Kevin Fiala

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Nashville Predators Acquire Mikael Granlund

February 25, 2019 at 1:47 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

The Nashville Predators have landed a big fish from a Central Division rival. The Minnesota Wild fire sale continues, as TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that that center Mikael Granlund has been traded to Nashville. In exchange, the Predators send young winger Kevin Fiala back to Minnesota. The deal is a straight one-for-one swap.

Granlund, 26, was not immediately considered a likely trade candidate this season, as he has one year remaining on his current contract. However, once the Wild began listening on nearly every player on the roster, Granlund emerged as a potential casualty. Earlier today, it was confirmed that Nashville was among the teams interested in Granlund and managed to get the deal done. The well-rounded forward has topped 60 points in each of the past two seasons and is on pace to do so again this year. At a $5.75MM cap hit through 2019-20, the Predators land a great value and a relatively young piece that could be a long-term fit in Nashville.

Meanwhile, Fiala is a return that is unlikely to excite Minnesota fans. The player himself is a great young piece; the 22-year-old was a 2014 first-round pick and already has 97 points in 204 career NHL games. However, in a one-for-one swap with an established player like Granlund, he will have to grow into a much better player. Fortunately, GM Paul Fenton knows Fiala well from his time in Nashville and could see him as a potential top forward in the future.

Predators Interested In Mikael Granlund

February 25, 2019 at 9:00 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Predators have expressed a strong interest in acquiring Wild forward Mikael Granlund, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). Other teams have made viable offers for the 26-year-old as well.

Granlund sits second on Minnesota in scoring this season with 15 goals and 34 assists through 63 games while splitting time between center and the wing. He has one year left on his contract after this one with a $5.75MM AAV so if they are planning on entering a short-term rebuild, moving him now where the acquiring team can get two playoff runs out of Granlund might ultimately yield a better return. If not, they’ll be looking into what it costs to lock him up to a long-term extension this summer.

Russo notes that Predators winger Kevin Fiala is someone that Minnesota has shown interest in this season. That shouldn’t come as much surprise considering that GM Paul Fenton was with Nashville when Fiala was drafted so he’s quite familiar with him. Even though he’s having a quieter year than his breakout campaign last season, the 22-year still has a respectable 10 goals and 22 assists in 64 games so far in 2018-19. Fiala is in the final year of his entry-level contract with a required qualifying offer of just under $875K this offseason.

There have been a couple of big changes in Minnesota already this season with Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle being on the move already. Between those, the earlier report of Jason Zucker’s availability, and now this, it appears that more changes could soon be in store.

Trade Rumors: Predators, Avalanche, Henrique, Ferland

February 7, 2019 at 5:48 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators made a splash yesterday when they acquired both Brian Boyle and Cody McLeod to strengthen their bottom-six. However, many continue to speculate that the Preds are not done and in fact remain one of the top players for the market’s most valued rentals forwards. That may not be so, though. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen cites an interview with GM David Poile on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today in which he spoke about the additions of Boyle and McLeod, the return from injury for center Kyle Turris, and his hope of improvement from young winger Kevin Fiala. “If those guys can do it, we’re probably not making any more moves,” Poile stated. It seems that the veteran executive is willing to wait on pulling the trigger on another trade before he can see if the team improves internally. Poile has never been afraid to make a move at the deadline, but is also a careful dealer. “It’s a little bit of an arms race these couple weeks before the trade deadline and I don’t want to say I would react to what another team does. I mean, first and foremost, you’ve got to take care of your own team,” Poile continued, but did add that “nothing is out of the realm of possibilities… I’m making calls. I’m receiving calls. I’m just looking for an opportunity to improve our team. If that comes our way between now and Feb. 25, I’m all in.”

One team that will play it safe at the deadline, and understandably so, are the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have lost four games straight and eight of their last ten and have fallen out of a playoff spot, all the way to 10th-place in the Western Conference, behind both the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues for the final wild card slot. Colorado still has the talent to right the ship and reach the postseason, but their total lack of secondary scoring and their inconsistent goaltending have put them in a tough spot. GM Joe Sakic is not about to mortgage the future at the trade deadline when his team may has such serious needs and may not even make the playoffs. Sakic told The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers that he believes the team can get back into playoff position and he may look at some minor trades to help them along, but Colorado’s top trade capital is off the table. This includes both of the team’s first-round pick in 2019, their own and the Ottawa Senators’, the latter of which has strong odds of being the No. 1 overall pick. Also included in the untouchables are top defensive prospects Cale Makar and Conor Timmins and top forward prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut. As such, any sellers dealing with Sakic and company should not expect an overwhelming offer for their rental players and, as a result, Avs fans should not expect fireworks at the deadline.
The Anaheim Ducks are desperate for a shake-up. The team has just two wins in their last 19 games, including a current five-game losing streak, and have plummeted to 14th in the Western Conference. The team also has more cap space committed to their roster for next season than any other team in the NHL and are equally desperate for help alleviating that cap crunch. The result is that Ducks players not previously thought to be available are popping up on the rumor mill. It seems almost anyone on the Anaheim roster could be had in the right deal, but Adam Henrique is currently the most talked-about name. TSN’s Frank Seravalli recently moved Henrique up to No. 15 on the Trade Bait List; he had previously been off the board completely. Henrique signed a five-year extension with the Ducks back in July and will carry a $5.825MM cap hit beginning next season. Although Henrique is second in scoring for Anaheim, his 27 points through 54 games is significantly behind his production rate from last season after coming over from the New Jersey, as well as his scoring pace in most seasons with the Devils. With the Ducks in search of both re-shaped roster and a lesser payroll, the underacheiving Henrique could be on his way out of Anaheim before ever playing a full season with the team.
TSN’s Trade Bait List also reflects another intriguing change on the trade market. Carolina Hurricanes winger Micheal Ferland, once though to be as good as gone, has fallen down the board to No. 9 overall. While still a high ranking, Seravalli notes that trade talks surrounding Ferland have cooled as the ’Canes may prefer to hold on to him. Colleague Darren Dreger recently reported the same thing, believing Carolina could use Ferland as their “own rental”. The Hurricanes are currently three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in pursuit of the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, and have played one more game than Columbus and the Buffalo Sabres. However, when your team has holds a league-worst nine-year playoff drought, you jump on any chance you have to get back to the postseason. Ferland is now looking increasingly likely to stay in Carolina as the team tries to make the most of their stretch run and secure a playoff berth, but their play leading up to the deadline will be the deciding factor when it comes to Ferland’s future this season.

Western Notes: Edler, Fiala, Jets Injuries, Berube

January 26, 2019 at 8:50 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Many people expected to see the Vancouver Canucks sitting at the bottom of the Pacific Division this year. Instead, they are fighting for a playoff spot and suddenly the team has to decide whether they intend to be sellers like many anticipated. Of course, it wasn’t like the team had a lot of obvious trade candidates as the team only has one significant player who will be an unrestricted free agent — Alexander Edler, who is finishing up a six-year, $30MM deal he signed in 2013.

However suddenly, the team must decide whether they want to move the veteran defenseman or keep him around to help the team win a few extra games, and according to The Province’s Patrick Johnson, that’s a big dilemma in Vancouver right now. In the end, whether the Canucks move Edler will come down to three factors.

First, Edler must be willing to waive his no-trade clause. If he isn’t there will be no trade. Second, teams must show interest in him, which you assume they would. Finally, does Vancouver really want to trade him. After all, he is the team’s No. 1 defenseman, who plays good defense and plays on both the power play as well as the penalty kill. On top of that, he is a leader and is very good with helping the team’s younger players.

General manager Jim Benning said he will meet with Edler and his agent next week to figure out what Edler is interested in doing.

With many recent complaints to the play of Nashville Predators’ winger Kevin Fiala, The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that while he can understand that fans are frustrated by Fiala’s play, most especially his high rate of turnovers (3.45 giveaways in 60 minutes), he’s only 22 years old, is still learning and is a very creative player. Fiala, who tallied 23 goals last season has just eight so far in 2018-19. Vingan suggests the team hold onto Fiala, rather than sell low on the forward and suggests the team re-sign the soon-to-be restricted free agent to a bridge deal, which could force him to prove his value to the team.
Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun writes the Winnipeg Jets should get healthier very quickly. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who has been out since Dec. 29 with an ankle injury, is expected to be back soon after the break, while Ben Chiarot, who missed the team’s last three games, is expected to be ready for the team’s next game against Philadelphia. Wyman adds that winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who has been out for a month, is expected to return within a week after their break ends. The additions of Byfuglien and Ehlers should bring a huge boost to the team.
In a recent mailbag, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that interim head coach Craig Berube may have a hard time getting his title changed to a permanent position. The scribe writes that just making the playoffs won’t be enough for the team to hand him the coaching reigns. The team would need to go on a real run and show they have momentum, then Berube might be able to keep his job.

Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

January 23, 2019 at 8:53 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the Nashville Predators.

The core of the Nashville Predators remains unchanged since the team was a Stanley Cup finalist two years ago and are all signed long-term, likely keeping the Predators a contender for years to come. However, the team has shown a willingness to make moves at the deadline each year to maximize their odds of taking home the title during this stretch. Last season, GM David Poile made a whopping seven trades total, six of which came in the month of February, and notably added Kyle Turris and Ryan Hartman to the roster. While it’s doubtful that the team makes a similar number or caliber of deal this time around, expect the Predators to again be busy.

Record

29-18-4, second in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$29.88MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 44/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, FLA 3rd, COL 4th, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 6th, NSH 7th
2020: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 6th, NSH 7th

Trade Chips

More and more often, and specifically this season, it has become easier to identify the likely pieces that a trade deadline buyer is willing to give up to land a veteran player. Trade boards now include just as many young roster players and prospects from contenders as they do the typical rentals from sellers.

This is not the case for the Predators. There are no clear trade chips that Poile and company are actively using to bait teams into making a deal. However, there are plenty of players one could speculate that they will dangle.

Prospect defenseman Dante Fabbro definitely heads up that list. Fabbro, 20, is the junior captain of the Boston University Terriers and is developing into quite the two-way defenseman. Fabbro is on pace for the best offensive season of his collegiate career and looks likely to turn pro this off-season. However, three of the Predators’ famous top-four are all signed long-term, with Roman Josi likely to be extended, and the team has seven defensemen overall under contract for next season already. Fabbro does not have much opportunity to play in the NHL next season in Nashville, but many other teams would be happy to give the recent first-rounder guaranteed minutes as a rookie. Fabbro would undoubtedly be a valued piece on the market. To a lesser extent, so could BU teammate David Farrance and leading AHL defender Frederic Allard, who also lack a clear route to play time in Nashville and thus become expendable.

The Predators also have some intriguing young forwards, including several with NHL experience. The Predators are looking to add a forward or two at the deadline, making some current contributors superfluous. 25-year-olds Miikka Salomaki and Frederick Gaudreau have failed to make the most of ample opportunity this season and are part of why the need up front exists. The pair have combined for just ten points despite playing in the majority of Nashville’s games, but have shown great ability before. Both have another year left at a minimal cap hit, which would make them an even more attractive get for interested teams. Anthony Richard, the Milwaukee Admirals leading scorer, is another young forward who could garner some attention, as could University of Minnesota standout Rem Pitlick.

Five Players To Watch For: D Dante Fabbro, F Miikka Salomaki, D Frederic Allard, F Anthony Richard, F Rem Pitlick

Team Needs

1) Top-six Winger: Injuries to top-six forwards Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and Kyle Turris this season have made it difficult to truly evaluate the Nashville offense. The team is still more than capable of scoring, currently 12th in goals per game, but there’s room for improvement. That includes on paper, as well. Even once everyone is healthy, there still seems to be a gap in talent between Forsberg, Arvidsson, Turris, Ryan Johansen, and the rest of the roster. One of Kevin Fiala, Craig Smith, or the disappointing Ryan Hartman can surely continue to fill a second-line role, but the Predators could use an upgrade to round out the group. More specifically, the team is lacking size and grit up front and could use a power forward if possible. The Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds seems like a perfect fit and has already been linked to the team, while the Carolina Hurricanes’ Micheal Ferland and, if made available, the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider would also be ideal. Outside of bigger wingers, the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello and the Detroit Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist also make sense.

2) Depth Winger: Compared to their stellar defense and goaltending and even compared to their depth down the middle – Johansen, Turris, Colton Sissons, and Nick Bonino – winger is definitely the position of weakness for Nashville. Even if they do acquire a top target to fill a scoring line role, don’t be surprised to see Poile add another piece as well. The veteran GM showed a willingness to use the deadline to land a young forward last season in Hartman and could do the same this year. The last time the Predators bought low on a Washington Capitals forward, it worked out pretty well, making Andre Burakovsky an interesting target. The Vancouver Canucks’ Nikolay Goldobin is another intriguing possibility.

Central Notes: Schmaltz, Fiala, Hendricks

November 18, 2018 at 3:56 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Very little has gone right with the Chicago Blackhawks in their first 20 games this season. They have changed coaches after Joel Quenneville lost five straight and little has gone right since then as new head coach Jeremy Colliton has gone 1-2-2 since then. Regardless, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down the play of every player through the first 20 games.

Perhaps the most expected criticism comes to Nick Schmaltz, who many people had pegged as having a breakout season this year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened as he has just two goals and eight points so far this year. Yet Powers notes that while many criticize his play for a lack of shooting, Schmaltz has actually increased that to 5.17 shots on goal per 60 minutes — the highest in his career. Quenneville moved him to wing in hopes of sparking that offense, which Colliton has maintained, yet the team is still waiting for an increase in production.

“I think he can be more active away from the puck,” Colliton said. “He can be a little more engaged in 50/50s at times. But he’s showing flashes of that. I thought his third period after we moved him to Arty’s line there he was really good. I think look back to the Carolina game in their rink he was maybe our best player. That’s what we want out of him more consistently. We got to see if he can play center because I think he could really add a lot to our team. When that happens, I don’t know. There’s a lot of upside there, no question.”

Nashville Predators forward Kevin Fiala found himself getting very little ice time between the second and third periods Saturday against Los Angeles, getting only three shifts as Ryan Hartman took his place in 5×5 play, while he lost his power play role to Calle Jarnkrok. However, when asked about why Fiala lost playing time, head coach Peter Laviolette said it was just a coincidence, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. “Sometimes it’s just the way the game is going inside of the lines and the numbers,” said Laviolette. “We made a move and put Ryan Hartman up there, and all of the sudden they had a good shift. We went into the game with the thought of Calle and Kevin splitting power-play time. Kevin got the first one, and Calle ended up getting the second one and looked good on it. We just stuck with it. It seemed to be working, so we made the switches.”
Mike Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild might be better off without veteran Matt Hendricks who has gotten into two straight games for the Wild. However, the scribe points out that the team plays better when Hendricks is out of the lineup as the team’s fourth line of Marcus Foligno, Eric Fehr and J.T. Brown have been fantastic together. Minnesota is 10-2 when Hendricks is not in the lineup, compared to 2-4-2 with him. Coincidentally, Russo reports that Hendricks will be a healthy scratch today.

Nashville Predators Place Pekka Rinne On Injured Reserve

October 20, 2018 at 1:06 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have placed goaltender Pekka Rinne on injured reserve after leaving Friday night’s game in Calgary, according to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. The transaction means that Rinne will be out a minimum of three games and won’t be able to return until next Saturday against Edmonton.

Rinne exited the ice early in the third period soon after colliding with teammate Kevin Fiala as the two got tangled up on Sam Bennett’s goal 2:20 minutes into the period. Rinne stayed in for another 2:43 seconds before finally being replaced by Juuse Saros. According to the Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina, head coach Peter Laviolette said it wasn’t the team’s or Rinne’s decision to leave the game. He left due to the league’s concussion protocol.

“We didn’t pull him, so something was wrong,” Laviolette said.

Saros is expected to fill in for the Predators for tonight’s game against Edmonton. The team intends to recall Miroslav Svoboda from Atlanta of the ECHL for tonight’s game, adds Rishaug, but considering that he’s in Atlanta and the game in Edmonton, it might be a challenge to get him there by game time.

It’s a big loss for the Predators. Rinne, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, is 3-1 through five starts this year, posting a 2.10 GAA and an impressive .929 save percentage. The team is lucky to have Saros, who is Rinne’s eventual successor, although Nashville has been discussing an extension with Rinne recently. Saros has won all three of his appearances this season and boasts a 2.23 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Svoboda, the team’s seventh-rounder in 2015, has been impressive in two appearances in the ECHL, posting a 1.50 GAA and a .946 save percentage.

Predators Begin Extension Talks With Pekka Rinne

October 18, 2018 at 7:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Predators have started preliminary discussions regarding a potential contract extension for starting goaltender Pekka Rinne, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported in an appearance on NBCSN (video link).

Rinne is in the final season of a seven-year, $49MM contract and in that time, he has established himself in the upper echelon of goalies around the league while he is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. However, he turns 36 next month which means any new deal is going to carry a little bit of extra risk due to the 35-plus designation.

Nashville also has Juuse Saros in the fold, locked up on a three-year, $4.5MM contract. He has long been viewed as their goalie of the future and some had wondered if they might be considering beginning that transition this season. These talks would seemingly put that idea on hold though.

Looking ahead to next year, the Predators shouldn’t have too much difficulty fitting a new deal for Rinne. They have a little over $64MM committed to 17 players for 2019-20 per CapFriendly and don’t have many other expiring contracts of note (wingers Kevin Fiala, Ryan Hartman, as well as center Colton Sissons are the other regulars in need of new deals).

While that would make a one-year extension feasible, their payroll situation gets a little more complicated in 2020-21 when defenseman Roman Josi and winger Craig Smith are eligible for unrestricted free agency. Locking up those two will cost a fair bit more than the $8.25MM they’re currently receiving; new deals for them and a multi-year pact for Rinne could push Nashville near the $70MM mark for just 13 players (not including new deals for Fiala, Hartman, and Sissons) which will push them very close to the salary cap once they fill out the rest of their roster.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nashville GM David Poile tried to get Rinne to go year-to-year to mitigate some risk and create an opportunity to do bonus-laden deals to help navigate the salary cap concerns. However, at the same time, it’s hard to imagine that Rinne would forego a shot at the open market without some sort of multi-year commitment from the team. With talks at the early stage, there’s still a long way to go but this should be an interesting negotiation to keep tabs on in the weeks and months ahead.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?

May 20, 2018 at 8:47 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

As the bronze medal game gets underway at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, Sweden and Switzerland prepare for their gold medal clash this afternoon. The meeting could be considered a lopsided affair, with the Swedes stomping through the tournament with no problem, but don’t call the Swiss underdogs in front of Canada and Finland, two powerhouses that they’ve already taken down.

The game is something of a rarity for Switzerland, who has collected just one medal at the tournament since 1953. That was a silver in 2013, something they hope to better this time around.

Players on both sides know each other quite well. Sweden received a huge boost mid-tournament when the Nashville Predators were eliminated, meaning Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm could all join. The Presidents Trophy-winning players immediately made an impact at the tournament, but there were several others that left Nashville for Denmark.

Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala have starred in Switzerland’s two elimination wins, with the latter providing the quick pass to put them up over Canada in the second period. They’ll have to take on their Nashville brethren this afternoon, and hope they can do something to crack the impenetrable Swedish defense.

The game is scheduled for 1:15pm (CT).

Will Sweden romp to a second-straight gold medal? Can the Swiss continue this Cinderella story? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

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