Predators Plan On Being Aggressive In Free Agency
Nearly one year ago, the Nashville Predators made some surprise additions in free agency by bringing in veteran forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist on multi-year contracts. Expect much of the same from the Predators organization this summer as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports Nashville is looking to be aggressive once free agency opens up on Monday.
Lavoie specifically cites Steven Stamkos as a player that the Predators will take a run at — a rumor that has been picking up some steam over recent days. With just over $26MM in cap space and only a few notable pieces to retain, Nashville could do some damage on the free-agent market this summer.
Outside of Stamkos, the Predators will likely be checking in on multiple free agents over the next few days as the team could use additional help in the form of a top-six forward and top-four defenseman. Thankfully, the team captain, Roman Josi, can still be counted on for the most minutes on Nashville’s blue line but the team could certainly use some help behind him in the form of a veteran talent to lessen the burden.
Predators Interested In Brady Skjei, Shopping Yaroslav Askarov For Top Pick
- There’s still “a chance for Carolina” to retain defenseman Brady Skjei, who checks in as the top left-shot option available should he remain unsigned come Monday. But it still appears unlikely at this stage, especially considering he could command in the $7MM AAV range on the open market. LeBrun expects the Predators to be one of the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Skjei should he not ink a new deal with the Canes.
- Lastly, Predators top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov is all but officially on the trade block with yesterday’s report that Juuse Saros is nearing an eight-year extension to stay in Smashville. There’s still a strong chance Askarov remains with Nashville last season and enters his first full-time NHL campaign as Saros’ backup, but LeBrun reports the Preds are leveraging him to try and move into the top five of tonight’s draft. It’s not the first time they’ve done this – we wrote the exact same piece last year about the Preds trying to send him to the Canadiens to acquire the fifth-overall pick. Montreal holds the same selection this year.
NHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star Teams
The NHL announced their annual season-ending All-Star teams as part of last night’s award festivities. The rosters, as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, are as follows.
First All-Star Team
LW: Artemi Panarin (Rangers)
C: Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)
RW: Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
D: Quinn Hughes (Canucks)
D: Roman Josi (Predators)
G: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
Second All-Star Team
LW: Filip Forsberg (Predators)
C: Connor McDavid (Oilers)
RW: David Pastrňák (Bruins)
D: Adam Fox (Rangers)
D: Cale Makar (Avalanche)
G: Thatcher Demko (Canucks)
The First Team nod caps off quite a successful 24 hours for MacKinnon, who also swept both media-voted and player-voted MVP honors with the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. It’s his third All-Star nod, although his two prior ones were both Second Team honors in 2018 and 2020. The 28-year-old pivot led the Avs in scoring with 51 goals and 140 points this season and recorded a league-high 405 shots on goal.
Notably, the voting ledger (available in the league’s announcement) indicates Kucherov was the unanimous First Team selection at right wing. That’s the first time that’s happened since 2002, when the Flames’ Jarome Iginla was the across-the-board pick after also winning the Richard and Art Ross trophies. Like Iginla, Kucherov was crowned this year’s Art Ross winner after recording 144 points in 81 games. He tied with McDavid for a league-leading 100 assists, becoming the first winger in NHL history to hit the mark.
Absent from either team is Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews, whose 69 goals this season were the most of anyone since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. He also fell short of being a Hart Trophy finalist behind Kucherov, MacKinnon and McDavid. He was third in All-Star voting among centers, though, and did receive nine First Team and 55 Second Team votes out of 187 ballots. The only other center to receive consideration was the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, who only appeared on four ballots.
Predators Interested In Signing Steven Stamkos, Chandler Stephenson
As the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to clear out the necessary cap space to retain their captain Steven Stamkos, another team may have entered the fray. In a list of news items around the league as the hockey world heads into the offseason, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Subscription Required) indicates the Nashville Predators will attempt to sign the star forward if he hits the free agent market on July 1st.
In addition to Stamkos, LeBrun notes that the Predators will also look into the market for Chandler Stephenson this summer as the team looks to add some punch to their lineup. As one of the most active teams of last year’s free-agent period; Nashville does not appear content to be a fringe contender next season. Even without Stamkos or Stephenson on the roster last season, Nashville was one of the best offensive teams in the league as they finished 10th in the NHL with a GF/G average of 3.24.
The Predators may be better served in putting most of their efforts toward Stephenson, as Stamkos will likely look for a team closer to Stanley Cup contention if he decides to leave Tampa Bay in the first place. In any case, money will not be a factor in the negotiations for either player as Nashville owns just north of $26MM of cap space heading into the summer. According to EvolvingHockey, Stephenson will command a four-year deal with a salary of $6.1MM while Stamkos is projected to get a three-year contract with an AAV of $8.4MM.
Red Wings Trade Andrew Gibson To Predators
The Red Wings have sent defense prospect Andrew Gibson to the Predators in exchange for the signing rights to right winger Jesse Kiiskinen and a second-round pick (53rd overall) in this week’s draft, according to a team announcement. Both players were selected by their respective clubs less than one year ago in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Gibson, 19, spent this season on loan to his junior team, the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. There, he scored 12 goals and 32 assists for 44 points in 68 games with a +36 rating, all of which were significant steps forward from last season.
It’s rare to see teams move on from prospects this early in their development, especially after going so far as to sign them to an entry-level contract. Detroit inked the Ontario native to his ELC less than two months ago. But the 6’3″ right-shot defender risked being lost in the shuffle behind a deep group of up-and-coming defensemen in Hockeytown that includes 2021 sixth-overall pick Simon Edvinsson, Swedish compatriots Albert Johansson and William Wallinder, as well as 2023 first-rounder Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Despite being an early second-round choice last year at 42nd overall, he was already becoming expendable in Detroit’s prospect pool.
He’ll be a good fit in a Preds system that lacks any real impact prospects on the back end. In fact, Gibson immediately becomes the second-highest-drafted defender in Nashville’s pool, trailing 2023 first-round choice Tanner Molendyk.
In return, Detroit picks up Kiiskinen, who helps add depth to a thinning pool of wing prospects. Selected 26 picks after Gibson last year, the skilled Finn spent most of last season in the top-level Liiga with Pelicans, where he had four goals and six assists for 10 points in 38 games. When he wasn’t logging minutes in the pros, he was beyond electric when on assignment to their U-20 club, where he had 14 goals and 21 points in only eight games.
He has not yet signed his entry-level deal, which the Wings must do before June 1, 2027, to avoid losing his signing rights. Kiiskinen will turn 19 in August and is expected to remain in Finland next season, albeit with a new team. He transferred to HPK last month, signing a two-year deal.
With Kiiskinen being the slightly lower-valued prospect, Detroit recoups a second-round pick that nearly splits the difference between the two players’ draft spots. As it stands, it’s their second pick of the second round – they still have their own pick – and brings their total number of selections later this week to nine.
Trotz: Saros Will Have Some Form Of Trade Protection In His Next Deal
The Predators are a franchise that rarely hands out trade protection when they sign contracts, even to some of their longer-term veterans. However, in an appearance on 102.5 The Game today, GM Barry Trotz acknowledged that if he’s able to agree to terms on a long-term extension with goaltender Juuse Saros, he would have to give out some sort of trade protection though it would have to have some sort of limit to it. Saros will enter the final year of his contract in July making him extension-eligible and Trotz hasn’t hidden his desire to lock up the netminder. However, Saros is well-positioned for a significant raise on his current $5MM price tag and could push past $8MM on a new agreement. If a deal is reached, Saros would become just the third Nashville player with trade protection, joining captain Roman Josi and winger Filip Forsberg.
Dayal: Predators Could Move On From Cody Glass
- Dayal, in the same piece, also listed Predators center Cody Glass as a cap-related trade chip. The sixth overall pick of the 2017 draft by the Golden Knights is now 25 years old, and his tenure with Nashville after a 2021 trade has been tumultuous. He looked like a potential long-term top-nine fixture after a breakout 2022-23 campaign but regressed to only six goals and 13 points in 41 matches during an injury-plagued 2023-24. The Winnipeg native is entering the back half of a two-year, $2.5MM AAV deal and will be an RFA with arbitration rights next summer.
Sharks Acquire Egor Afanasyev From Predators
The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators have swapped young forwards, with San Jose receiving Egor Afanasyev while Nashville has received Ozzy Wiesblatt (Twitter link). Afanasyev moves west as a pending restricted free agent, while Wiesblatt still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract.
Rather than try and find a new deal with the Predators, Afanasyev will now prepare for new challenge – joining a Sharks team rife with opportunity. Formerly a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Afanasyev has spent the last two seasons flirting with NHL ice time, though he’s only managed one goal across 19 games in the NHL. He’s proven much more impactful in the minors, posting 54 points, split evenly, in 57 games this season. The year marked a notable step forward for Afanasyev, taking the leap into strong AHL scoring after just 26 points last season. He’s a burly power forward, who’s taken noticeable strides towards adding agility and finesse since his draft day. Afanasyev also addresses a lack of depth at left-wing for the Sharks, something that could earn him a quick track to the lineup.
The Predators upgrade on their draft capital with this swap, taking in the 31st pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in Wiesblatt. But despite his higher standing than Afanasyev, Wiesblatt hasn’t found nearly the same success since turning pro. He totaled just 17 points in 50 AHL games this season – two points higher than his 15 points last year but still below expectations. Wiesblatt rekindled his scoring a bit during a midseason loan to Nashville’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, where Wiesblatt scored six points in 16 games. Nashville must have liked what they’ve seen, and will now have full control over Wiesblatt’s development as he looks to vindicate his first-round status.
Predators Hire Darby Hendrickson As Assistant Coach
The Predators are close to announcing Darby Hendrickson as their newest assistant coach, reports Minnesota’s FOX 9 Sports. The Predators later announced that the longtime Wild coach and player will reunite with former Minnesota teammate Andrew Brunette behind the Nashville bench.
Hendrickson and Brunette spent parts of three seasons together with the Wild shortly after their inception, including one of the great Cinderella runs of the decade when they advanced to the 2003 Western Conference Final. The Twin Cities native began his coaching career as an assistant with the Wild in 2010, a role he held under multiple head coaches until being fired last month.
The Preds didn’t say which responsibilities would fall under Hendrickson’s purview. He held a variety of different roles during his time in Minnesota. General manager Barry Trotz had this to say on Hendrickson’s addition:
After spending more than a decade as a professional player, he has now been a quality coach in the NHL for a long time and further strengthens our staff’s ability to communicate and teach the game at a high level. His familiarity with Andrew Brunette – having been both teammates and coaches together in the past – adds to the cohesiveness of our group, and his experience as an NHL player and coach makes him very relatable to today’s player. With Darby now on our staff, our coaches own more than 2,200 combined games of NHL playing experience, something we feel is incredibly valuable for our team’s growth as we strive to achieve our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
Hendrickson also worked with Brunette on the Wild bench between 2014 and 2016. He fills out Nashville’s staff for next season alongside assistants Derek MacKenzie and Todd Richards and goalie coach Ben Vanderklok. He replaces Dan Hinote, who the team parted ways with last month after four seasons behind the Preds bench.
The Preds also announced that former defender Cody Franson is joining their amateur scouting department. Now 36, Franson retired after the 2021-22 campaign but last played in the NHL with the Blackhawks in 2017-18. A third-round pick of the Preds in 2005, Franson also spent last season in the Wild organization as an assistant coach with AHL Iowa.
Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Predators.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan – The 24-year-old played just one game with the Predators this season after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. The Calgary, Alberta native played 31 games total, posting just a goal and three assists. A former second-round pick in 2017, Anderson-Dolan was thought to be a player who could develop into a bottom-six scoring option, but to this point in his career, his game hasn’t translated well to the NHL. His size is an issue as he does get overpowered by stronger defensemen, and he isn’t a great passer by NHL standards. However, he brings energy, can shoot the puck, and is a good forechecker. Given his lack of NHL success, it’s possible that Nashville may elect not to issue Anderson-Dolan a qualifying offer.
Other RFAs: F Egor Afanasyev, RW Wade Allison, D Marc Del Gaizo, G Gustavs Grigals, D Spencer Stastney, D Adam Wilsby, F Liam Foudy, C Juuso Parssinen, F Philip Tomasino
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Anthony Beauvillier – Beauvillier picked a bad time to have the worst offensive season of his career as the 27-year-old registered just five goals and 12 assists while being traded twice during the season and three times in the last 18 months. The former first-round pick looked as though he’d developed into a reliable secondary scorer in the middle six, but his numbers fell off a cliff last season. Beauvillier is a good shooter, brings good energy, and isn’t afraid to get dirty, he’ll find an NHL job next season, but he will be looking at a significant pay cut from the $4.15MM he made last season.
D Tyson Barrie – Barrie was a consistent healthy scratch last season in Nashville and voiced his displeasure at one point. He could be a good option for a team looking for some offense from the backend without a massive financial commitment. Barrie remains a good power play producer, and isn’t the worst defender in his own zone, although he does struggle to contain his opponents if he loses position. Barrie is just one year removed from posting 55 points in 85 games and will likely receive a one-year NHL contract for next season with the hopes that he bounces back to form.
D Alexandre Carrier – Carrier will be an interesting player to watch in free agency as he doesn’t have a long NHL track record, but he has been effective and could be a good second-pairing defenseman for a team. He is quick, has good gap control, and can keep plays alive in the offensive zone with smart pinches, and strong side-to-side work on the blue line. He isn’t afraid to push back in the defensive zone and doesn’t get overpowered by opposing forwards. The 27-year-old made $2.5MM last season on a one-year deal and is due a healthy raise on a multi-year deal.
G Kevin Lankinen – Lankinen is capable of playing like a starting goaltender in short stretches but lacks the consistency of a full-time NHL starter. He has good size but doesn’t play big and has a pretty average skill set. His 4.1 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck) was pretty solid work in 24 games, although it represented a drop off from the 8.6 goals saved above expected he posted in 2022-23. With Predators star prospect Yaroslav Askarov ready to make the jump to the NHL, it looks as though Lankinen will be looking for a new NHL home. Given the weak goalie market, the 29-year-old should be able to find a multi-year deal with an AAV in the range of $2MM to $2.5MM.
F Jason Zucker – Zucker was in a very different position last summer when he signed a one-year deal worth $5.3MM. Zucker was coming off a 27-goal season and had been healthy for the first time in a while. A multi-year deal never materialized for the 32-year-old, and he opted to bet on himself with the shorter term. Unfortunately, the bet didn’t pay off as Zucker struggled to 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 games and was traded to Nashville at the deadline for a sixth-round pick. Zucker can still skate and isn’t afraid to get physical, he will fetch a multi-year deal, but it will likely come in under $4MM annually.
Other UFAs: G Troy Grosenick. D Jordan Gross, D Roland McKeown, F Kiefer Sherwood, C Jasper Weatherby
Projected Cap Space
The Predators have almost $12MM of dead cap space to contend with due to buyouts and retained salary. Despite this albatross on the books, the Predators still have plenty of room under the salary cap to shape their roster this summer. Nashville has nearly $26.4MM in space to make improvements and re-sign any pending free agents. The Predators are well-positioned to make a splash this summer and might opt to bolster their offense on the trade market. The team could also pursue top players in free agency as they aren’t limited by short-term cap issues. The Predators will need to find a direction with star netminder Juuse Saros and might need to tread lightly when handing out long-term deals if they want to have cap space to re-sign Saros long-term.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.