With the Olympic break now over, the trade deadline is this week. Where do each team stand, and what moves should they be targeting? We continue our look around the league, focusing on playoff-hunting teams, and we’re back with the Predators.
Nashville isn’t a strong hockey team, but luckily for them, they play in the Western Conference. Despite an unimpressive record, they are still fighting for a playoff spot. The Predators have an ageing and costly core and would likely prefer to get younger now. However, they have several high-priced contracts that are hard to move, and a few others they might deal if they can persuade the players to accept a trade. What Nashville will do remains uncertain, but they do have options despite their fragile roster setup.
Record
27-26-8, 5th in the Central
Deadline Status
Conservative Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$31.75MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 41/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: NAS 1st, NAS 2nd, MIN 2nd, NAS 3rd, NAS 4th, NAS 5th, EDM 5th, CAR 5th, UTA 6th, NAS 7th
2027: NAS 1st, NAS 2nd, STL 2nd, NAS 3rd, EDM 3rd, VGK 3rd, COL 3rd, NAS 4th, NYR 4th, NAS 5th, COL 5th, NAS 6th, NAS 7th
Trade Chips
What the Predators do over the next two days will depend on several factors, including the offers they receive and how they play this week. They don’t have to do anything. They could retain their pending UFAs and make a run for the playoffs if they wanted, and it would be understandable given the age of their core players.
That being said, if a team makes a high-priced offer for center Ryan O’Reilly, you have to believe the Predators would listen. O’Reilly has one year left on a team-friendly $4.5MM cap hit and would bring Nashville a substantial return if traded. It’s difficult to assess whether it’s a buyer’s or a seller’s market. Some people have said it leans heavily towards the sellers, but a few teams have committed to selling in recent days, which will change the market a bit. That being said, if it turns out to be a seller’s market, Nashville will likely trade him. If the opposite is true, they will probably hold onto him until at least the summer.
Steven Stamkos has also been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in recent weeks. Stamkos is in his second year with the Predators after a widely discussed departure from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 36-year-old Stamkos didn’t have an ideal first year in Nashville by his standards, but he has improved significantly this season, with 30 goals and 17 assists in 61 games. His near 0.5 goals per game would be very attractive to any NHL team, but Stamkos holds sway over his own fate thanks to a full no-movement clause and can remain with the team if he chooses. Given the limited time to make a move, it seems likely Stamkos could be a summer trade candidate, but anything is possible if teams and players are motivated to facilitate deals.
Beyond the two veterans, Nashville has a few other players they could trade at the deadline, starting with forward Michael Bunting, who is a UFA this summer. The 30-year-old has been traded twice in the last two years, both times around the trade deadline, and could be moved for a third time during his current three-year contract. There is nothing wrong with Bunting’s game; he remains a solid depth scorer with a bit of sandpaper to his game. Bunting could be a good addition to a team seeking more scoring from their middle six and likely wouldn’t cost too much if Nashville decides to move him.
Erik Haula is another veteran forward with an expiring deal who might be moved. The 34-year-old is having a solid offensive season, with nine goals and 21 assists in 61 games, making him a decent addition to a team’s bottom six. Like Bunting, he is a UFA this summer, and the cost to acquire him shouldn’t be too high, which could attract teams working within an asset budget. Haula is a fantastic penalty killer, decent on faceoffs, and a good defensive forward, but he takes far too many minor penalties, which might be problematic for a contending team.
Team Needs
A Center: The Predators currently lack sufficient center depth, and trading O’Reilly would weaken what little they have. The team recently moved Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild and needs to acquire some centers — preferably young ones — who can eventually play behind the 2025 fifth-overall pick, Brady Martin, once he makes his full-time transition to the NHL. The Predators have a few other center prospects who project as NHLers, but it’s hard to tell if they will develop into top-six options. O’Reilly won’t be around during the Predators’ next contention window, but if they want to develop strong center prospects, he could serve as a mentor, similar to how Sidney Crosby has helped 18-year-old Benjamin Kindel develop in Pittsburgh.
Prospects: The Predators have a slightly above-average farm system if you look at conventional prospect rankings. But if they are keen on launching their rebuild while the likes of Juuse Saros and Filip Forsberg are still key contributors, they will need to ramp up their drafting and development. The optimal way to do that would be to sell off any veteran assets that can be moved and trade for futures or young roster players. As the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have demonstrated in recent years, teams can retool on the fly with a veteran core and compete quickly if they are willing to make tough decisions and take chances. Current GM Barry Trotz won’t be the one to make those decisions, but he can lay a foundation on his way out the door that will allow the next general manager to make those hard choices. Nashville has Saros signed until 2033 and Forsberg until 2030. It’s not unrealistic to believe that the Predators could be competitive again in another 2-3 years, giving them some runway with their vets to serve as both mentors and contributors while their young players find their way in the NHL.
Photo by Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Nashville got exactly what it deserved by hiring the grossly underqualified Barry Trotz as GM. And, It escalated quickly.