Nashville Predators Extend Dante Fabbro
While some speculated that he may have been a name traded at today’s deadline, the deadline is now passed and Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro has actually signed an extension with the team, not been traded. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, he has signed a one-year, $2.5MM extension.
Last month, we covered Fabbro’s situation with the Predators, citing reports that the team had explored the possibility of trading the defenseman, potentially to an in-conference rival such as the San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old defender has had a difficult season, seeing his production and ice time decline from last year. Last season, the smooth-skating former Boston University Terrier scored 24 points in 66 games and averaged over 19 minutes of ice time per game. 
This season, Fabbro has managed just eight points in 56 games and has seen his average ice time drop to just 16 minutes per game, with nearly a minute and a half of that coming on the penalty kill. While some believed that a change of scenery was necessary for the 2016 first-round pick, such a change did not come before today’s trade deadline and he has instead secured a contract for next season containing a $100k raise.
This does not, of course, rule out the possibility that Fabbro will be traded in the offseason and eventually receive that change of scenery that some believe he needs. What this does mean, though, is now on a more talent-depleted Predators team Fabbro will have the opportunity to finish his season on a strong note and potentially even impress the team’s new general manager, Barry Trotz, who will take after the season.
Securing this extension might have been made especially pressing given the Predators’ acquisition of Tyson Barrie from the Edmonton Oilers, as his addition to their lineup means that now Fabbro has two players (Barrie and Alexandre Carrier) above him on the Predators’ right-shot defenseman depth chart. Especially if the Predators decide to keep Barrie beyond this season (which admittedly seems unlikely at this stage given the amount of veterans they have shipped out) Fabbro’s future in Nashville, even with this extension, could be made all the more unclear.
No matter what, though, Fabbro’s contract for next season is secured and that means he’ll be afforded the opportunity to continue his growth as an NHLer and potentially realize some of the promise that got him drafted 17th overall in 2016.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Nashville Predators Acquire Rasmus Asplund
The Nashville Predators are acquiring Rasmus Asplund from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, per a team announcement. Asplund is playing on an $825k cap hit for the rest of the season, from which point he will be eligible for restricted free agency.
Asplund was the 33rd overall pick at the 2016 draft, impressing scouts due to the fact that he was trusted to play regularly in the SHL for Farjestad at such a young age. Asplund played two more seasons in Sweden before coming over to play for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2019-20. He played quite well, scoring 41 points in 75 games, and earned his first NHL call-up the following year.
Last season, Asplund finally emerged as a full-time NHLer, playing in 80 games and scoring 27 points. His energetic play and defensive abilities quickly earned him the trust of head coach Don Granato, who gave the forward over 14 minutes of ice time per night including time on both special teams units.
This season has been a different story, though, as Asplund has frequently been a healthy scratch for the team. While he has remained a contributor on their penalty kill when in the lineup, Asplund has gotten into only 27 games and scored just eight points. He’s played just six games in 2023 and none since February 13th. By moving Asplund to Nashville, the Sabres clear room for their new forward acquisition, Jordan Greenway, and also give Asplund a chance to get a greater opportunity playing for a new club.
While it might be slightly disappointing to receive such a low future draft pick in exchange for a player who once held quite a bit of promise, this season as a whole has been highly encouraging for the Sabres and it’s highly unlikely that this move has any major impact on the team’s chase of a Wild Card spot this season.
For the Predators, this is a savvy move to acquire a player who could thrive in a more regular opportunity in their lineup. Injuries have left the Predators absolutely starved for forward help in recent weeks, and the combination of Asplund’s versatility and defensive ability should make him a regular in the team’s lineup for at least the rest of this season, with the possibility to extend the relationship beyond this season.
While there are some who might prefer that the Predators hold on to every possible draft pick as they head into a rebuild-like direction, taking a flyer on a solid young player like Asplund is definitely a reasonable move to make, especially given the current state of the team’s forward corps.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was first to report the deal.
Nashville Predators Recall John Leonard
- The Nashville Predators have been one of the busier sellers in recent days, having shipped out Mattias Ekholm, Mikael Granlund, and Tanner Jeannot with an eye toward building for the future. With all the pieces moving out, the Predators have begun the process of calling up some of their younger players. Luke Evangelista received the first call-up of his career earlier this week, and now Nashville has announced that John Leonard has been recalled to the big club. Leonard,24, is a former 2018 sixth-round pick who is currently tied for third in scoring on Milwaukee this season with 32 points. Leonard does have NHL experience on his resume, having dressed in 58 games with the San Jose Sharks, where he tallied 15 points.
Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Mikael Granlund
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made another trade. The team has acquired forward Mikael Granlund from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick.
Penguins GM Ron Hextall had the following to say about this trade:
Mikael is a versatile forward, able to play either wing or center, and contribute offensively. He has experience on both the power play and penalty kill and can add options to our lineup.
By acquiring Granlund, Pittsburgh has not only added an experienced top-six player to their lineup, but they have also signaled their intention to invest in this season’s Penguins team with the hope of going on a playoff run. While the Penguins remain in playoff position, the team has (recent three-game winning streak aside) stumbled as the calendar shifted to 2023.
Their struggles led to calls from fans and local media members alike for the organization to fire Hextall, but this trade indicates that the organization believes that the team’s underperformance is a bug, not a feature.
This season, Granlund has scored 36 points in 58 games, and averaged over 18 and a half minutes of ice time with some sporadic penalty-killing time. While his offensive production is down from last season, he scored 64 points last season and is under team control for another two seasons after this one at a $5MM cap hit that’s reasonable given his resume.
He’s not the ascending young player anymore that he was on the Minnesota Wild, and some underlying numbers have soured on him this year, it’s easy to see why the Penguins are optimistic about what he could bring to their lineup.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has quite a few options for how to approach adding Granlund to his lineup and has to be thrilled to have a new, highly capable forward to work with. The 31-year-old Finn can play both at center and as a winger, and his well-respected two-way game gives him added on-ice versatility.
The Penguins could opt to have him replace Jeff Carter as the team’s third-line center, letting the 38-year-old vacate an everyday role in the midst of what has been a nightmare season. They could also shift Carter down to the fourth line in Blueger’s vacated spot, although one would think that offseason trade acquisition Ryan Poehling would be preferable there.
Sullivan could also keep Carter entrenched as the third-line center and use Granlund to shuffle the team’s top six. Since Evgeni Malkin has had his fair share of injury issues in recent years, Granlund’s ability to play center will be of significant value should Malkin find himself knocked out of the lineup.
At the price of a second-round pick, the Penguins have added a player who figures to make their team better for this season and for a few years to come. Is it the wisest move for a team to make when they’re widely seen as being a cut below the heavyweights of the Eastern Conference? Maybe not, especially seeing as Granlund hasn’t been as productive this season, and at 31 years old that could be a signal of an age-related decline.
But with Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang all inching deeper into their thirties, the Penguins are looking to maximize whatever time they have left with their franchise icons. Every passing year could conceivably be the last of that trio as elite players, and this trade shows that the Penguins are serious about trying to make noise this spring.
For Nashville, this deal continues their decision to pivot towards building for the future. With Barry Trotz now back in the fold and set to fully take the reins from GM David Poile in the Summer, the team is charting a new direction in its search for a contender. Mattias Ekholm, Tanner Jeannot, and Nino Niederreiter have all been dealt already, and Granlund adds another draft pick to their growing stockpile.
The Predators give up a player who figured to be a top-six staple for the next few years, but since they don’t seem as intent on short-term Stanley Cup contention, it’s easy to see why the pick is more valuable.
Additionally, in today’s flat-cap environment, it’s extremely difficult to move money without taking dollars back. The value of the Predators clearing Granlund’s $5MM off their books without having to retain or take any contracts back is definitely an important element of this trade.
Nashville now has five second-round picks over the next two drafts and could add more if they choose to trade any more veteran players. While the Predators’ coaching staff can’t be thrilled to lose such a capable veteran, Predators fans that have long hoped the team would pivot towards a more rebuild-like direction seem to be finally getting their wish.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report on Granlund being traded to Pittsburgh.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
New York Rangers Make Multiple Roster Moves
The New York Rangers have announced a few moves today ahead of their anticipation acquisition of Patrick Kane. They’ve recalled defenseman Braden Schneider from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, re-assigning forward Ryan Carpenter in his place. In addition, the Rangers have traded forward Austin Rueschhoff to the Nashville Predators in exchange for future considerations, per the team.
PuckPedia notes these transactions won’t be registered until tomorrow for cap reasons related to the Kane trade.
Schneider, New York’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has solidified his role full-time in the NHL this season after splitting last year between the Rangers and Wolf Pack. He was sent down yesterday in a brief cap-related move. Still just 21, the right-shot D-man has five goals and 15 points in 59 games this year, along with solid defensive play.
Carpenter, on the other hand, has seen about equal time with the Rangers and Wolf Pack this year after multiple consecutive seasons as a full-time NHLer. The 32-year-old forward has a goal and two assists in 22 games with the Rangers this season, but he’s been in Hartford since the middle of January. Like Schneider, he was moved between leagues yesterday for cap-related reasons.
With the Rueschhoff trade, the Rangers move out a contract as they prepare to make a big add. In the midst of his third season with the Wolf Pack, the 25-year-old undrafted free agent will likely report to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The former Western Michigan University standout had 20 goals, 23 assists, and 43 points in 113 games with Hartford across three seasons and has yet to make his NHL debut.
Edmonton Oilers Acquire Mattias Ekholm
5:37 pm: The Oilers have made the trade official, also acquiring a 2024 sixth-round pick along with Ekholm.
4:28 pm: The Edmonton Oilers have made their deadline splash, set to acquire veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick from the Nashville Predators, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. A few moments later, Friedman reported on the return, announcing that the Predators will acquire Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2024. Later on, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Predators will also retain 4% ($250K) of Ekholm’s remaining contract.
Frequently the focus of trade rumors for the last several seasons, Ekholm will try to become the missing piece of the Oilers’ defense. After spending the last 12 years as a main piece on the Predators, Ekholm will look to transfer his two-way play to the Oilers’ back end. Since the 2015-16 season, Ekholm has always averaged over 20 minutes a game, spending time on both the power-play and penalty kill. He has the ability to block shots and create a lot of them himself, he should be the significant defense piece the Oilers have been searching for all season long.
In a surprise to many, Barrie is one of the main pieces headed back to Nashville. Benefiting by being on the same powerplay as Connor McDavid, Barrie’s playmaking abilities on the backend had a resurgence after his one year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After signing a 1-year contract with the Oilers before the 2020-21 season, his play impressed enough to earn him a 3-year, $13.5MM contract extension. In the second year of that deal, Barrie will look to transfer his passing ability to a new-look team in Nashville. Although Barrie is most known for his offensive abilities, his possession numbers are quite good as well, earning a CF% of 54.9 throughout his career.
A now-former first-round selection of Edmonton in the 2022 NHL Draft, Schaefer will become a nice prospect the Predators will add to their system. After scoring 58 points in 66 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Oilers used the 32nd overall pick to select him. Continuing to grow in the Western Hockey League, Schaefer has scored 47 points in 44 games so far this season. As the Predators have also acquired Edmonton’s first-round pick in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft, they are guaranteed two young first-round talents if they hold on to the pick. As current GM David Poile transitions the reigns over to Predators legend Barry Trotz, Poile has left now left Trotz with 11 picks in the first three rounds of the next two NHL drafts.
In a corresponding move, the Predators announced that forward Mark Jankowski has been recalled to replace Ekholm on the active roster.
Nashville Predators Recall Luke Evangelista
The Nashville Predators are headed in a new direction, and it is time to check out some of the organization’s prospects. The team has recalled Luke Evangelista from the Milwaukee Admirals, the first call-up of his short professional career.
Selected 42nd overall in 2020, the impressive development of Evangelista has gone largely unnoticed by the media, partly because of the missing season in 2020-21 and his return to the OHL in 2021-22.
After playing just 14 games in his post-draft year because of the COVID restrictions that canceled the OHL’s season, Evangelista returned to the London Knights last year and went on a rampage. With 55 goals and 111 points in 62 games as captain of the powerhouse junior program, he showed that a lost year had no impact on his offensive development.
In 49 games with the Admirals this year, he has continued that upward trajectory with 41 points, even if his goal-scoring totals have come back down to earth. Now, following the trades of Nino Niederreiter and Tanner Jeannot, plus more that could be coming down the pipe for Nashville, Evangelista will get his chance at the highest level.
Even if the rest of this season isn’t much fun for Predators fans, they will have some exciting young faces to watch.
Nashville Predators Reassign Kevin Gravel
The Nashville Predators have loaned Kevin Gravel back to the AHL after he cleared waivers on the weekend. He’ll be joined there by newcomer Isaac Ratcliffe, who was also assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers last night.
Gravel, 30, has played in 14 games for the Predators this season, most recently suiting up last night for all of 12 shifts. The coaching staff has never shown much trust in the rangy defender, but he still represents some valuable depth as a player with over 120 games of NHL experience.
With the Predators returning home for a game tomorrow night and Cal Foote coming in to give the team another option on defense, Gravel—who was up under emergency conditions—was no longer needed. Foote’s arrival gave them eight defensemen, though that may not last long, given the rumors swirling around Dante Fabbro and Mattias Ekholm.
If Nashville does move multiple defensemen before Friday’s deadline, Gravel will likely be right back up to help fill in down the stretch. The veteran is in the first season of a two-year deal he signed last summer.
Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators Discussing Mattias Ekholm
When insiders talk about the Nashville Predators being “open for business” this trade deadline, it usually includes a small caveat. Three untouchables are on the roster: Roman Josi, Juuse Saros, and Filip Forsberg. Notably, that list does not include long-time Predator Mattias Ekholm, who has seemingly been on the block-off the block for a few years.
After last night’s stunning return for Tanner Jeannot, Predators fans may be on board with blowing up the core and rebuilding, and there may even be a little trust returning to a front office that had lost the confidence of many in the market.
Today, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Predators are in discussions with the Edmonton Oilers regarding Ekholm, though there is no indication that a deal is close. The Oilers have been connected to just about every high-priced defenseman on the market as they try to give Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl some support ahead of the playoffs. Dreger adds that there are still talks between Edmonton and the Montreal Canadiens centered around Joel Edmundson.
Ekholm, 32, is signed through the 2025-26 season and carries a $6.25MM cap hit, meaning the Oilers would have to find a creative way to fit him into their current structure. The team essentially has to move out any money they bring in, and it seems unlikely that the Predators would want to retain a large portion of Ekholm’s salary, given how long his contract extends.
But the Oilers aren’t the only team in the mix. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period adds that the Los Angeles Kings have also “kicked this idea around” as they look for their own defensive addition.
If the Predators can strip some of the expensive, veteran contracts off the books while adding future assets, new general manager Barry Trotz will be coming into an enviable situation. The team is already looking at a pretty full draft cupboard, with 11 picks this year, nine in 2024, and an extra first-round selection in 2025.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Nashville Predators Acquire Isaac Ratcliffe
The Nashville Predators aren’t just selling at the deadline. Last night they made a smaller deal to acquire Isaac Ratcliffe from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations. The move gives the former top prospect a new home, and perhaps a fresh start as he continues to struggle at the professional level.
Selected 35th overall in 2017, Ratcliffe was a force to be reckoned with for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. The 6’6″ winger could lean on smaller junior players and bully his way to the net, resulting in massive point totals and sky-high expectations. In his final year with Guelph he scored 50 goals in 65 regular season games, while adding 105 penalty minutes. He seemed like the perfect Flyers prospect.
Unfortunately, that performance never carried over to the AHL. Ratcliffe scored just 15 points as a rookie in 2019-20, and was limited by injuries the following year. His best performance so far was in 2021-22 when he had 11 goals and 28 points for Lehigh Valley, while also making his NHL debut. Through 10 games with the Flyers, he had four points—not bad for a young player still finding his way, and encouraging enough to earn a new one-year deal with the club.
This year has been a disaster though, with just two goals and four points in 26 minor league contests. Given his age and performance so far, Ratcliffe was a real candidate to go unqualified in the offseason. He’ll get a chance to catch on in Nashville before that happens, though his future as an NHL player is still completely unclear.