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Kyle Turris

Nashville Predators To Pursue Matt Duchene

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All that talk about not making too much of Matt Duchene’s property in Nashville? Forget about it, apparently. Pierre LeBrun writes for The Athletic that the Predators are expected to enter the bidding for the best center on the free agent market. The team would have to shed some salary to do so, but that appears to be a hurdle they are willing to take on to add a top offensive talent.

Not only does Duchene have connections to the city – as well as a love for country music – but Nashville GM David Poile tried to acquire Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche last year (he settled to be third team in on the doomed deal with the Ottawa Senators) and is likely to take another run in free agency. The only problem with the free agency route is that no salary will move out the other way. Duchene is expected to command a maximum-term contract worth upwards of $9MM per year. Currently, the Predators have only $7MM in available cap space with 21 players signed. That doesn’t even include anticipated extensions for RFA forwards Colton Sissons and Rocco Grimaldi, and Nashville must also consider the raise that No. 1 defenseman Roman Josi is owed on his next contract. It would be impossible for the Predators to sign Duchene without making other significant moves.

Fortunately, as LeBrun notes, Poile has built a roster that is completely free of any trade restrictions. Any Nashville player could be on the move this summer, whether that’s dynamic, but expensive defenseman P.K. Subban, disappointing recent extension Kyle Turris, or underwhelming deadline addition Mikael Granlund. The Predators have long been searching for a surefire second line center and Duchene behind Ryan Johansen would give Nashville an elite one-two punch. If it costs them any of the aforementioned players, or even a combination of depth players like Craig Smith, Nick Bonino, or Calle Jarnkrok, it would likely be worth it. The real question is whether Poile can get the requisite deals done, or at least in place, by July 1st so that he can approach talks with Duchene with the confidence of knowing he’s not putting his team in an impossible cap position.

It is still a stretch to consider Nashville the likely landing spot for Duchene. It would take considerable effort and roster re-organization to make the star center a fit for the Predators, whereas many other teams in need of a top pivot also have the cap space to do so easily. Yet, if Nashville truly has interest in making it work, combined with Duchene’s own interests in the city, there is certainly a potential fit that could shift the balance of power in the Western Conference.

Snapshots: Bobrovsky, Duchene, Webber

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When NHL players buy property in a city, particularly free agents, it is often blown out of proportion. Many players have ties to cities throughout the league, but may not necessarily have any intention of signing with the local team. However, when players sell property in the city they played in, that carries some more weight. An impending free agent usually has enough on his plate without house hunting, unless it’s part of a move to a new team. So, when Sergei Bobrovsky put his place on the market today, most Blue Jackets fan saw it as the last piece of evidence pointing to his departure. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Bobrovsky’s $3MM condominium in downtown Columbus has been put up for sale, likely ruling out a possible return for the superstar goalie. Bobrovksy has hinted for more than a year now that he was likely to leave Columbus as a free agent, but there were surely some fans holding out hope that the team’s postseason run may have changed his mind. His real estate move today would suggest otherwise. Bobrovsky, who is undoubtedly the best netminder on the free agent market and arguably the best player overall, will be donning a different jersey next season.

  • Speaking of ties to a city, Bobrovsky’s Blue Jackets teammate Matt Duchene was again spotted in Nashville this week, writes Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean. However, Skrbina is quick to note that Duchene was joined by several other teammates who were all in town to celebrate Riley Nash’s 30th birthday. This is not the first time that Duchene has been linked to the home of the Predators, though. In fact, the country music fan owns property in the area and many Nashville fans have hoped he would one day call the city home. The Predators were the third team in on the now-infamous trade that sent Duchene to Ottawa last year, but only because they were initially interested in acquiring Duchene himself. While they settled for Kyle Turris instead, that was a decision that didn’t play out so well this season, as Turris missed 27 games due to injury and contributed only 23 points on the year. The Predators find themselves in need of scoring again this off-season, but is Duchene a realistic target? Skrbina notes that GM David Poile recently commented that he feels the team has the flexibility to add up front in free agency, but Duchene is the top center on the free agent market and is likely to command at least than $9MM annually on his next deal. Having just acquired Mikael Granlund and handed Turris a major extension, it seems unlikely that Nashville will be willing to make the commitment in dollars and term that it would take to land Duchene, even if he does enjoy the city.
  • One player who knows for sure where he’s playing next season is draft-eligible prospect Cade Webber. Webber, a hulking defenseman out of The Rivers School in Massachusetts, has signed on with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL for next season, the team announced. Webber had previously committed to Boston University as part of the 2020 recruiting class, but there was uncertainty about whether he would return to Rivers or play elsewhere in the upcoming season. With Penticton, Webber will have the opportunity to face tougher competition but also to develop in a program that has turned out plenty of talent in recent years, including another BU defenseman in Dante Fabbro. At 6’6″ and nearly 200 lbs., Webber is about as big as they come at 18 years old. However, he does not let his size define his game; Webber is a strong skater and isn’t afraid to carry the puck and get involved in the offensive end. He recorded 12 goals and 26 points in just 29 games for Rivers this season and also featured for Team USA at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Recently ranked No. 87 among draft-eligible North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Webber is a candidate to be drafted as early as the third-round in June and teams could be tempted to reach for a player with size you can’t teach. After that, the Vees will get a major boost next season from the talented blue liner before he joins the Terriers a year later and likely jumps to the pro level not long after that.

Hockey Canada Announces 2019 IIHF World Championship Roster

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The 2019 IIHF World Championship will begin next month, and Hockey Canada has finally announced their roster for the tournament. 22 players were named to the group (that could be increased to 25), including many that have represented the team at international events in the past. The full roster is as follows:

G MacKenzie Blackwood
G Matt Murray
G Carter Hart

D Thomas Chabot
D Brandon Montour
D Troy Stecher
D Damon Severson
D Shea Theodore
D Darnell Nurse
D Dante Fabbro

F Jon Marchessault
F Anthony Cirelli
F Mark Stone
F Tyler Bertuzzi
F Anthony Mantha
F Sam Reinhart
F Mathieu Joseph
F John Tavares
F Kyle Turris
F Dylan Strome
F Adam Henrique
F Sean Couturier

Poll: What Happens To Kyle Turris?

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The Nashville Predators will bow out of the playoffs earlier than they expected for the second consecutive season, and this time have plenty of question marks heading into the offseason. The team scored just 12 goals in six playoff games against the Dallas Stars, and have to find a way to get more offense from basically every forward not named Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson or Ryan Johansen. Other than that top line, the Predators didn’t have a single forward with even 40 points on the season.

One of the biggest disappointments in that category was Kyle Turris. The 29-year old was supposed to solidify the team’s second-line center position and provide a healthy amount of secondary scoring, but was completely lifeless at times this season. He finished with just seven goals and 23 points in 55 games, and saw his ice time drastically limited in the postseason.

Turris was acquired from the Ottawa Senators during the 2017-18 campaign and got off to a blistering start with Nashville, scoring 17 points in 17 games following the trade. After breaking out of a slump near the end of the season though, he was a no-show in the 2018 playoffs and recorded just three assists (no goals) in 13 games. That kind of production is just unacceptable from a player the team spent so heavily on, especially in the six-year, $36MM extension he signed quickly after arriving in Nashville. There are five years left on that deal.

Notably, GM David Poile doesn’t hand out no-trade protection. Turris’ contract is also evenly distributed and contains no signing bonuses. If the team wanted to trade him, there would be teams interested given his history as a solid contributor, but there would also likely be some wary of his propensity to disappear at key times. The biggest question would be do the Predators have a replacement for him if they did decide to move on?

This season Poile decided to spend some future assets to load up for a long playoff run, and acquired two pending unrestricted free agents in Wayne Simmonds and Brian Boyle. It seems unlikely that Simmonds will be retained, given the almost non-existent role he was given under head coach Peter Laviolette. Boyle is a useful player but wouldn’t be able to provide the same kind of secondary scoring the team expected from Turris. There was however another forward acquired at the deadline, this time with another year under contract. Mikael Granlund was pulled from Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Fiala, but also struggled to make a huge impact with the team down the stretch. There’s reason to believe that he could fill that role though, despite spending the last few years on the wing.

Still, that would only put a short-term fix on the problem. Turris was supposed to be the long-term answer, and still could be if they give him the chance to bounce back from this dreadful season. What do you think they should do with him? Is it time for a fresh start elsewhere, or does the team come back with him in 2019-20 and hope for better results?

Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Central Notes: Byfuglien, Smith, Perron, Read

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The Winipeg Jets got some good news about a pair of their defensemen as head coach Paul Maurice said today that the team expects defensive star Dustin Byfuglien begin skating again later this week, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The 33-year-old has struggled all season with multiple injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 14 after injuring his ankle. Byfuglien has appeared in just 37 games, but has shown his value in those games as he has four goals and 30 points in that span.

Wiebe also added that defenseman Joseph Morrow skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury. He has missed six straight games and is expected to be out Sunday, but could be back later this week. Morrow has six points in 39 games this season.

  • The Nashville Predators may be getting back one of their top forwards for today’s matchup against Minnesota as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that Craig Smith has been activated off of injured reserve and is expected to join Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund on the Predators’ second line. Smith has been out with a lower-body injury since Feb. 16 and has 16 goals this season in 61 games. The team might need him as the Wild have won five in a row.
  • After scoring no more than two goals per game over their last six, the St. Louis Blues are in desperate need for offense and the team, which has gone 2-3-1 after winning 11 straight. The team truly seems to miss injured forwards Brayden Schenn and David Perron, the latter of which could be ready to return to the lineup soon, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann. With the team not playing again for three days, that could be the time they need, especially with Perron, who has looked good in practice lately. More information will come Monday after the team’s practice.
  • The Minnesota Wild got an impressive performance from emergency callup Matt Read, who scored a goal and played an all-around great game Saturday night in Minnesota’s win over the Calgary Flames, according to The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required). Unfortunately, with veteran Zach Parise expected to play Sunday, that could spell the end for Read unless they use one of their official recalls on him.

Trade Rumors: Predators, Avalanche, Henrique, Ferland

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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.

Kyle Turris Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Nashville Predators are finally getting Kyle Turris back on the ice. The forward has been activated from injured reserve, while Colin Blackwell is on his way back to the minor leagues to make room. Turris hasn’t played since December 27th, but is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Dallas Stars.

The Predators still sit in a solid position in the Central Division and Western Conference overall, but haven’t been quite as dominant as earlier in the season thanks to some key injuries and a struggling powerplay. Turris’ return should help the team get a little more offensive balance, and it looks like he’ll line up at least tonight beside newcomer Brian Boyle. That’s two big additions to a Predators group that is still chasing the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central.

When Nashville handed Turris a long-term extension after acquiring him last season, they expected him to lock down the second-line center role and give them another top offensive contributor. In more limited minutes he might be able to take advantage of weaker matchups, and it seemed to work with 42 points in 65 games last season. Unfortunately that production wasn’t quite up to snuff through the first part of this season, and Turris returns to the lineup with just 18 points in 30 games. His presence is a huge boost, but they’ll need him to get back to his highest level quickly if they are to rely on him down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

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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.

Nashville Predators Claim Phillip Di Giuseppe Off Waivers

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With injuries mounting, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Nashville Predators claimed forward Phillip Di Giuseppe off of waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and to make room for the young forward, the team placed center Kyle Turris on injured reserve once again with a lower-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan.

In Di Giuseppe, the Predators gets themselves a 25-year-old forward with 147 NHL games under his belt, but the winger hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time role in all the years he’s been with Carolina. He has one goal and four assists in 21 games this season with the Hurricanes. However, with the Hurricanes struggling themselves and Di Giuseppe being a healthy scratch for four straight games, Carolina opted to risk losing him by putting him on waivers. The team already lost Valentin Zykov on waivers to Edmonton (and then Vegas), so it’s another key loss for their minor league team.

Nashville has been plagued with injuries as the team is currently without forwards Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons. Turris has also missed a game and was expected to be out Monday before the team returned him to IR and with Eeli Tolvanen playing at the World Junior Championships, the team opted to bring in Di Giuseppe to provide some added depth. The team also recalled Nicholas Baptiste to help fill in as well. There is no word whether Turris’ trip to injured reserve will be a long one. It’s very likely the Predators used Turris’ injury to open up a roster spot so they could take Di Giuseppe. Turris last played on Dec. 27, so assuming the trip to the IR is retroactive to that game, he won’t be eligible to return until their game on Friday at Detroit. He already spent almost three weeks on IR in late November and early December.

 

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Nashville Predators.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Predators most thankful for?

Depth scoring. One of the big strengths the team has is their depth scoring as they have solid lines throughout and scoring seems evenly distributed. Scoring is not an issue as the team averages 3.19 goals per game. The team is ranked 12th in scoring and while only one player has more than 10 goals this season (Filip Forsberg with 14), the team has 12 players with at least five goals and a handful of depth, but quality players who are producing offense, including Craig Smith, Ryan Hartman, Colton Sissons, Calle Jarnkrok and Austin Watson just to name a few. With so much in the tank, the team should be well rested when the playoffs approach.

Who are the Predators most thankful for?

Many people believed that while goalie Pekka Rinne was coming off a Vezina Trophy-winning season last year, there might be a decline in the veteran’s play after a disappointing playoffs and the fact that the goaltender is 36 years old and cannot be expected to keep up those numbers forever. Fortunately for Predators’ fans, Rinne has been outstanding once again as despite missing some time with an injury early in the season, he has amassed a 1.96 GAA in 22 games with a .929 save percentage.

Others felt that Rinne might slowly lose his job to goalie-in-waiting Juuse Saros, but so far that hasn’t been the case. The team has been using Rinne quite often and rely on him for the big games. Saros has appeared in just 13 games this season, many of which came during the time that Rinne missed due to injury.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

Despite their success due to their depth players, the team has to hope that they can get some of their top players back from injury. The team’s top goal scorer is Forsberg, but the winger has been out with for more than two weeks and could be out for double that with an upper-body injury. The team hopes to get defenseman P.K. Subban back soon, who has missed a large chunk of the season with an unknown injury, while Viktor Arvidsson has also missed quite a bit of time to injury as well. If the team could get healthy, they may have a chance to fare even better in the Central Division, even though they are just one point out of first place.

What should be on the Predators’ Holiday Wish List?

The continued development of Eeli Tolvanen. The team had high hopes when they brought Tolvanen over from the KHL at the age of 19. He’s immensely talented and showed some of those skills off in a brief callup when he tallied a goal and an assist in four games while filling in for several of the team’s significant injuries. That, of course, couldn’t last and he was immediately sent down after Kyle Turris returned off the IR. Many people want Tolvanen to remain with the team, but in reality it’s a waste to play him few minutes in Nashville on a bottom-six line. Until he can outplay someone on the top-six, he needs to spend as much playing time as possible in the AHL until his skills can surpass one of their top players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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