Nashville Predators Acquire Wayne Simmonds

The Nashville Predators have acquired a second top forward, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Wayne Simmonds has been traded there.  The deal will see Ryan Hartman and a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick go to Philadelphia. If the Predators win a playoff round, the pick will become a 2020 third-round selection.

Simmonds, 30, has been one of the most effective power forwards in the league throughout his career, but has taken a clear step backwards this season. With just 16 goals and 27 points he likely won’t come close to his previous career averages, but should help one key aspect of the Predators attack. Simmonds has 94 career powerplay goals and is one of the best net-front players in the league, a huge addition for a team that has struggled mightily with the man advantage this year. He also brings a good amount of physicality to a lineup that lost some when Austin Watson was suspended indefinitely.

With the team also acquiring Mikael Granlund today, the Predators have made a substantial change to their top-nine forward group. Still, while Granlund comes with some term, Simmonds joins Nashville on an expiring contract and likely can’t be retained given how much salary the Predators have already committed to next season. That means they could lose Hartman—who was acquired for a first-round pick just a year ago—for just a few months of Simmonds and one playoff run. That comes in direct response to the Winnipeg Jets making several moves, setting up a battle in the Central Division for the rest of the season.

It looked for a moment like the Flyers would not find a buyer for Simmonds, and they didn’t get the first-round pick that they had hoped for. They did however acquire Hartman who is looking for another opportunity to show he can be a top-six player. The 24-year old plays a heavy, Flyers-style game and scored 19 goals in 2016-17, but hasn’t got back to that level over the last two seasons. His 20 points this year isn’t an impressive total, but given an increased role in Philadelphia could come into his own as a power forward.