Headlines

  • Latest On Nikolaj Ehlers
  • Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers
  • Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93
  • Sabres Sign Ryan McLeod To Four-Year Deal
  • Rangers, Will Cuylle Agree To Two-Year Deal
  • Kings Sign Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, Anton Forsberg
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Predators Rumors

Evening Notes: Marchessault, Lambert, Peterka, Puljujarvi

September 21, 2024 at 8:33 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault had his number retired by the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts today, becoming the ninth player in franchise history to receive the honor.

Marchessault, now 33, appeared in 254 games for the Remparts in parts of four seasons from 2007 to 2011. He’s top 10 in franchise history in games played, goals (98, t-ninth), assists (141, sixth), and points (239, eighth). He and Marc-Édouard Vlasic are the only active NHLers to have their numbers retired by the Remparts.

The honor comes just over a year after Marchessault hoisted the Conn Smythe Trophy, helping the Golden Knights to their first championship in franchise history with a league-leading 13 goals and a +17 rating in 22 playoff games. He landed a five-year, $27.5MM deal with Nashville in free agency this summer.

Elsewhere from around the league this evening:

  • A strong showing early on in training camp has Brad Lambert primed to make a real run at starting the regular season as the Jets’ second-line center, writes Sportsnet’s Jacob Stoller. Lambert, 20, was a consensus top-five pick entering his draft year but fell to Winnipeg at 30th overall in 2022 after a disappointing showing. He got fully back on track in his first pro season last year, leading the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in scoring with 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 64 games. “I think I’ve improved on my attention to detail,” he told Stoller. “Being able to play on the defensive side of the puck, being reliable and being able to react quicker. I’ve tried to evolve every aspect of my game.”
  • Televised hockey is back with the first few preseason games taking place Saturday night. There’s a blowout going on in Buffalo with the Sabres’ mostly NHL roster dressed against some fringe Penguins talent, leading to some wide-open play. Buffalo’s John-Jason Peterka and Pittsburgh’s Jesse Puljujärvi have dueling hat-tricks, marking an especially important early showing for the latter. Puljujärvi, the fourth overall pick in 2016, had just four points in 22 games with Pittsburgh last season and needs a strong preseason showing to avoid landing on waivers.

Buffalo Sabres| Nashville Predators| Pittsburgh Penguins| QMJHL| Winnipeg Jets Brad Lambert| J.J. Peterka| Jesse Puljujarvi| Jonathan Marchessault

4 comments

Stastney (Personal) Not At Training Camp

September 21, 2024 at 11:45 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

  • Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is not with the team in training camp for personal reasons and there is no word yet on when he’ll return, relays Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The blueliner split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, getting into 20 games with the big club where he had two goals and two assists in just under 16 minutes a night.  Somewhat surprisingly, the two sides went to salary arbitration this summer with the 24-year-old being awarded a two-year, $1.625MM contract, the second season of which is a one-way salary.

Dallas Stars| Nashville Predators| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets Mason Appleton| Radek Faksa| Spencer Stastney

1 comment

Predators To Sign Lucas Johansen To PTO

September 18, 2024 at 4:54 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

Defenseman Lucas Johansen will join the Nashville Predators in training camp on a professional tryout agreement as reported by Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game. The younger brother of former Predator Ryan Johansen has spent the better part of the last decade with the Washington Capitals organization.

Johansen was previously thought to be one of the better two-way defensive prospects in the Capitals pipeline after being selected by the organization with the 28th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. He came from a Kelowna Rockets program in the WHL that became known for churning out quality defensive prospects. Johansen got off to a quick start with the Capitals’ organization in the 2017-18 season scoring six goals and 27 points in 74 games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Injuries quickly began to pile up for the young defenseman who only mustered 59 games for the Bears from 2018-2021. The injury concerns negatively impacted his value as a prospect as Washington pivoted to other options on the blue line. Johansen only managed to skate in six games for the Capitals from 2021-24 with only two points to show. There is little to no chance of Johansen cracking Nashville’s blue line for the upcoming season out of camp. Still, he could prove valuable with the organization’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

The Admirals have been one of the AHL’s best regular season teams over the last few years finishing third or higher in the Central Division in seven out of the previous eight seasons. The team has failed to deliver in the playoffs despite the regular season success losing the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back campaigns against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Johansen may be the missing piece to finally get the Admirals over the hump, however, as he recently won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with Hershey.

Nashville Predators| Transactions Lucas Johansen

3 comments

Nashville Predators Re-Sign Philip Tomasino

September 18, 2024 at 2:05 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

The Nashville Predators have signed their final remaining restricted free agent one day before the team is set to participate in their first on-ice session of training camp. According to a team announcement, Nashville has agreed to a one-year, $825K contract with forward Philip Tomasino.

It’s been a difficult few years for the former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino became a full-time member of the Predators’ roster relatively quickly after securing a point-per-game season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2020-21.

He was a promising depth scorer for the Predators during his rookie season in 2021-22, with 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games while averaging 11:32 minutes of ice time per night. Tomasino’s versatility up front allowed Nashville to move him from his natural position at center, which took some pressure off the young forward. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and was looking for more responsibility in his sophomore season.

In a somewhat confusing decision by the Predators, Tomasino did not make the team out of training camp for the 2022-23 NHL season and wasn’t recalled until February 13th of that year. He was nearly a point-per-game player with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, with 12 goals and 32 points in 38 contests, but he received little interest in Nashville despite the team struggling on offense. Tomasino finished the 2022-23 regular season with five goals and 18 points in 31 games averaging nearly four minutes more ice time than his rookie year.

Despite the Predators becoming one of the league’s better offensive teams under new head coach Andrew Brunette; Tomasino’s output plummeted. He scored seven goals and 20 points through 41 games for Nashville while posting 11 goals and 18 points in 21 games with Milwaukee. In early May, Brunette publicly called out Tomasino when he said, “If he continues to have the skill without the work, I don’t think he has a chance to play with us next year“.

One would reasonably assume from that quote that Tomasino has an outside chance of making Nashville’s roster this season unless his work ethic has dramatically improved. The team had a busy offseason and has expectations for the Stanley Cup playoffs this year so they are not in a position to have any slack on offense. It may be much of the same for Tomasino by starting the year in Milwaukee and trying to force Nashville’s hand on a call-up.

Nashville Predators| Newsstand| Transactions Philip Tomasino

3 comments

Predators Expect Stamkos To Be A Leader This Season

September 16, 2024 at 7:55 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 1 Comment

  • Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is most excited to see Steven Stamkos’ leadership at work when the veteran begins his first training camp with his new team (as per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean). Stamkos joined Nashville via free agency and brings a large skillset to the team, but it is his reputation and leadership that has Brunette excited. Brunette told reporters that he will have Stamkos play with a pile of players early on to see how things go and to try and find the right mix. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him paired up with youngsters Thomas Novak or Luke Evangelista, given that Brunette sees leadership as Stamkos’s biggest asset.

Colorado Avalanche| Erie Otters| Nashville Predators Andrew Brunette| Logan O'Connor| Steven Stamkos

1 comment

Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators

September 14, 2024 at 6:26 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 5 Comments

The Nashville Predators were one of, if not the busiest team in the NHL this summer. Most pundits believe that the Predators won the summer, which means precious little if the team doesn’t gel and deliver on the ice. It’s hard to argue with the assessment that Nashville won out the summer as the team added multiple Stanley Cup champions and locked up their franchise goaltender. However, with all the big-money deals, the Predators have assumed a great deal of risk, and it isn’t unheard of for teams to load up in the summer, only to have it not work out on the ice.

Draft

1-22: C Yegor Surin, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-55: F Teddy Stiga, USA U18 (NTDP)
3-77: D Viggo Gustafsson,  HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-87: F Miguel Marques, Lethbridge (WHL)
3-94: F Hiroki Gojsic, Kelowna (WHL)
4-99: G Jakub Milota, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
4-127: F Viktor Nörringer, Frölunda HC (SHL)
7-213: F Erik Påhlsson, Dubuque (USHL)

The Predators’ first-round selection Surin played most of last season in the MHL posting 22 goals and 30 assists in 42 games. He was also heavily penalized with 108 PIM during that time. He is a solid puck handler and is quick and agile, however, many scouts viewed him as a later first-round pick so Nashville might have reached when selecting him 22 overall.

In the second round, Nashville selected Stiga who was actually projected to go higher in the draft. He is slated to go to Boston College next year and has been described by scouts as being cerebral, as his playmaking and offensive instincts are highly acclaimed.

In the third round, Nashville selected defensive defenseman Gustafsson who doesn’t put up much offense but has a good reach and is a stabilizing presence in the defensive zone. Some scouts felt that Gustafsson was a reach in the third round due to his limited offensive abilities.

Many scouts view Marques as a steal in the third round as he is considered a well-rounded offensive player with a high skill level and very good offensive instincts. Last season, he posted 28 goals and 46 assists in 67 WHL games and should see a bump in those numbers this upcoming season.

Trade Acquisitions

G Magnus Chrona (San Jose)
C David Edstrom (San Jose)
F Jordan Frasca (Pittsburgh)
D Andrew Gibson (Detroit)
F Ozzy Wiesblatt (San Jose)

Edstrom was acquired in the Askarov trade with the San Jose Sharks and has been traded twice since being drafted by Vegas in the first round back in 2023.  The 19-year-old spent last season in Sweden posting seven goals and 12 assists in 44 games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. While those numbers look pedestrian, the young center tied for first among skaters under the age of 20 in assists and tied for fourth in points amongst players his age or younger.

23-year-old Chrona played up and down the Sharks organization last season seeing action in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. Most of his playing time was in the AHL where his numbers weren’t pretty. Chrona posted a 3.49 goals-against average with an .894 save percentage and a 6-17-6 record. While his numbers weren’t great in the AHL, it was his first season as a pro, and he has great size at 6’4” and 209 pounds.

Gibson is probably the most intriguing of all of Nashville’s trade acquisitions this summer. The 19-year-old is a big, mobile defenseman who can take care of his own end and get around the ice with relative ease. He likely will project as a bottom-pairing defenseman, however, if he can develop better offensive instincts and puck skills, he could slide into a top-four role in the future.

UFA Signings

F Kieffer Bellows (one-year, $775K)*
D Nick Blankenburg (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Vinnie Hinostroza (two-year, $1.55MM)*
C Jake Lucchini (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Jonathan Marchessault (five-year, $27.5MM)
G Matthew Murray (one-year, $775K)*
D Brady Skjei (seven-year, $49MM)
C Steven Stamkos (four-year, $32MM)
D Spencer Stastney (two-year, $1.65MM)*
G Scott Wedgewood (two-year, $3MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

There were no bigger winners than Nashville in this year’s free agency window. Brand new general manager Barry Trotz put the team on an entirely new course with the signing of future Hall Of Famer Steven Stamkos, bolstered by the additions of solid #2’s Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault. Nashville will host the first change of scenery of Stamkos’ evergreen career. He continues to score at a top rate, recording the seventh 40-goal season of his career last season and breaking the 100-point mark as recent as two seasons ago. His supporting cast in Nashville’s top-six are all coming off defining years of their own, with both Marchessault (42) and Filip Forsberg (48) recording career-high goals, and Ryan O’Reilly once again reaching 69 points for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

That may be one of the few top-sixes better than what Stamkos was working with in Tampa Bay, and Nashville continues the excitement into the bottom-six. Every single role, save for Tomas Novak’s spot as third-line center, seems up for grabs – which could make for good training camp competition between veterans like Hinostroza and Cole Smith, and promising youngsters like Luke Evangelista and Juuso Parssinen.

Meanwhile Skjei should bring relief to Roman Josi, finally bringing another elite talent to a Predators blue-line in need. The pair will work with fellow UFA signee Stastney to man the left-side, while Dante Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, and Luke Schenn will fight out for ice time on the right-side. They’ll look to protect franchise goaltender Juuse Saros and one of Murray or Wedgewood at backup.

RFA Re-Signings

D Marc Del Gaizo (one-year, $775K)*
C Juuso Parssinen (one-year, $775K)

* denotes a two-way contract

Nashville wasn’t as exciting in handling their RFAs, so far only inking Del Gaizo and Parssinen to league-minimum contracts. Both players will join the long list of depth players fighting for a roster spot out of training camp, though their chances of earning ice time vary. Del Gaizo earned the first nine NHL games of his career last season, after posting routine scoring and strong defense in the minor leagues. He recorded three assists with the Predators, though ultimately closed the year in the minors once Nashville’s blue-line got healthy. Parssinen has carved out a much more consistent role, splitting his time nearly perfectly between the NHL and AHL lineups over the last two seasons. He’s managed a commendable 14 goals and 37 points in 89 career games with the Predators, and could be a favorite to sneak his way into a minor role to start the year.

Parssinen’s chances could hinge on when Nashville’s only remaining RFA, Philip Tomasino, decides to sign. Tomasino’s role in the lineup has been debated since he made his debut in 2021, and while his 70 points in 148 career games isn’t anything to scoff at, it also fails to vindicate his first-round selection in 2019. Next season will need to come with an improved role for Tomasino, though whether it will be a chance to become an everday lineup piece, or a final chance before the team moves on, could be dictated by his next contract.

Departures

F Wade Allison (signed in Europe)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Winnipeg, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Yaroslav Askarov (traded to San Jose)
D Tyson Barrie (Edmonton, PTO)
F Anthony Beauvillier (Pittsburgh, one-year, $1.25MM)
F Nolan Burke (traded to San Jose)
C Liam Foudy (New York Islanders, one-year, $775K)*
F Cody Glass (traded to Pittsburgh)
G Troy Grosenick (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
D Jordan Gross (signed in KHL)
G Kevin Lankinen (unsigned free agent)
D Ryan McDonagh (traded to Tampa Bay)
D Roland McKeown (signed AHL contract)
F Kiefer Sherwood (Vancouver, two-year, $3MM)
F Jason Zucker (Buffalo, one-year, $5MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Nashville managed a franchise-defining summer surprisingly unscathed. Their biggest loss only came recently, when premier goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov requested a move to a bigger role. He’s now landed in San Jose, while Matthew Murray will take on his role as third-string. The trio of Beauvillier, Barrie, and Glass each stand as more impactful lineup changes, though none of the three were able to win out much of a role last season. In fact, Sherwood may stand as a more notable loss than any of the three – after potting a career-high 27 points last season, most of anyone on this list.

The list of departees will certainly change things up at the bottom of the NHL, and top of the AHL, lineup. But the turnover offers more opportunity than hesitation, and could end up a great proving ground for Nashville’s quickly-improving prospect pool.

Salary Cap Outlook

Nashville is entering training camp with a projected $1.496MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. That should be just enough to sign Tomasino to a reasonable, short-term deal – though it may take some strategic cap logistics for Nashville to carry enough of a buffer into the new year. Nashville might need to get used to cap gymnastics, though, with four years of paying $20.5MM for their trio of Stamkos, Marchessult, and Skjei ahead.

Key Questions

How High Can Nashville Go? The impact of Nashville’s off-season additions can’t be understated. The Predators ranked 10th in the league in goals-per-game last season, and have now added one of the main faces in the fifth-ranked Lightning. It seems the wind is behind each of Stamkos, Forsberg, Marchessault, and O’Reilly – seemingly setting Nashville up with one of the best forward groups across the NHL. But questions swarm the bunch – with even simple things like Stamkos’ role on the wing versus center standing relatively unclear. The Predators will also have to balance between keeping effective linemates together – such as O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist – while injecting enough change to take the next step. That could be a lot to handle for fresh-faced head coach Andrew Brunette, though the reward for putting the pieces together correctly could be staggering.

Which Prospects Will Get A Chance? Nashville has quickly reeled in a heap of promising prospects – with Parssinen and Tomasino flashing at the NHL level, while each of Zachary L’Heureux, Joakim Kemell, and Fyodor Svechkov plant their feet in the minors. All five are worthwhile pros capable of filling NHL ice time, likely bringing the decisions between them down to semantics – such as L’Heureux’s discipline or Tomasino’s scoring consistency. Nashville may not need to worry as much about their third-line during the regular season, thanks – frankly – to the additon of Stamkos. But they’ll need sharp depth to make a long playoff run, and have 82 games to properly bring any of their selected youngsters up to NHL speed. How ice time is disseminated among the bunch of top prospects will stand as another difficult task ahead of Brunette’s staff.

Was Saros The Right Choice? 2024-25 will be a defining year for Nashville not only because of their UFA signings, but also their firm selection of Saros over prospect Askarov. It’s hard to knock that decision – after all, Saros boasts a .917 save percentage in 350 career games, standing as one of the league’s best starter where Askarov is all potential. But Saros will now fully embrace the role of franchise starter in an organization known for their goaltending, taking the torch from mentor and Predators legend Pekka Rinne. Saros is as ironclad as they come, playing in the most games of any NHL goalie since 2021 and recording a save percentage north of .910 in every season save for last year (.906). That’s precedent worth staking your faith in – but years of heavy usage and now no contingency plan both contribute to the narrow spotlight that Saros will draw this season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nashville Predators| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals| Summer Synopsis 2024

5 comments

NHL-CHL Agreement Could Hinder Molendyk's Chance Of Making Roster

September 14, 2024 at 1:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

  • Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk could be hindered in his push to make the team by the NHL-CHL agreement that will prevent him from being assigned to the AHL this season, suggests Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The 19-year-old had 56 points in 50 games with WHL Saskatoon last season, putting him in a spot where he could legitimately make a push for a roster spot in training camp.  However, without an ability to recall him once returned to junior, Molendyk will have to show that he’s worthy of keeping around by his play over the next few weeks.  Otherwise, his NHL debut will have to wait another year.

Calgary Flames| Nashville Predators| Winnipeg Jets Cole Perfetti| Daniel Vladar| Tanner Molendyk

0 comments

Predators Re-Sign Marc Del Gaizo To Two-Way Deal

September 9, 2024 at 2:05 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

The Predators have re-signed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo to a two-way contract, per a team announcement. The restricted free agent will earn a $775K salary if on the NHL roster next season and $125K in the AHL, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports.

Del Gaizo, 25 next month, was a fourth-round pick of the Preds in 2019. He made his NHL debut last season, recording three assists and a +2 rating while averaging 16:28 across nine appearances in a pair of call-ups in November and March.

The New Jersey native is coming off a career-best season in the minors with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. On assignment to the Ads, he set new career highs in goals (8), points (34), and rating (+18) in 60 appearances, leading or tying for the team lead in every offensive category. An undersized (5’11″/187 lbs) left-shot defender, Del Gaizo ended his 2023-24 campaign with seven points and a +6 rating in 15 playoff games for Milwaukee.

Del Gaizo was an RFA this summer after completing his entry-level contract. After the Preds signed Juuso Pärssinen this morning, he was one of two remaining RFAs Nashville had. Now, just forward Philip Tomasino remains without a deal.

Entering his fourth professional season, Del Gaizo is no longer waiver-exempt. On the cusp of challenging for more NHL minutes, there’s a non-zero chance he gets claimed if Nashville attempts to sneak him through and return him to Milwaukee to start the season. Spencer Stastney played more last season and has the inside track to lock down an extra defense spot on the Preds’ opening night roster, supplementing their six D-men signed to one-way deals, but he is still waiver-exempt. That could prove advantageous to Del Gaizo’s chances of starting the season in Tennessee instead of Wisconsin.

Nashville Predators| Transactions Marc Del Gaizo

0 comments

Predators Re-Sign Juuso Pärssinen To One-Way Deal

September 9, 2024 at 9:33 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

The Predators are close to re-signing RFA center Juuso Pärssinen to a one-year, one-way deal, according to a team release. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the contract. The left-shot forward will earn the league minimum salary of $775K.

Pärssinen, 23, made his NHL debut with Nashville in 2022-23 – certainly coming ahead of schedule for the 2019 seventh-round pick. He stayed on the roster for the entirety of the season after his initial November recall, making 45 appearances before an upper-body injury ended his season in late February. He posted six goals and 19 assists for 25 points, finishing eighth on the team in points per game, and averaged 14:20 per night while winning 50.2% of his faceoffs and logging 76 hits with middling possession numbers.

Last season, Pärssinen made the team out of camp but couldn’t carry over his overall level of play into his sophomore campaign. He posted 12 points in 44 games with similarly below-average possession numbers and a much worse showing in the faceoff dot (37.5 FOW%) before being assigned to the minors in late January.

Pärssinen remained there for the rest of the regular season, making 36 appearances for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals with seven goals, 18 assists, 25 points, and a +12 rating. He was added back to the Preds’ playoff roster, and he did draw into the lineup for their season-ending 1-0 loss in Game 6 of the First Round against the Canucks.

An RFA at season’s end following the conclusion of his entry-level contract, Pärssinen is at a transitional spot in his development, making it difficult to work out a deal. His performance over the last few seasons in the minors has warranted his NHL looks.

The 6’3″ pivot’s production and physicality in a bottom-nine role certainly make it seem like there should be a consistent role for him down the line. Still, there are enough holes in his all-around game that warranted his demotion. As such, Nashville was likely angling for a two-way deal in negotiations here, likely with a slightly higher NHL salary should he spend time on the major league roster. Instead, Pärssinen lands a one-way pact that’s much safer financially.

It’s also indicative that he’ll make the Preds’ opening night roster for the second year in a row. With Pärssinen under contract, the Preds now have the minimum 12 forwards on their projected 2024-25 roster, per PuckPedia, and there are few (if any) forwards in the organization on entry-level or two-way contracts with a legitimate shot at starting the year in the NHL. They now have $1.5MM in projected cap space with two open roster spots and another RFA forward, Philip Tomasino, still left to sign.

Nashville Predators| Newsstand| Transactions Juuso Parssinen

0 comments

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

September 7, 2024 at 1:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is Nashville.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $84,904,199 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Luke Evangelista (one year, $797.5K)

Evangelista’s first full NHL campaign was a good one as he notched 39 points after putting up 15 points in 24 games in 2022-23.  That isn’t a statistical profile that suggests a long-term agreement will be forthcoming but if he can have a similar offensive showing this season, Evangelista could approach the $3MM mark on a bridge agreement.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Dante Fabbro ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Gustav Nyquist ($3.15MM, UFA)

Nyquist came to Nashville in the middle of a down season which hurt his market last summer.  However, his first full season with the Preds was his best as he set new career bests in assists (52) and points (75).  A repeat showing could give him a shot at a fair-sized raise, albeit on a short-term deal as he’ll be 36 when the 2025-26 season kicks off.

Fabbro has shown flashes of being a key secondary piece on Nashville’s back end in the past but has settled into more of a depth role in recent years.  That said, he’s still just 26 and as a right-shot player, he should still command a fair bit of interest next summer in free agency.  Even if he stays in the role he’s had lately, he should push past the $3MM mark on his next contract.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Mark Jankowski ($800K, UFA)
D Jeremy Lauzon ($2MM, UFA)
F Michael McCarron ($900K, UFA)
D Luke Schenn ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Cole Smith ($1MM, UFA)
F Colton Sissons ($2.857MM, UFA)
D Spencer Stastney ($825K, RFA)
G Scott Wedgewood ($1.5MM, UFA)

Sissons’ seven-year contract drew some ire at the time for someone whose role was somewhat limited at the time but it has held up relatively well in most of those seasons.  He has provided enough secondary scoring to give them some value on that front while being a key defensive player.  He should land another multi-year deal above $3MM if that holds up the next two years.  Smith has emerged as a viable fourth-line physical winger over the last two seasons.  Those players tend to do well on the open market still so if he can push past the double-digit goal mark, he could double his price tag in 2026.  McCarron and Jankowski have been depth players throughout their careers and are likely to see their future contracts check in relatively close to the league minimum.

Schenn had a resurgent season in 2022-23, moving him from someone making around the minimum salary to someone making nearly four times that much.  He had a limited role with the Preds last season; it’s fair to suggest they were expecting him to cover more than 15 minutes a night.  Continuing with that level of ice time could land him back near the minimum in 2026.

Lauzon was counted on to play a bigger role last season, ranking fourth among Nashville blueliners in ATOI while leading the NHL in hits by 60 over the next closest player.  Two more years like that would give him a strong market heading to free agency where doubling his current price tag could be doable.  Stastney split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee and might be in a similar role this season.  He’ll need to crack the lineup full-time before having a shot at passing the $1MM mark.

Wedgewood had a good run as the backup in Dallas which allowed him to get a 50% raise on this deal with Nashville.  Barring injury, he won’t be counted on to play as many games as a top-level backup and if that winds up being the case, that will prevent him from getting closer to the top backup money ($3MM or more) that many netminders have received in recent years.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Alexandre Carrier ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Thomas Novak ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5MM, UFA)

The decision to sign O’Reilly as their top center last summer was a bit of a curious one considering that he hadn’t been in that role for several years and the fact he was coming off his lowest point-per-game rate since he was a teenager.  However, he showed that he still had a high level of offense in his game while continuing to be an above-average player at the faceoff dot and a strong defender.  Even if there’s a bit of a dip in his production given some of the extra firepower brought in this summer, this is still a good price tag if O’Reilly ultimately settles in as more of a second liner.  There may be some concern for the final year of the deal when he’s 36 but right now, this has worked out quite well for the Preds.

Novak was a feel-good story in 2022-23, putting up 43 points in 51 games after being recalled from the minors.  He showed last year that the performance wasn’t just a mirage, surpassing the 40-point mark again, earning himself this new deal in the process.  As long as Novak continues to stay around the 40-point range, Nashville will get at least a reasonable return on this contract.

Carrier bounced back well after a rough 2022-23 season, spending a lot of time in Nashville’s top four which gave him some leverage heading to the open market.  He opted not to test it, instead accepting a 50% increase in his cap hit, not a bad outcome for someone who only became a regular NHL player in 2021-22.

Read more

Signed Through 2027-28 Or Longer

F Filip Forsberg ($8.5MM through 2029-30)
D Roman Josi ($9.059MM through 2027-28)
F Jonathan Marchessault ($5.5MM through 2028-29)
G Juuse Saros ($5MM in 2024-25, $7.74MM from 2025-26 through 2032-33)
D Brady Skjei ($7MM through 2030-31)
F Steven Stamkos ($8MM through 2027-28)

Forsberg’s contract discussions came down close to the wire two years ago although they were able to get this agreement worked out just in time.  It carried some risk considering he only had one season above 64 points but after an injury-limited 2022-23 campaign, he had a career year on what was a resurgent top line.  If that’s repeatable and he can hang around 40 goals a season, this will hold up well for the foreseeable future.

Stamkos was the surprise addition in free agency with many thinking he’d ultimately stay in Tampa Bay.  The 34-year-old has averaged over a point per game in seven of the last eight seasons, coming up just short in the other.  While there is understandable concern that his production will drop over time, the Predators should be able to get a good return on this agreement for a couple of years at the very least.  Marchessault was another pickup that few predicted after how well things went for him in Vegas.  Again, it might be hard for him to live up to the contract by the end given his age but in the first few seasons, he should be able to provide solid value.

Josi has been one of the top defensemen in the NHL in recent years and has either won the Norris or been a finalist in three of the last five seasons.  Few blueliners have been as consistent as he is offensively while he continues to log over 24 minutes per game.  He’s a couple million below the top-paid veterans, making this a bit of a value deal despite the high price tag.  Skjei comes in to replace Ryan McDonagh who requested a trade back to Tampa Bay over the offseason.  As long as he can hold down the number two role and continue to be a solid secondary producer as he was in Carolina, the Preds should get a good return.  But once more, his ability to hold that role at the end of the deal is in question though that is normal when signing top free agents.

Saros was the subject of trade speculation for a while with Yaroslav Askarov waiting in the wings but his new deal put an end to that and kickstarted the departure of Askarov to San Jose earlier this summer.  This season, he’ll be on a contract that’s well below market value for a high-end starter while the fact his deal came in close to $1MM below Connor Hellebuyck was a tidy piece of business as well.  Starting in 2025-26, Saros will be among the top-paid netminders but he has shown himself to be worthy of being in that territory.

Buyouts

F Matt Duchene ($5.556MM in 2024-25, $6.556MM in 2025-26, $1.556MM in 2026-27 through 2028-29)
F Kyle Turris ($2MM through 2027-28)

Retained Salary Transactions

D Mattias Ekholm ($250K through 2025-26)
F Ryan Johansen ($4MM in 2024-25)*

*-Philadelphia has announced an intention to terminate Johansen’s contract with Johansen’s camp indicating it intends to grieve the move.  If the termination is ruled valid, this amount would come off the books.  If a settlement at a lower amount is reached, Nashville would be responsible for half of it but the cost would still be lowered.  GM Barry Trotz has indicated he does not intend to spend any potential savings until the matter is resolved.

Still To Sign

F Juuso Parssinen
F Philip Tomasino

Tomasino started with the Predators last season but was ultimately assigned to the minors in February and didn’t return.  That has him heading for what should be a short-term contract, perhaps even a one-year agreement.  But with 70 points in 148 NHL games, it’s not the typical post-ELC agreement for someone just trying to make it full-time; he has more experience than most in that situation.  A one-year pact could check in around $1.4MM while a two-year bridge could be closer to $1.75MM.  As for Parssinen, he also found himself sent down midseason and didn’t return.  That puts him in a similar situation as Tomasino but with 37 points in 89 NHL contests, he doesn’t quite have as much negotiating power.  A short-term agreement should be coming his way as well; a one-year pact should be around $1MM and a two-year contract around $1.2MM.

Best Value: (non-entry-level) Saros (this season)
Worst Value: Schenn

Looking Ahead

Even with nearly $12MM in dead money on the books (possibly less pending resolution of Johansen’s situation), the Predators find themselves with a bit of flexibility heading into the upcoming season, some of which will be cut into when Parssinen and Tomasino sign.  Sitting with three first-round picks and a chance to bank some in-season space, it feels like they are in a spot to try to make a splash at some point on the trade front.

Turning to 2025-26, they already have nearly $79MM on the books but most of the team intact so they might be able to make another addition or retain whoever they get at the trade deadline.  2026-27 sees a big drop in dead cap charges from Duchene and many players on expiring contracts so that could be another point for Trotz to reshape his roster at that time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nashville Predators| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2024

2 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Latest On Nikolaj Ehlers

    Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers

    Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

    Sabres Sign Ryan McLeod To Four-Year Deal

    Rangers, Will Cuylle Agree To Two-Year Deal

    Kings Sign Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, Anton Forsberg

    Ducks Sign Mikael Granlund To Three-Year Deal

    Islanders Sign Jonathan Drouin To Two-Year Deal

    Mammoth Sign Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev To Three-Year Deals

    Blue Jackets Re-Sign Ivan Provorov To Seven-Year Deal

    Recent

    Alex Pietrangelo Placed On LTIR, Unlikely To Play Again

    Flames Ink Goalie Ivan Prosvetov To One-Year Deal

    Ducks Finalize Coaching Staff

    Latest On Nikolaj Ehlers

    Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers

    Islanders Sign Simon Holmstrom To Two-Year Deal

    Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

    Penguins Sign Justin Brazeau, Caleb Jones To Two-Year Deals

    Hurricanes Sign Mike Reilly

    Golden Knights Sign Dylan Coghlan, Jaycob Megna, Cole Reinhardt

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version