Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators
For the last quarter century, the Nashville Predators had been carefully constructed by General Manager David Poile, who has just recently passed the reins to former head coach of the Predators, Barry Trotz. In a new transitionary period for the organization, Trotz will look to build the club from the ground up, trying to reach the elusive Stanley Cup, an award that Poile was never able to earn during his tenure in Nashville.
At last year’s trade deadline, the Predators were able to move out some prominent players such as Mattias Ekholm and Mikael Granlund. In the offseason, Nashville once again made some moves to rid themselves of a couple of higher-priced contracts but also made some interesting moves in what seems like an attempt to remain competitive in a free-for-all Western Conference playoff picture.
Draft
1-15: F Matthew Wood, Connecticut (NCAA)
1-24: D Tanner Molendyk, Saskatoon (WHL)
2-43: F Felix Nilsson, Rögle (J20 Nationell)
2-46: F Kalan Lind, Red Deer (WHL)
3-68: F Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans (U20 SM-Sarja)
3-83: D Dylan MacKinnon, Halifax (QMJHL)
4-111: F Joey Willis, Saginaw (OHL)
4-121: G Juha Jatkola, KalPa (Liiga)
5-143: F Sutter Muzzatti, RPI (NCAA)
6-175: F Austin Roest, Everett (WHL)
7-218: F Aiden Fink, Brooks (AJHL)
In the 2023 NHL Draft, the Predators had a plethora of selections, deepening their prospect pool for the foreseeable future. Not only was Nashville able to make 11 selections in this draft, but already has another 11 picks for the 2024 NHL Draft if they choose to hold on to them all.
To describe their first overall pick this year in one word: goals. During the 2022-23 season, the Predators finished 28th in goal-scoring across the league, with their team-leading total only being 22 goals on the year. In his freshman season at the University of Connecticut, Wood was able to score 11 goals and 23 assists in 35 games. He has the ability to shoot in motion, off both feet, and has some considerable quickness giving him the ability to create more scoring opportunities for himself. It’s going to be highly unlikely to see Wood in the NHL this year, but he should be a surefire bet to make Nashville’s roster for the 2024-25 season.
An under-the-radar selection they likely went overlooked due to the sheer number of selections made by the Predators at the draft would be Willis out of the Saginaw Spirit organization in the OHL. He does need a bit of work with his confidence with the puck, as well as finishing off scoring opportunities, but his major asset, his hockey intelligence, should make him a great foundation to build on for Nashville.
Key UFA Signings
F Anthony Angello (two years, $1.55MM)*
G Troy Grosenick (one year, $775K)*
F Denis Gurianov (one year, $850K)
F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $6.37MM)
F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $18MM)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $8.25MM)
F Jasper Weatherby (one year, $775K)*
To be honest, it is incredibly difficult to decipher exactly what Nashville was trying to accomplish with their free agent class this offseason. Given the team’s movement in the months prior, all signs pointed to this team going the route of the rebuild, or at the very least a lengthy retool. However, handing out multi-year deals to three players over the age of 31 indicates that they are attempting to make the playoffs as soon as next season. 
This is not to say that the Predators couldn’t make the playoffs as currently constructed, but they do not have enough high-level forwards to give this team the ability to really make some noise. Being a team with money to spend this summer, Nashville certainly could have done worse than this group, but it will likely take some time to determine exactly what direction the Predators believe they are headed.
Key Departures
F Ryan Johansen (traded to Colorado)
F Matt Duchene (Dallas, one year, $3MM)
F Zach Sanford (Arizona, one year, $800K)
F Rasmus Asplund (Florida, one year, $775K)
F John Leonard (Arizona, one year, $775K)
G Devin Cooley (Buffalo, one year, $775K)
A few weeks prior to the beginning of the offseason on July 1st, it wasn’t expected that Nashville would move two of its best forwards. Not only did both players have forgettable seasons last year, but both players were making $8MM a year, and their contracts seemed confidently immovable.
Nevertheless, in two separate staunch transactions, Trotz was able to move Johansen (after retaining 50% of his contract), and then proceeded to buy out the remaining three years on Duchene’s contract. Both players will join division rivals for the Predators; Johansen to Colorado and Duchene to Dallas, but Nashville was able to remove a bulk of their cap hits from their roster which will give them a lot of flexibility moving forward.
With O’Reilly now in the mix, and forward Cody Glass making a real name for himself last year, the Predators have an adequate duo down the middle to lead their offensive group. One of the main problems with their departures, if Johansen and Duchene are able to rebound nicely with their new organizations, it may be a tough pill to swallow for Nashville, knowing they likely could have gotten more for the two forwards.
Salary Cap Outlook
Thanks to the departures of Johansen and Duchene, as well as some other trades throughout the last year-and-a-half, the Predators will have just under $8MM in cap space heading into the 2023-24 NHL season. There will come a time in the next couple of years when young players such as Philip Tomasino, Luke Evangelista, and Juuso Parssinen will need new deals, and there is the looming end of Juuse Saros‘ very team-friendly deal in two seasons.
As far as long-term contracts go, the team only has seven players signed until the 2025-26 season, and only three of those players are signed until 2026-27. As Nashville continues to allocate talent and continues to improve its cap flexibility after each year, Trotz should have no financial issues in building the team that he wants to see in Nashville.
Key Questions
Are They Done Trading? As mentioned above, the Predators were aggressive in ridding themselves of higher-salaried players and even made the decision to part with Tanner Jeannot in their pursuit of acquiring all 224 selections in the 2023 NHL Draft. All jokes aside, there are some legitimate questions as to whether or not Nashville is done in that aspect. It would be hard to envision the team parting with players such as Roman Josi or Filip Forsberg, but with players such as Ryan McDonagh, Colton Sissons, as well as Saros, being some of the highest-paid players in the league, they could find themselves on the outside looking in for the future of this franchise.
What Is The Direction They Are Going To Take? Although it would have taken an improbable losing effort, given their team needs and the direction they appeared to be headed in at the trade deadline last year, the 2022-23 NHL season would have been a perfect year for the Predators to tear it all down. There’s no surefire way they would have landed Connor Bedard at the top of the draft, but they certainly would have increased their chances of getting Leo Carlsson or Adam Fantilli. The player they did select at 15th overall, Matthew Wood, is going to be a solid NHL contributor, but does not forecast as the face of the franchise player. Although having a generational talent in Josi, this team has all the makings of an organization that could use a young-talented center with the capabilities of being a superstar in the league. As their roster is currently constructed, they are far too good to find themselves at the bottom of the standings, and not quite good enough to be a legitimate playoff contender.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Michael Del Zotto Announces Retirement
Longtime NHL defenseman Michael Del Zotto announced his retirement via Instagram today, ending a 13-season NHL career.
Del Zotto, 33, was drafted by the New York Rangers with the 20th overall pick out of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals in 2008. He would jump to professional hockey after one more season in juniors, recording 37 points in 80 games in 2009-10 and earning All-Rookie Team honors.
Unfortunately, while Del Zotto would turn into a serviceable NHL defenseman for over a decade, he didn’t develop into the potential bonafide top-pair player he hinted he could be at the beginning of his career. He would only beat his rookie totals once in New York, recording ten goals, 31 assists and 41 points in 77 games in 2011-12 before dropping to a bottom-pairing role in the 2013-14 campaign. Then-Rangers general manager Glen Sather dealt him to the Nashville Predators for shutdown defender Kevin Klein in a one-for-one swap in January of that season.
Things didn’t go much better for Del Zotto in a brief stint with Nashville to close out the season, which saw his ice time continue to decrease as he recorded five points in 25 games and a -4 rating. He was due a qualifying offer of $2.9MM that season with his contract expiring, which the Predators didn’t issue, and he signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in August 2014. It turned out to be a prudent choice for Del Zotto, who, for a brief time, recaptured his former glory in Philadelphia. He notched 32 points in 64 games during his first season there while averaging nearly 22 minutes per game, but again fizzled out over the following two seasons with the Flyers.
After signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Vancouver Canucks in 2017, Del Zotto would play stints with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues in depth roles until the 2021-22 season. While he didn’t appear in any postseason contests, Del Zotto was on the Blues’ roster for their 2019 Stanley Cup championship.
2021-22 was when it became clear Del Zotto’s days of playing at the highest level were drawing to a close. Despite recording a respectable 13 points in 26 games with Ottawa and posting decent possession numbers, the Senators waived him. They assigned him to AHL Belleville, where he managed over a point per game. It was enough to land him another NHL contract for 2022-23 with the Florida Panthers, but they waived him pre-season and didn’t include him on the opening night roster. He would record two goals and 10 points in 25 games with their AHL affiliate in Charlotte before they traded him back to Anaheim in the days leading up to Christmas in a three-way swap of minor-league players, including the Detroit Red Wings. Del Zotto closed the season with a strong 31 points in 40 games for AHL San Diego.
But without ever getting a callup to the NHL throughout the season despite a paper-thin defense in Anaheim, Del Zotto has opted to step away from the game. His 736 games rank 18th among players from the 2008 draft class at the time of his retirement, during which he recorded 63 goals, 199 assists, 262 points, and averaged 20:03 per game over the years. PHR congratulates Del Zotto on his lengthy career in the pros and wishes him the best in retirement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Nashville Predators Sign Dylan Wells To PTO
According to CapFriendly, the Nashville Predators have signed netminder Dylan Wells to a PTO.
Wells, 25, split last season between the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars organizations. He played in 17 AHL games for the Blackhawks’ affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, and posted a .905 save percentage. He was included in the Blackhawks’ trade of Max Domi to Dallas, and ended up playing in three games for the Stars’ AHL affiliate in Cedar Park.
A former Edmonton Oilers prospect, Wells has mostly been an ECHL netminder since ending his major junior career with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, with 78 career games played in the ECHL compared to 42 in the AHL. Wells got into one NHL game last season, saving 12 of 13 shots in 20 minutes of relief duty during an early November contest against the Winnipeg Jets.
By accepting this PTO with the Predators, Wells will give Nashville an additional netminder for training camp and the preseason. While the team currently has four goalies with clearly defined roles (Juuse Saros as NHL starter, Kevin Lankinen as NHL backup, Yaroslav Askarov as AHL number-one, Troy Grosenick as AHL number-two), the Milwaukee Admirals do not yet have a third goalie on their roster. Additionally, the Predators’ ECHL affiliate, the Atlanta Gladiators, have only one goalie rostered and he has just 10 games of pro experience.
So while Wells doesn’t have a clear path to a prominent role in Nashville, this PTO does give Wells a chance to show he’s worth keeping beyond the preseason in a depth role within the Predators’ organization.
August Free Agency Update: Central Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Central Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here and the list of Metropolitan Division signings here.
Arizona Coyotes
F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM cap hit)
D Mathew Dumba (one year, $3.9MM cap hit)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $3.5MM cap hit)
*F Matias Maccelli (three years, $3.425MM cap hit)
F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $2.1MM cap hit)
*F Jack McBain (two years, $1.599MM cap hit)
D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
Chicago Blackhawks
*F Philipp Kurashev (two years, $2.25MM cap hit)
F Ryan Donato (two years, $2MM cap hit)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Ross Colton (four years, $4MM cap hit)
*D Bowen Byram (two years, $3.85MM cap hit)
F Miles Wood (six years, $2.5MM cap hit)
F Jonathan Drouin (one year, $825K cap hit)
F Andrew Cogliano (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
D Jack Johnson (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
*F Ben Meyers (one year, $775K cap hit)
Dallas Stars
F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Craig Smith (one year, $1MM cap hit)
*F Ty Dellandrea (one year, $900K cap hit)
F Sam Steel (one year, $850K cap hit)
D Joel Hanley (two years, $787.5K cap hit)
D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K cap hit)
Minnesota Wild
*G Filip Gustavsson (three years, $3.75MM cap hit)
*F Brandon Duhaime (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
Nashville Predators
F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $3.185MM cap hit)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Cody Glass (two years, $2.5MM cap hit)
*D Alexandre Carrier (one year, $2.5MM cap hit)
F Denis Gurianov (one year, $850K cap hit)
St. Louis Blues
*F Alexey Toropchenko (two years, $1.25MM cap hit)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $775K cap hit)
F Oskar Sundqvist (one year, $775K cap hit)
Winnipeg Jets
*F Gabriel Vilardi (two years, $3.438MM cap hit)
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two years, $2MM cap hit)
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Samberg (two years, $1.4MM cap hit)
*F Morgan Barron (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*F Rasmus Kupari (two years, $1MM cap hit)
G Collin Delia (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K cap hit)
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Predators Prospect Alexander Campbell Transfers To Northeastern
Predators prospect Alexander Campbell is on the move. After spending his first three seasons at Clarkson, Northeastern University announced (Twitter link) that the forward will suit up for the Huskies in 2023-24.
The 22-year-old was a third-round pick by Nashville back in 2019 (65th overall) after a strong season with Victoria of the BCHL. Campbell spent the following year with USHL Omaha before making the jump to the collegiate level in 2020-21.
Over his three seasons with Clarkson, Campbell was quite productive. He notched 17 points in just 22 games in his freshman year before following that up with 16 goals and 17 assists in 37 contests in 2021-22. Last year, he wasn’t quite able to reach those numbers but still finished third in team scoring with 14 goals and a dozen helpers in 34 contests.
His success with Clarkson makes it a bit surprising that Campbell has opted to transfer for his senior year. He is one of just two NHL-drafted forwards with Northeastern for the upcoming season so he’ll undoubtedly have a significant role which could be worth his while as he looks to earn an entry-level deal from the Preds by June 1st, 2024.
Prospect Jesse Kiiskinen Sustains Jaw Injury At World Junior Summer Showcase
- Predators prospect Jesse Kiiskinen sustained a jaw injury on Monday and was held out of Finland’s final contest on Wednesday as well at the World Junior Summer Showcase. However, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman notes that the injury isn’t believed to be serious but given that this is a summer event, they’re opting for caution with the 17-year-old. Kiiskinen was a third-round pick by Nashville back in June (68th overall) and will be looking to land a full-time spot with Pelicans in Finland’s top level next season after getting seven Liiga games under his belt in 2022-23.
Nashville Predators Sign Denis Gurianov
Already producing one of the most interesting free agency tactics by any team so far this offseason, the Nashville Predators continue to add depth to their lineup. This time, the team has announced a one-year, $850K contract for forward Denis Gurianov.
Nashville should be very familiar with what Gurianov brings to the table, as he previously skated with their division rival, the Dallas Stars, for the last six seasons. Struggling in Dallas last year, the team shipped Gurianov to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Evgenii Dadonov.
It wasn’t that long ago that Gurianov was considered one of the top prospects in the Stars’ organization, as he was drafted 12th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Taking a couple of seasons to crack the NHL roster, Gurianov strung together three solid seasons in Dallas, scoring 43 goals and 47 assists in 192 games between 2019-2022.
Unfortunately, the production didn’t ramp up at all during the 2022-23 season, and Gurianov saw his ice time slashed by the Stars, losing about two minutes on average with time on ice. After the trade to Montreal, Gurianov had a much larger opportunity on offense, as he was able to get around 15 minutes a night with the Canadiens. In his small sample size in Quebec, Gurianov scored eight points in 23 games.
Now transitioning back to the NHL’s Central Division, Gurianov should once again have plenty of opportunity in Nashville. Given how the team’s roster is currently constructed, Gurianov should have no problem slotting into the team’s middle six.
Nashville Predators Sign Tanner Molendyk, Kalan Lind
The Nashville Predators became the third team to sign a 2023 draft pick to their entry-level contract today, signing defenseman Tanner Molendyk to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. They immediately followed Molendyk’s announcement with that of second-round pick Kalan Lind, who’s also signed a three-year ELC.
Moldenyk joins Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli and Montreal Canadiens defender David Reinbacher as 2023 first-round picks already under contract with their teams.
The 18-year-old from McBride, British Columbia, was selected with the 24th overall pick last week in Nashville. The 5-foot-11, 181-pound blueliner enjoyed an outstanding season with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL in 2022-23, setting career-highs with nine goals, 28 assists, and 37 points in 67 regular-season games en route to a berth in the Eastern Conference Final.
During the WHL playoffs, Molendyk continued to excel, notching three goals and five assists in 18 games. That was good enough to share the lead for playoff goals among WHL defensemen and finish second in points and assists.
Beyond his league success, Molendyk started off his draft year by representing Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In his first-ever national team appearance, he recorded one goal and three assists in five games, winning a gold medal in the process.
It wasn’t Molendyk’s offensive production that warranted a first-round selection, however. Those in the analytics community know better than anyone that he’s an absolute monster in transition, dominating the WHL with his two-way play. An incredibly skilled skater, Molendyk doesn’t ever project to break any team records in terms of points but is as steady as they come in terms of advancing the puck and dominating possession.
Molendyk is expected to return to Saskatoon for his third full WHL season next year, which would slide his entry-level contract to begin in 2024-25 (assuming he plays less than 10 NHL games). He won’t be eligible for AHL assignment until 2025-26, per the NHL-CHL transfer agreement.
Nashville drafted Lind with their fourth pick of the draft and their second of the second round, taking him 46th overall. The 6-foot, 158-pound left wing also played in the WHL, posting good offensive totals with the Red Deer Rebels (16 goals, 28 assists, 44 points in 43 games). One of the few power forwards available in the draft, Lind is a dominant checker whose effort is unmatched in most situations. He carries solid offensive smarts and playmaking capabilities, too – which became apparent with his over-point-per-game production.
Nashville Predators Sign Jasper Weatherby
The Nashville Predators got some fortification for their center depth chart today, signing UFA forward Jasper Weatherby to a one-year, two-way contract. Per the team, the contract carries the league minimum $775K cap hit. PuckPedia reports he’ll earn $115K at the AHL level.
A 2018 fourth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks, Nashville will be Weatherby’s third NHL organization in a matter of months. The 25-year-old Oregon product was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in January after a beyond-disappointing AHL showing with the San Jose Barracuda to start 2022-23.
Weatherby actually captured a stable fourth-line spot on the Sharks for the better part of 2021-22, recording five goals and 11 points in 50 games. It was impressive work for a late-round pick in his first professional season after wrapping up a three-year stint at the University of North Dakota, which saw him record 24 points in 29 games during his final season.
This past season was rather unkind to Weatherby, however. He failed to make the Sharks out of camp and proceeded to score just three goals and six points in 39 games to start the season with the Barracuda, spearheading the move to Detroit. With the Wings’ AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, Weatherby still posted just 11 points in 31 games.
He’ll aim for a career reset in Nashville, looking to play a more integral role down the middle for their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. With the team signing Ryan O’Reilly and needing to save spots for promising youngsters down the middle like Cody Glass, Thomas Novak, and Juuso Parssinen, Weatherby’s chances of making the roster are slim, even with his 50 games of NHL experience in San Jose.
Weatherby will be a restricted free agent again next offseason, this time with arbitration rights. Detroit opted not to issue him a qualifying offer last week, making him available to all 32 teams on the open market.
Nashville Predators Re-Sign Alexandre Carrier
Per PuckPedia, the Nashville Predators have re-signed RFA defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a one-year, $2.5MM contract for 2023-24. The deal walks him directly to unrestricted free agency next offseason.
Carrier has been a solid contributor on Nashville’s blue line, posting solid two-way numbers and succeeding as a puck-moving defender who has decent smarts. The right-shot defender did take a considerable step back on the scoresheet in 2022-23, though, posting just nine points in 43 games after a 30-point campaign the year prior. The upside he flashed, though, warranted a qualifying offer and an extension from Nashville.
The one-year contract provides an intriguing dynamic for both Carrier and the Predators. Nashville is allowing him to set himself up nicely for a payday as the cap skyrockets up next season if he has another strong campaign, although he may not get much upward mobility in the lineup to have point-producing opportunities, especially with Tyson Barrie in the fold as the team’s main secondary offensive defenseman behind Roman Josi.