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Colton Sissons

Predators Acquire, Extend Nicolas Hague

June 30, 2025 at 9:33 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley 30 Comments

June 30: Both clubs have made the trade official. The Predators announced they’ve retained half of Sissons’ salary, opening up an additional $1.43MM in cap space for the Knights. Vegas is also sending its 2027 third-round pick to Nashville, although it can upgrade to their second-round choice if the Knights win at least two rounds in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

June 29: The Nashville Predators have acquired Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed the defenseman to a four-year, $22MM contract extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In return, the Golden Knights will receive forward Colton Sissons and defender Jeremy Lauzon, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Hague was set to become a restricted free agent on Tuesday, but will now carry a $5.5MM cap hit for the Preds. Lauzon and Sissons each have one year remaining on their contracts.

While it’s no surprise to see Hague traded, the destination isn’t expected. Nashville wasn’t one of the few clubs linked to Hague’s services earlier this month, and Hague’s name was then tossed into speculation for his potential involvement in a Mitch Marner sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs. That Marner deal may still happen, but Hague’s rights won’t be a part of it.

Hague, while an effective piece for the Knights since they drafted him in the second round in 2017, has been deployed almost exclusively on their third pairing. He’s been good while doing it, posting 83 points and a +20 rating in 364 career games while averaging 17:33 per night, but his market value exceeded what Vegas was going to be able or willing to pay him on a new contract this summer, especially with Noah Hanifin and Brayden McNabb ahead of him on the left side.

It didn’t help matters that the Kitchener, Ontario, native is coming off something of a down year in 2024-25. His 12 points in 68 games weren’t too far south of his career average pace. It’s his career-worst possession numbers that caused concern. Hague posted a relative Corsi share of -4.9% at even strength as well as a career-low 48.3 xGF%, and there wasn’t an increase in difficulty in his minutes to explain it. He received an even 50/50 split of offensive and defensive zone starts at 5-on-5 and even saw a lower workload than usual at 17 minutes per game.

That makes Nashville’s steep commitment to the 26-year-old a risky one. A similarly-sized lefty in Kevin Bahl just received an extension at a $5.35MM cap hit from the Flames after a platform year in which he averaged north of 21 minutes per game, provided more offense, and had comparable possession impacts. He’s a year younger than Hague and received a six-year term. It makes it even more of a confusing fit when considering Hague will presumably slot in as Nashville’s No. 3 lefty as well, with Roman Josi and Brady Skjei ahead of him.

There’s now an added logjam amid left-shot depth defenders in Nashville. Andreas Englund is under contract on a one-way deal for 2025-26 and will presumably serve as a healthy extra when everyone is available. Where does that leave waiver-eligible players on two-way deals like veteran Jordan Oesterle or, far more importantly, 24-year-old Adam Wilsby, who showed solid defensive upside in a 23-game call-up last year while averaging over 18 minutes per game?

That’s the question general manager Barry Trotz will need to answer in the coming months before training camp opens. Meanwhile, Vegas immediately addresses the need for a Hague replacement in Lauzon, who fills the role for a price tag that’s $3.5MM cheaper than what Hague ended up signing for. The 28-year-old is less of an adept two-way defender than Hague but is among the most physical rearguards in the league, recording 987 hits in 240 games over the last four seasons.

Last season was a tough one for Lauzon, though. He now enters the final season of his contract after missing most of 2024-25 with a lower-body injury. He recorded one assist, a minus-four rating, and 127 hits in 28 games while averaging 17:58 per night before being shut down in January. While it’s a slight downgrade at the position for the Knights, Lauzon not only costs far less than what Hague was going to make, he also costs less than what Hague made on his expiring contract by $294K.

Not to be overlooked is Sissons, whose 13-year run in the Predators organization ends with this trade. The 31-year-old was a second-round pick in 2012 and has since grown into a quintessential middle-six checking center, ranking seventh in Predators franchise history with 690 games played. Nonetheless, he’s moved out as he enters the final season of the seven-year, $20MM contract he signed as a restricted free agent in 2019.

Sissons is also coming off something of a down year, limited to seven goals and 21 points in 72 showings in 2024-25 after back-to-back 30-point seasons. He also saw a reduction in ice time as well, going from well north of 16 minutes per game in 2023-24 to 14:22 nightly in 2024-25. He’ll get moved out as the Preds look to make more room in their lineup for their younger forwards, 2021 first-rounder Fedor Svechkov chief among them as he looks to serve as a direct replacement for Sissons in the top nine, particularly after the club also brought in center Erik Haula from the Devils earlier this month.

He’ll now serve as bottom-six depth for Vegas, a particularly necessary pickup if Nicolas Roy is moved to Toronto in the Marner sign-and-trade as rumored. That would save Vegas about $140K in cap space at the position – not much, but something for a team for which every cent counts.

As for Vegas, they’re now officially up against it cap-wise after taking on Lauzon and Sissons in this deal. They have a “full roster” at 21 of 23 players with roughly $750K in space, per PuckPedia. That projection has defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on standard injured reserve instead of LTIR, though. He’s now likely to miss the entire campaign, which would give them an additional $8.8MM in spending flexibility if his LTIR placement is executed perfectly. That, plus dealing Roy to Toronto, would leave Vegas with closer to $12.5MM in cap space – potentially enough to accommodate a Marner extension.

PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this article.

Images courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images (Hague) and Steve Roberts-Imagn Images (Sissons).

Nashville Predators| Newsstand| Transactions| Vegas Golden Knights Colton Sissons| Jeremy Lauzon| Nicolas Hague

30 comments

Central Notes: Manson, Kiviranta, Sissons, Schenn, Määttä

April 1, 2025 at 7:16 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche will have one injured member back for their road trip through the Midwest, but no more. Forward Joel Kiviranta has fully recovered from his lower-body injury and will return for the road trip, but defenseman Josh Manson will stay in Denver due to an upper-body injury, according to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette.

Kiviranta has missed Colorado’s last three games, with the team managing a 1-1-1 record in his absence. Despite being in his second year with the organization, he’s offered extraordinary flexibility to the Avalanche’s forward core this season. Kiviranta has demonstrated the ability to play up and down the lineup, putting up a career-high 16 goals in 72 games this season while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game.

Meanwhile, Manson has been continuously plagued by a lower-body injury for much of the 2024-25 campaign. Given that Colorado only has seven games remaining on their schedule, there’s a decent chance Manson may not play another regular season contest for them this season. If that’s the case, he’ll finish the year with one goal and 15 points in 48 games, averaging 18:02 of ice time per game.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • After sustaining a leg injury a few days ago against the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators’ forward Colton Sissons’ season may have already ended. According to general manager Barry Trotz (and publicized by Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game), the second-year front office leader said a decision regarding Sissons’ status is coming relatively soon. Kieser quoted Trotz saying, “I would probably say he’s close to not being back for the rest of the season.“
  • Winnipeg Jets’ analyst Mitchell Clinton reported earlier that defenseman Luke Schenn is a game-time decision against the Los Angeles Kings. Clinton didn’t allude to the specifics regarding Schenn, but he did mention that Schenn left early from the team’s morning skate. Should he miss tonight’s contest, the Jets will likely contextualize Schenn’s absence after the game.
  • Joining Schenn as a game-time decision will be Utah Hockey Club’s Olli Määttä (Tweet Link). Määttä had been dealing with a lower-body injury, which kept him out of the team’s recent matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. However, even if he doesn’t feature in tonight’s game, it shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup much longer. The Finnish blueliner has scored two goals and 15 points in 63 games for Utah since being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in late October.

Colorado Avalanche| Injury| Nashville Predators| Utah Mammoth| Winnipeg Jets Colton Sissons| Joel Kiviranta| Josh Manson| Luke Schenn| Olli Maatta

0 comments

Colton Sissons Sustains Injury, Potentially Opening Door For Matthew Wood

March 30, 2025 at 3:55 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 2 Comments

Nashville Predators’ forward Colton Sissons sustained what appeared to be a serious leg injury in last night’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and the injury could result in a lengthy absence, per Alex Daughtery of the Nashville Tennessean.

With less than five minutes left in the first period, Sissons was hit by Vegas forward Brett Howden and landed hard on his left leg. He needed to be helped off the ice and was unable to put weight on his leg. If leaving the arena in crutches wasn’t a big enough indicator, post-game comments made by teammates and coaches led to speculation surrounding the serious nature of the injury. As an example, defenseman Nick Blankenburg asked for everyone to keep Sissons “in their prayers,” while Head coach Andrew Brunette added that Sissons is a “heart and soul guy” and that the team was a little “shocked” by the injury, per team reporter Brooks Bratten.

The 31-year-old Sissons has spent his entire career in Nashville and has experienced the highs and lows of the franchise along the way. This includes the team’s run to the Stanley Cup finals during the 2016-17 season (where Sissons posted 12 points in 22 games), as well as the struggles of this season, where the team has already been eliminated from post-season contention. On the year, Sissons has posted 21 points and a minus-12 in 72 games.

While Sissons’ injury may result in the end of his season, Predators reporter Nick Kieser wonders if his misfortune could result in an early opportunity for recently signed Matthew Wood. The 20-year-old, the 15th overall selection in the 2023 draft, was signed to a three-year, entry-level deal that was announced just yesterday by GM Barry Trotz. Wood played at the University of Minnesota and just wrapped up his junior season that saw him record 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games. Wood was already set to report to the Predators in the coming days, but with Sissons on the shelf, he may see his first NHL action sooner than anticipated.

Nashville Predators Colton Sissons| Matthew Wood

2 comments

West Notes: Draisaitl, Heiskanen, Trouba, Stephenson, Sissons

March 29, 2025 at 8:29 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 1 Comment

A familiar face will return for the ’Battle of Alberta’ tonight. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, the Edmonton Oilers will welcome back superstar Leon Draisaitl after he missed he last four games with an undisclosed injury.

His presence in the Oilers’ lineup can’t be understated. Draisaitl is having an MVP-caliber season, leading Edmonton in scoring with 49 goals and 101 points in 68 games. Most notably, Draisaitl leads the entire NHL in goals, even strength goals (34), and game-winning goals (10).

The team has faced challenges without him and his teammate, Connor McDavid. The Oilers own a 1-2-1 record in the four games without the duo, averaging 3.00 GF/G while allowing a ghastly 4.50 GA/G to their opponents. Edmonton is battling with the Los Angeles Kings in the standings for the second spot in the Pacific Division, and they’ll want to avoid hobbling into the playoffs due to injuries.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • In a positive update for the Dallas Stars, independent writer Robert Tiffin reported earlier that defenseman Miro Heiskanen had officially resumed skating. Recent reporting indicated that Dallas wasn’t expecting Heiskanen back for their first-round matchup in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, with more than three weeks remaining in the regular season, Heiskanen’s return to skating may mean he’ll return earlier than expected from his knee surgery.
  • According to Derek Lee of The Hockey News, the Anaheim Ducks avoided a worst-case scenario with defenseman Jacob Trouba. Trouba suffered a scary injury in last night’s contest against the New York Rangers when he ran into former teammate Igor Shesterkin’s stick, causing Trouba to crash into the boards at a high velocity. Despite not joining the team for practice today, Trouba’s recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day, and he could feature for Anaheim in their upcoming contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Chandler Stephenson may return to the Seattle Kraken tonight after missing three games due to a lower-body injury. Earlier today, Seattle’s broadcast analyst Alison Lukan reported that Stephenson has been upgraded to a game-time decision. His return would be significant for the Kraken, as he is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals and 48 points in 69 games.
  • Lastly, the Nashville Predators lost a bottom-six forward partway through tonight’s loss against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nashville shared that forward Colton Sissons wouldn’t return to tonight’s action due to a lower-body injury. Further information should come out tomorrow regarding Sissons’ status moving forward. He’s only missed one of Nashville’s 73 games this season.

Anaheim Ducks| Dallas Stars| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Nashville Predators| Seattle Kraken Chandler Stephenson| Colton Sissons| Jacob Trouba| Leon Draisaitl| Miro Heiskanen

1 comment

Central Notes: Brunette, Sissons, Kapanen, Jets

November 9, 2024 at 5:10 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

Predators head coach Andrew Brunette isn’t entirely on the hot seat yet, despite his club’s horrific run out of the gate, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

The third-year head coach is off to just a 4-9-1 start after the Preds went on a highly-publicized free-agency spending spree, sitting squarely in last place in not only the Central Division but the entire league. General manager Barry Trotz hasn’t thrown his newly installed bench boss under the bus just yet, but he did tell Harrington that he thinks “we don’t have enough chemistry on all our lines.”

“Our 5-on-5 play overall has improved defensively since the start of the year,” Trotz continued. “But we haven’t scored a lot of goals.” His assessment is apt. Very few numbers indicate the Predators should be as bad as they are. They’ve controlled the majority of shot attempts, scoring chances and high-danger chances at 5-on-5 while having one of the league’s best penalty kills and a perfectly average power play (20.8%). Juuse Saros hasn’t been outstanding between the pipes, but he’s still been above average, logging a .904 SV%.

The Preds have two main drags. The first is Scott Wedgewood, who’s been borderline unplayable with a .841 SV% and 4.37 GAA in three appearances. The second is a 7.4% shooting percentage that ranks 31st in the league, precisely what Trotz alluded to. That should correct itself over the coming weeks and get Brunette off the media hot seat, especially with Trotz not seriously considering making a coaching change yet.

Also in Nashville, they may be without veteran pivot Colton Sissons again tonight against Utah. He’s a game-time decision with the upper-body injury that kept him out of Thursday’s game against the Panthers, Brunette told 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser.

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Kasperi Kapanen will return to the Blues’ lineup tonight against the Capitals, head coach Drew Bannister told Lou Korac of NHL.com. The right-winger had missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old could have been an unrestricted free agent last summer but signed a one-year, $1MM pact to return to St. Louis on July 1. He’s been an on-again, off-again participant in the lineup this season, even when healthy, limited to just one goal in eight games while averaging south of 12 minutes per night. 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc will sit in the press box to accommodate Kapanen’s return, the team said.
  • After today’s 4-1 win against the Stars, the Jets have become the first team in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games. It’s not quite the best start to a season in league history – that belongs to the 2012-13 Blackhawks and their 21-0-3 run through the season’s first 24 games. But it’s an impressive feat nonetheless, and it has them six points clear of the Wild for first in the NHL, Western Conference and Central Division.

Injury| Nashville Predators| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets Andrew Brunette| Colton Sissons| Kasperi Kapanen

4 comments

Central Notes: Holloway, Kapanen, Makar, Novak, Sissons, Marchment, Vlasic

November 7, 2024 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 1 Comment

In an impressive feat, St. Louis Blues’ forward Dylan Holloway will return to the lineup tonight after leaving the team’s most recent game after taking a puck to the neck (X Link). He left the game on a stretcher and was taken to an emergency department following the incident.

He’s been a solid addition to the Blues this season, as he’s off to the best scoring pace of his career to start the season. Four goals and six points in 13 games don’t necessarily jump off the page but considering he’s only managed nine points in 2022-23 and 2023-24, it’s a good improvement.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, the team will still be without forward Kasperi Kapanen tonight. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported the projected lineup for tonight’s game and it didn’t include Kapanan meaning he’s likely still recovering from his upper-body injury.

Other Central notes:

  • Marc Moser of the Colorado Avalanche originally reported earlier that defenseman Cale Makar would be a game-time decision for the team’s contest tonight. As it turns out, Makar is expected to play in tonight’s action. Makar left during the second period of the team’s recent game against the Seattle Kraken but returned for less than a minute in the third period. He’s been the team’s best and arguably the league’s best player this season with five goals and 23 points in 13 games.
  • The Nashville Predators are without a few middle-six forwards tonight as the team announced Thomas Novak is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Colton Sissons has a similar injury designation. The news will inevitably hurt the Predators in one of their least productive areas as their 2.38 GF/G currently ranks 27th in the NHL.
  • Brien Rea of Victory+ reports that Dallas Stars’ forward Mason Marchment is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. This means that Marchment won’t be in the lineup tonight but could make his return this weekend against the Winnipeg Jets. He’s gotten off to a decent start on the year with two goals and eight points in 11 games.
  • Chicago Blackhawks’ defenseman Alex Vlasic had an impressive defensive season last year with a 90.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations on a basement-dwelling Blackhawks roster. Now that he’s recorded seven assists in 14 games this year, Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic share that Vlasic is now getting outside consideration for Team USA’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. He played internationally for the United States this past summer recording two assists in eight games in the 2024 IIHF World Championships.

4 Nations Face-Off| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| Injury| Nashville Predators| St. Louis Blues| Team USA Alex Vlasic| Cale Makar| Colton Sissons| Dylan Holloway| Kasperi Kapanen| Mason Marchment| Thomas Novak

1 comment

Colton Sissons, Evander Kane Earn Fines

April 8, 2022 at 12:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The NHL Department of Player Safety has handed out a pair of fines today, deciding against suspensions for both Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons and Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane.

Kane has earned a $5,000 fine for kneeing Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi in last night’s game, the maximum allowable under the CBA. The incident in question took place in the second period, with Kane extending his leg to get a piece of Durzi as the puck was sent up ice. The Oilers forward received a two-minute minor penalty for the hit and will now lose a bit of cash as well.

Sissons meanwhile has earned a $2,500 fine for spearing Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris in last night’s match. That amount is notably not the maximum, and Sissons did not receive a penalty from the on-ice officials.

While they’ve avoided suspensions this time, both incidents will go on the record for Kane and Sissons, meaning any future transgressions could be penalized more harshly. Still, given how important every game is down the stretch, being available for their teams is obviously the most important thing.

CBA| Edmonton Oilers| Nashville Predators| Suspensions Colton Sissons| Evander Kane

1 comment

Roman Josi Activated From COVID Protocol

January 1, 2022 at 12:15 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have their captain back just in time. The team will take on the Chicago Blackhawks this afternoon in their first game of 2022 and Roman Josi has been activated from the COVID protocol in time to participate. Josi returns along with Colton Sissons, who has also been activated. Meanwhile, Michael McCarron has been recalled from the taxi squad and Mathieu Olivier takes his place.

Unfortunately, just a few minutes later, the team announced that Dante Fabbro has entered the protocol.

Nashville has lost the first two games following the holiday break, both played without Josi in the lineup. The 31-year-old defenseman is the most important skater on the Predators roster, playing in all situations and driving the offense almost single-handedly at times.

In 30 games, the 2020 Norris Trophy winner has ten goals and 29 points, good for the team lead (tied with Mikael Granlund). Josi averages almost 25 minutes a night, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll see that much ice time in his first game back.

Sissons too is an important player to have back in the lineup, given his role as one of the team’s regular centers. While not a huge offensive contributor, his 13 points in 29 games are still a good bit of secondary scoring.

With these two back, the Predators were almost completely out of the woods when it comes to their current COVID placements. Fabbro’s presence will obviously be missed, meaning they won’t be at full strength for a little while longer.

Nashville Predators Colton Sissons| Michael McCarron| Roman Josi

0 comments

Predators Place Three In COVID Protocol, Activate Eight

December 27, 2021 at 6:31 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

There was plenty of COVID-related activity for the Predators on Monday.  The team announced that defenseman Roman Josi, center Tommy Novak, and winger Colton Sissons have all been placed in COVID protocol.  However, they also got several players back from protocol in wingers Nick Cousins and Philip Tomasino, center Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen, and defensemen Mark Borowiecki and Ben Harpur.  Josi, Novak, and Sissons will be out for at least the next ten days as a result; today’s announcement from the CDC that cuts the quarantine period from ten days to five doesn’t automatically apply to the NHL.

Josi is easily the biggest loss of the three for the Predators as he’s their leading scorer with 29 points in 30 games while averaging just shy of 25 minutes per game.  Sissons isn’t a minor loss either as he’s logging nearly 16 minutes a night on the wing while chipping in with 13 points in 29 contests.

The returns of Granlund and Johansen should certainly help Nashville’s offense.  Granlund is averaging just shy of a point per game with 27 in 28 games, sitting second behind Josi in team scoring.  As for Johansen, he is having a nice bounce-back campaign with 24 points in 27 contests.

On top of these moves, the Predators assigned wingers Matt Luff and Michael McCarron to the taxi squad.  Both players had been up in recent weeks to cover for injuries and absences before hitting COVID protocol themselves but with more players returning than leaving today, there wasn’t room on the NHL roster for them to be placed back there.

COVID Protocol Related Absence| Nashville Predators Ben Harpur| Colton Sissons| Mark Borowiecki| Michael McCarron| Mikael Granlund| Nick Cousins| Taxi Squad

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Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

March 27, 2021 at 10:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Although we’re less than three months into the season, the trade deadline is already just three weeks away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Nashville Predators.

The Nashville Predators are sellers. In fact, the Predators being ready to gut their roster has been one of the more talked-about storylines of the 2020-21 season. Ask any media personality in hockey and they will say that Nashville is shopping this guy and listening on that guy. It seems that almost anyone on the roster could be available as the Predators have been labeled as disappointments.

Yet, hidden behind the headlines, the outrage level likely isn’t that high internally in Nashville. Quietly, the team is actually playing quite well of late. Since Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman proclaimed last month that there were only three untouchables on the entire Nashville roster, the team has gone 10-7-1 including four wins in a row and wins in six of their past seven. The team is up to .500 on the season and that could be enough to sneak into the postseason in the Central Division’s final spot. In their history, the Predators have never really torn apart their roster and restarted and it seems unlikely that they have the proper motivation to do so now.

With that said, this is still not where the 2017 Western Conference Champions thought they would be at this point in time. The season results have gotten worse each year since their Stanley Cup Final appearance: a second-round exit in 2018, a first-round loss in 2019, and a failure to even advance beyond the qualifying round last year. Now, there is a real possibility that the Predators could miss the playoffs entirely this season. A team loaded with depth and numerous talented veterans, Nashville should be better and it is somewhat inexplicable why they aren’t. As a result, there needs to be a shake-up. However, given the recent improvements, the Predators’ approach to the deadline is likely to be less fire sale and more strategic dealing, especially in a buyer’s market.

Record

17-17-1, .500, T-5th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$2.46MM in full-season space ($10.97MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, COL 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 6th
2022: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 7th

Trade Chips

It is probably easier to start with the players who aren’t for sale. As Friedman noted back in February, that definitely includes career Predator goaltender Pekka Rinne, who is in the last year of his contract and quite possibly his career and is being honored with the ability to go out on his own terms (and a No-Movement Clause helps). It also included cornerstone defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. At the time, this was the extent of Friedman’s list. He even noted that young defender Dante Fabbro or top scorer Filip Forsberg could be available at the right price. Now, that is almost certainly not the case. Friedman has also since flipped on Ellis’ availability, but he should be safe. Nashville also has no reason to trade young impact players, such as off-season acquisition Luke Kunin, recent first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen, collegiate standouts Rem Pitlick and Jeremy Davies, and impressive goaltender Juuse Saros.

Beyond that group, it probably isn’t a stretch to say that GM David Poile will at least listen to offers for anyone else on the roster. Part of that is due to the Predators’ current situation and the slim likelihood that they can contend this season, even if they do sneak into the playoffs in a top-heavy Central Division. This means that they receive no benefit from hanging on to their impending unrestricted free agents. Mikael Granlund is the top trade chip among this group. The skilled forward was a late off-season signing and somewhat of an afterthought heading into the season, but leads all Nashville forwards in time on ice, proving himself to be an invaluable piece. Other teams have taken notice as well, as Granlund’s name has been floated on the rumor mill more than a few times and has been linked to several contenders. Another late off-season addition, Erik Haula will also be for sale. A similarly versatile forward to Granlund, Haula hasn’t made as much of an impact but has previously proven to be an asset in the right system. Among other expiring contracts, veterans Brad Richardson and Luca Sbisa, if healthy by the deadline, could draw some interest at a cheap price point. Despite their recent success, the Predators only reason for not trading any of these potential rentals would be if they had interest in an extension and only Granlund, their most valuable piece, would conceivably fit the bill.

The other reason why Poile is open to moving other players off his roster, those with term on their contracts, is partially due to the impending Expansion Draft. Whether the Predators choose to use the standard 7-3 protection scheme or instead choose the 8-skater scheme in order to protect Mattias Ekholm, they will be exposing key players either way. Ironically, the Predators’ impressive depth on paper is not doing much to help them this season but will hurt them in expansion. Ekholm is at the top of most trade boards as a name likely to move before the deadline. The Seattle Kraken would not hesitate to claim him if he was to be left exposed in the draft and the Predators will not give him up for free when he can command a strong return on the trade market as a balanced, two-way defenseman with an affordable contract and a reliable top-four track record. Yet, even if Ekholm is traded and the Predators can protect three defensemen and seven forwards, they still face liability up front. Nashville simply has too many valuable names at forward, even if many are underachieving. Are they really ready to let expensive, underwhelming former stars like Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene go for free? Could they really leave career Predators like Calle Jarnkrok or Colton Sissons exposed? And they also need to consider protecting younger names like Pitlick an Yakov Trenin who could be looked upon to take on larger roles moving forward. There are simply too many names in Nashville for a valuable player not to be left exposed, so why not listen to trade offers instead. Moving Johansen or Duchene this season is unlikely due to cap implications, but Jarnkrok, Sissons, Rocco Grimaldi, and Nick Cousins are all for sale at the right price. The difference between last month’s mindset and the current strategy is likely that only one or two of the aforementioned players are likely to go, rather than the whole lot in a fire sale.

The x-factor for Nashville at the deadline is forward Viktor Arvidsson. By no means does the team have to trade the talented winger, who will have a safe spot on their protection list come Expansion Draft time if he is still on the roster. However, Arvidsson has been in decline for two seasons now – an unexpected regression for a 27-year-old. Arvidsson is still relied upon to play a key top-six role for Nashville, but is failing to produce like he did as a back-to-back 61-point player just a few years ago. On one hand, the Predators would be selling low on the skilled forward, who should still have plenty left in the tank. On the other hand, moving Arvidsson if they are happy with an offer could be the reality check that the team desperately needs. If the trade market remains underwhelming though, as many expect, it is more likely that Arvidsson stays put for now. Trading him at his lowest point while the team is finally gaining traction is not the shake up they need.

Others to Watch For: D Mark Borowiecki ($2MM, 2022 UFA), D Matt Benning ($1MM, 2022 UFA), G Kasimir Kaskisuo ($700K, UFA), D Ben Harpur ($700K, RFA), F Michael McCarron ($700K, RFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – Despite several years in a row of regular season success, the Predators have managed to build themselves a nice pipeline of talent. At every position, they have multiple players who project to be good NHLers. The problem with their current pipeline is that it is getting a little old. Some of their best prospects are already in the pros, bouncing between the NHL and AHL or locked into contracts overseas. Many others are collegiate players on the older side for prospects. Nashville needs some fresh blood and the best way to do that is to add draft picks. Though they have their full complement of draft picks this year (minus a seventh-rounder), draft pick packages will be the way to go as they move on from current roster players.

2) Top-Four Left-Handed Prospect Defenseman – If available, the one area that Nashville could target a specific player rather than load up on draft picks is at left defense. With Ekholm looking like his time in Nashville is winding down and some concern over whether Boston University defenseman David Farrance will sign with the team or instead opt for free agency, there could be a major hole in the top-four at LHD. The Predators have the cap space to find a capable free agent stopgap, but could use a long-term plan. Young pros Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, and Frederic Allard are all right-handed and Davies looks like a solid NHLer but is already 24 and lacks top-pair upside. In the pipeline, Marc Del Gaizo is an intriguing prospect but more likely a bottom-pair defender. No one else even projects to be an NHLer. The Predators need to reload on the blue line, and can do that through the draft, but if a top young left-handed defense prospect is offered up, they would be wise to consider. To a lesser extent, center is also a position that could become a need sooner rather than later in Nashville as many of the Predators’ top forward prospects are not necessarily projected to play center at the top level. A natural pivot with top-six upside would be a nice addition, but isn’t as pressing as left defense and could be more easily found where the team expects to pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

David Poile| Deadline Primer 2021| Expansion| Free Agency| Nashville Predators| Prospects| Seattle Kraken Alexandre Carrier| Ben Harpur| Brad Richards| Brad Richardson| Calle Jarnkrok| Colton Sissons| Dante Fabbro| Eeli Tolvanen| Elliotte Friedman| Erik Haula| Filip Forsberg| Jeremy Davies| Juuse Saros| Luca Sbisa| Luke Kunin| Mark Borowiecki| Matt Benning| Matt Duchene| Mattias Ekholm| Michael McCarron| Mikael Granlund| Nick Cousins| Pekka Rinne| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

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