In other afternoon notes:
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Jankowski had a goal in the Predators’ 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings last night and has two goals in seven NHL games this season. The 29-year-old was also a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and is having a terrific AHL season with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. Jankowski will rejoin a Milwaukee team that has won 18 games in a row.
- Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson missed practice this morning due to an illness. Johnson joined the likes of Victor Olofsson and Eric Comrie who have also been dealing with an illness. Johnson will not play tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will likely be replaced on the third pairing by Ryan Johnson. The Sabres will be without several regular defensemen as Owen Power also remains sidelined with a hand injury. Johnson has had his name in trade rumors as of late and will likely continue to hear that as the trade deadline nears.