Predators Could Have Interest In Jacob Bernard-Docker
- Still with the Senators, Garrioch reported earlier this week that the team has made defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker available and they are hoping to add a prospect in return. The 24-year-old has been limited to only 25 games this season between injuries and being scratched while he’s logging just over 13 minutes a night. He’s waiver-eligible and it seems unlikely he’d pass through unclaimed so Ottawa’s intention appears to be to try to flip Bernard-Docker for some sort of tangible value beyond clearing up $805K in cap room. Garrioch suggests that the Predators might be one of the teams interested in the blueliner’s services.
Predators Recall Jake Lucchini And Spencer Stastney, Place Roman Josi On IR
On top of scratching pending UFA winger Gustav Nyquist for today’s game with a potential trade on the way, the Predators have made three other roster moves as well. Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game relays (Twitter link) that Nashville has recalled winger Jake Lucchini and defenseman Spencer Stastney from AHL Milwaukee. To make room on the roster, blueliner Roman Josi was placed on injured reserve.
Lucchini is in his first season with the Preds after signing a two-year, two-way deal with them last summer. While he got into 40 NHL games with Minnesota last season during various recalls, this is his first promotion of the season after clearing waivers back in training camp. The 29-year-old has 14 goals and 15 assists in 53 games with the Admirals thus far, a drop in his per-game output after recording 23 points in 30 minor league outings in 2023-24.
Stastney, meanwhile, started the season on the non-roster list while taking a leave of absence and has split time between Nashville and Milwaukee since then. The 25-year-old has been held off the scoresheet in seven appearances with the Preds this season while logging a little over 16 minutes a night. He has been productive with the Admirals, however, notching 13 points in 23 outings at the minor league level.
As for Josi, he exited Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and his placement on IR means he’ll be out for both games this weekend at the very least although he’ll be out longer than that with the team revealing (Twitter link) he’s out week-to-week. The captain hasn’t been able to duplicate the offensive performance he had last year when he notched 85 points but he still has 39 points in 55 games, good for a tie for 15th among all NHL blueliners. Of course, Josi also logs heavy minutes, averaging more than 25 minutes a night so Nashville’s back end will have its work cut out for them to cover his absence.
Gustav Nyquist Scratched For Trade-Related Reasons
10:20 AM: The Wild are among the most aggressive teams showing interest in Nyquist, Friedman reports. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds that while the two sides are discussing a deal, the trade isn’t done yet.
9:57 AM: The trade-related scratches for deadline sellers have officially begun. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Nashville Predators will scratch pending unrestricted free agent Gustav Nyquist for this afternoon’s game against the New York Islanders for “health protection”.
Nyquist is one of the more obvious trade pieces for this year’s deadline. He’s on the final season of a two-year, $6.37MM contract signed with Nashville in 2023. Since the Predators have seemingly committed to punting on this season, he’s likely their easiest tradeable asset.
He should also receive an abundance of interest. The Halmstad, Sweden native is only a year removed from a career-year, scoring 23 goals and 75 points in 81 games during his first year with the club. Despite the impressive scoring numbers, Nyquist also produced the highest CorsiFor% and on-ice save percentage at even strength since his time with the Detroit Red Wings in the mid-to-late 2010s.
Like many of his peers in Nashville, Nyquist’s scoring output has dissipated this year. He’s scored nine goals and 21 points in 51 games, heading toward the lowest production of his career since his injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. Still, his shooting percentage is fairly close to his career average, and he remains a possession wizard with a 56.4% CorsiFor% at even strength.
The flexibility he provides by being a top or middle-six winger who can play on both sides of the ice should benefit the Predators’ eventual return. Nyquist’s former teams, such as the Blue Jackets, Red Wings, and Wild, all make sense, with the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Tampa Bay Lightning likely also having some interest.
Predators Recall Marc Del Gaizo
The Predators announced they’ve recalled defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from AHL Milwaukee. Fellow blue-liner Jake Livingstone is headed down to the minors in a corresponding transaction to keep Nashville’s active roster with one open spot.
The recall marks Del Gaizo’s first time on the roster since mid-December, when he cleared waivers on his way down to Milwaukee. It was the second time the 25-year-old had cleared waivers this season after doing so late in training camp, but after starting the season in the AHL, he received his first recall less than two weeks into the regular season. He spent nearly two months up in the NHL aside from a handful of paper transactions, making a career-high 21 appearances with three assists and an even rating.
Del Gaizo’s only previous NHL experience came in Nashville last season, when the 2019 fourth-rounder posted three assists and a plus-two rating in nine games amid call-ups in November and March. The former UMass standout has had underwhelming possession impacts when given the chance with the Preds, posting a 47.3 CF% and -0.7 expected rating across 30 games since his debut. The 5’11” lefty does block shots with aplomb, averaging 5.11 per 60 minutes, and also averages just over three shot attempts per game.
You could do worse for a depth call-up, especially one who led Milwaukee defenders in scoring last season with 8-26–34 in 60 games. He hasn’t quite matched that pace this year with 8-4–12 through 30 appearances, although he does rank second on the club with a +10 rating.
This latest audition will be an important one for Del Gaizo, who will qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. He’ll draw into the lineup tonight against the league-leading Jets after captain Roman Josi sustained an upper-body injury against the Panthers on Tuesday. The latter is now listed as day-to-day, per head coach Andrew Brunette (via the team’s Brooks Bratten).
Nashville recalled Livingstone last week before announcing Adam Wilsby would be done for the year with an upper-body injury. He did not draw into the lineup and instead served as a healthy scratch for three contests. He returns to Milwaukee, where he has 5-4–9 in 40 appearances with 33 PIMs and a plus-nine rating.
Roman Josi Out With Upper-Body Injury, Recovery Timeline Unknown
It doesn’t appear the Nashville Predators will have their captain tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets. Beat reporter Brooks Bratten reported earlier that defenseman Roman Josi is still being evaluated for an upper-body injury suffered in Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
When asked about Josi’s ongoing injury evaluation, head coach Andrew Brunette said (as reported by Predators’ reporter Nick Kieser), “Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I don’t really know. With those things it’s day-to-day, could be week-to-week, could be season-ending, we don’t really know yet.” Although speaking vaguely, Brunette mentioning a longer-term injury when speaking to reporters should raise concerns regarding Josi’s availability for the foreseeable future.
Predators Acquire Jesse Ylönen From Lightning
The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are making an AHL swap shortly before the trade deadline. The Predators announced they’ve acquired forward Jesse Ylönen from the Lightning for forward Anthony Angello.
Sticking to the deadline approach he shared yesterday, general manager Barry Trotz has acquired a forward with NHL experience who can fill in should the Predators move out multiple forward pieces. There are non-subtle expectations Nashville will be one of the aggressive sellers during this year’s deadline season, and Ylönen provides a quality depth option for that approach.
Despite playing the entire year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Ylönen is a veteran of 111 games at the NHL level — all with the Montreal Canadiens. After debuting with the Canadiens on May 12, 2021, Ylönen scored 11 goals and 29 points in Montreal before signing on with the Lightning this past summer as an unrestricted free agent. He was recalled on February 22nd by the Lightning but only served as a practice player for Tampa Bay’s returning members of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The lack of NHL minutes hasn’t hindered his production this season as Ylönen’s recorded eight goals and 25 points in 47 games for the Crunch. That production puts the Scottsdale, AZ native third on the team in scoring and would make him tied for seventh on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Meanwhile, Angello heads east to join the fourth organization of his professional career. The former fifth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a veteran of 320 games at the AHL level split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Thunders, and Admirals. He’s managed 68 goals and 133 points over that stretch and 307 PIMs. Angello isn’t a stranger to the NHL either, scoring three goals and five points in 31 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022.
Predators Looking To The Future As Trade Deadline Approaches
It certainly wouldn’t be an overstatement to say the Nashville Predators overplayed their hand last summer. General manager Barry Trotz used free agency to lock up $20.5MM per season in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei through at least 2028. The moves were transformative. In one fell swoop, Nashville landed Stamkos in his first trip to unrestricted free agency and locked up the top of their lineup. It gave the Predators a roster that, on paper, seemed guaranteed to challenge playoff contention. But the new band started the year with a dismal 5-10-3 record that they haven’t recovered from since.
Nashville now ranks second-to-last in the Central Division with the Trade Deadline just around the corner. That standing will inevitably affect their deadline approach. Trotz told Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game that he’s met with the Predators’ top players and shared a clear sentiment – either you’re in for the long haul, or he’ll look for a move. That includes potentially asking players with no movement clauses to consider waiving – a group that includes Stamkos, Skjei, Roman Josi, and Filip Forsberg. When asked about his feelings about the failed project, Trotz added that Nashville is already onto the next stage of their long-term plan, and told Kieser, “I’m okay with it. We took our swing, okay? We still need guys to play against top players.”
The Predators haven’t earned much for their high spending this summer. The team is, once again, led in scoring by Forsberg – who has 21 goals and 53 points in 56 games despite Nashville ranking second-to-last in total goals. Marchessault has done enough to earn the second place spot with 45 points – but Stamkos has only recorded 33, and Skjei only 21. Those are far from the top-of-the-lineup stats that Nashville was hoping for, and they could make parting with any failed additions a tall order.
Any of Nashville’s deadline moves will be solely focused on leaning into their future. Their top prospects have been the silver lining this season. Zachary L’Heureux has earned a routine spot in the lineup with his sharp-edged physicality, and each of Joakim Kemell, Fedor Svechkov, and Reid Schaefer seem close to making the jump themselves. But finding space in a loaded veteran lineup has been challenging, especially with bottom-six options like Colton Sissons and Thomas Novak standing as the team’s last line of defense at points this season. Each of L’Heureux, Kemell, and Schaefer are currently listed as left-wingers, and thus compete with Gustav Nyquist, Cole Smith, and Marchesseault for space on the depth chart. Moving one of the three veterans, or even parting ways with a low-stakes centerman, could go a long way towards giving Nashville’s top youngsters some more room to breathe.
Nashville also has six picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft, which could be enough to land some of the deadline’s top young options with a blockbuster swap. 23-year-olds Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens have both been rumored to be on the Buffalo Sabres’ chopping block for the right price, and could bring the spark needed to lead Nashville into their next step. Nashville could also make a swing for high-skill, high-upside winger Trevor Zegras, who has slowly drifted away from the Anaheim Ducks in the last two seasons. All three players seem like long shots to head to Tennessee – and it’s not clear how they’d fit into a confused Predators lineup – but landing a big splash could help Nashville turn towards the future without jeopardizing Trotz’s hope for top-line competitors.
Nashville will need to be ready to pay big for any of those young options – especially with Buffalo and Anaheim well outside of their own playoff race. The Predators may instead need to paint Stamkos and Marchesseault as reclamation projects who could make big marks of a playoff hopeful. Both stars are enticing options, even in a down year. They each scored 40 goals last season, and now find themselves pushing to score 20 this year. That speaks to certain upside, should a different team rediscover their offense. Even then, cap concerns will quickly come into the conversation – which could push a cheaper option like Ryan O’Reilly into the forefront. O’Reilly carries a $4.5MM cap hit through the 2026-27 season, and could entice deadline buyers with his two-way play.
A smooth tongue, or the right mix of draft picks, could land Nashville a hefty return for their aging veterans – but it will take a major effort. It seems more likely that the team will clear out their depth chart through moving vets like Nyquist, Smith, Sissons, or Michael McCarron. Those dump offs would certainly open space for top prospects, but Nashville will have to make sure their pricey stars are open to supporting a lengthy retool or rebuild. If not, Trotz may need to find yet another blockbuster to try and push his team onto the right track.
Teams Exploring Uniting Brayden Schenn, Luke Schenn Via Trade
The Trade Deadline is right around the corner and the list of difference-makers on the open market is few and far between. Of the list of names circulating trade rumors, only two players offer the experience of being a 1,000 game veteran, former Stanley Cup champion, and wearing a letter for their team – Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn, and St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn. With both players seemingly expendable options on teams that aren’t headed for the playoffs, other teams are beginning to wonder what it’d take to acquire both brothers at the deadline, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest Saturday Headlines.
The Schenn brothers have each continued their consistent, impactful play through their mid-30s. Brayden has served as St. Louis’ captain for the last two seasons, while supporting the team’s middle lines with center and wing flexibility. He has 11 goals and 32 points in 56 games on the year, while adding 48 penalty minutes, a minus-seven, and a 50.1 faceoff percentage. St. Louis acquired Brayden ahead of the 2017-18 season, and quickly pushed him into a top-six role. He embraced the opportunity out of the gates, netting a career-high 28 goals and 70 points in his first year in St. Louis. He’s leveled out as a routine mid-50s scorer in the years since, ultimately averaging 52 points a year with the Blues – though he did reach 65 in the 2022-23 campaign.
Brayden also been a stout playoff performer in the Blue-note, with 26 points in 51 games over four postseason appearances with the Blues. He has found his groove as an impactful, two-way centerman with the versatility to fill a wide variety of roles, even at 33 years old. Those traits, and his Cup-winning precedent, will make him a desirable deadline option.
But as is natural, the older brother can boast the better numbers. Luke has played in 55 more games, and won one more Stanley Cup, than Brayden while serving as a journeyman defensive-defenseman for the last 17 seasons. Luke’s career started when Toronto drafted him fifth-overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. He joined the Leafs in the following year, and quickly jumped out as a heavy-hitting, low-scoring shutdown option – stamped by his 206 hits in 70 games as an NHL rookie, an NHL record for rookie defenders at the time. Luke tamped down his hitting and penalty minutes in the name of more scoring through the first seven years of his career, but it became apparent as he entered his prime years that his best impact came in his own end.
Through trips to Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, and more – Schenn built up his propensity for winning the title of heavy-hitter everywhere he went. He averaged 15 points, 53 penalty minutes, and a staggering 245 hits each season through his 20s – stout enough to land with the golden age of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he turned 30 in 2019. Schenn only played in 63 regular season games across two years in Tampa Bay, but his bottom-pair role was enough to earn a name on both Stanley Cups when the Bolts accomplished their back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021. Luke has continued his wandering career in the years since, leaving Tampa for Vancouver following the second Cup win, then returning to Toronto, and now spending the last two seasons in Nashville.
Brayden has been granted long-term stability, while Luke has moved seemingly every other year – but one more move could await the Saskatchewan brothers. Luke carries a manageable, $2.5MM cap hit through the end of next season, while Brayden’s $6.5MM cap hit through 2027-28 might be a bit tougher to bring in. St. Louis has all of their retention spots available, and could support the finances of a Schenn deal with the right sweeteners – though they’d have to carry the dead cap through the next three seasons. Logistics aside, the on-ice impact of the Schenn brothers likely wouldn’t command too rich of a return. Brayden has settled in as a capable third-line forward with second-line upside, while Luke seems more comfortable serving from the depths of his team’s blue-line. Both are important roles to fill when planning out a long playoff run – and finding a way to land both brothers could be a quick way for postseason hopefuls to shore up their front and back ends.
Predators’ Adam Wilsby Out For Season With Upper-Body Injury
Fresh off a two-year extension, Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby‘s season is over. The team announced he’s been placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the 2024-25 campaign with the upper-body injury that cost him nine of the Preds’ final 17 games before the break. In additional moves, the team issued winger Zachary L’Heureux a week-to-week designation for his upper-body injury and moved him to IR. They also activated veteran Mark Jankowski from injured reserve, so at least he’ll be available coming out of the break after missing the last month with an upper-body issue.
The 24-year-old Wilsby’s first NHL campaign ends after 23 games. Drafted 101st overall in 2020 out of Swedish second-tier club Södertälje SK, he’s played stateside since 2022 and was working his way up the organizational ladder. His point totals in the minors never jumped off the page, posting 10-34–44 in 146 career appearances with AHL Milwaukee to date, but he’s a well-rounded talent with good passing ability who hasn’t posted a negative rating at any level since his draft year in the HockeyAllsvenskan.
Wilsby’s entry-level contract expired last summer, so he signed a two-way deal to cover the 2024-25 campaign nearly three weeks into restricted free agency. He didn’t make the team out of camp, but he continued to chug along the minors and got his first look in the NHL lineup in late November after a lower-body injury sidelined Jeremy Lauzon, who’s also now out for the rest of the year.
He’s stuck around on the roster since his debut, not at all looking out of place. It might be easy to overlook his one goal and four assists on the year, but he’s logged significant even-strength minutes for the Preds and has even seen some shorthanded action. The 6’1″ lefty averaged 18:06 per game with a plus-three rating – second on the team behind Nick Blankenburg‘s plus-nine – and recorded 17 blocks and 18 hits. He may not be overly physical, but his +4.5 expected rating at even strength leads Nashville defenders and his 52.8% Corsi share at even strength is quite respectable as well. That well-rounded initial showing earned him some security – albeit a league-minimum salary with a two-way structure the first year – for the next two seasons.
While Nashville will be disappointed not to see how he performs down the stretch, especially since he’d seen more than 20 minutes of deployment in recent outings, he’s done enough to put himself under serious consideration for a roster spot coming out of camp next season. They’ll have some turnover on the back end with waiver claim Andreas Englund and recent call-up Jake Livingstone slated for unrestricted free agency, and it stands to reason they’ll look to move the aging Luke Schenn as he enters the final year of his deal. There will be an opportunity for Wilsby to play important minutes for the retooling Preds and prove he can be a long-term second or third-pairing option on the left side.
Meanwhile, L’Heureux is ticketed for his second multi-game absence since the Preds recalled him from Milwaukee in the early weeks of the season. He missed three games in January while serving a suspension for slew-footing Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. The 21-year-old has done well in limited minutes, scoring 4-9–13 in 45 appearances while averaging 11:39 per game. The hard-nosed 2021 first-rounder leads Nashville forwards with 143 hits, although that physical play hasn’t yet translated into above-average defensive impacts. He sustained his injury on Feb. 7 against the Blackhawks and missed the Preds’ final pre-break contest as a result.
Jankowski, 30, returns after missing nine games with an upper-body issue. The 2012 first-rounder has topped out as a depth option at best, but he was actually one of the Preds’ more effective per-game producers last season with 15 points in 32 games amid AHL call-ups. The same can’t be said for Jankowski this season, who’s scored at less than half the rate with 3-5–8 in 37 appearances. He’s carried increased value defensively, though. He’s seen more deployment at center, winning half of his 210 draws, and grades out as one of Nashville’s best possession players with a 55.5 CF% and +6.8 expected rating. Opponents only score 2.2 goals per 60 minutes with Jankowski on the ice at even strength, one of the lowest numbers on the team.
Predators Recall Kieffer Bellows, Jake Livingstone
The Predators have recalled forward Kieffer Bellows and defenseman Jake Livingstone from AHL Milwaukee, per an announcement from the club. Nashville’s active roster is now full ahead of their return to play against the Avalanche tomorrow.
Bellows, 27, skated in four NHL seasons with the Islanders and Flyers from 2019-20 to 2022-23. The 2016 19th overall pick was once one of the top prospects on Long Island but never elevated above a bottom-six role, posting a 14-14–28 scoring line in 95 career top-level appearances.
He’s since settled in as an AHL fixture, even spending last year on a minor-league contract in the Maple Leafs’ system. He broke out for 27-22–49 in 52 games with the AHL’s Marlies, landing some renewed NHL interest, and landed a two-way deal from Nashville last summer. He’s been recalled once this season, spending a couple of weeks on the roster in January, but was a healthy scratch in seven straight contests before being returned to Milwaukee.
Bellows’ offense has taken a step back from last season’s nearly point-per-game showing in Toronto. He ranks third on Milwaukee in scoring with 14-15–29 in 41 games but is tied with Jake Lucchini for the club lead in goals. The 6’1″ winger has also added 54 PIMs and an even rating. He’ll return to the NHL ranks for now to serve as an extra forward amid some injury concerns. Winger Zachary L’Heureux missed the final game before the break with an upper-body injury, while Luke Evangelista was absent for the last three with a lower-body issue. There’s been no update yet on their status for Saturday’s game. Mark Jankowski also remains on injured reserve with the upper-body issue that’s kept him out since Jan. 18, and he still carries a week-to-week designation.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Livingstone lands his first NHL recall in nearly two years to give Nashville eight defensemen on the roster while Adam Wilsby deals with an upper-body issue. He signed as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State near the end of the 2022-23 campaign but hasn’t seen NHL ice since skating in five games with the Preds to end that season. The 6’3″, 205-lb righty has 7-19–26 with a sparkling +27 rating in 108 appearances for Milwaukee over the past two years, failing to provide the offense they’d hoped for after a 35-in-39 junior year in Mankato but still serving as a good two-way option. He recorded an assist and a minus-two rating in his first NHL stint, taking three shots on goal and averaging 15:27 per game with 11 blocks and six hits.