Speculation: Armchair GM Thread

[Scoresberg]

Trotz gameplan for next season:

- Sign John Tavares to a 5x$10M contract as a UFA (full NMC) - there's our #1OA pick and longterm 1C solution
- extend Nyquist 2x$3M
- keep the 3rd line intact
- Svechkov needs more cooking and is still waiver exempt so he can start in Milwaukee
- since we're stuck with Evangelista he inherits the Tomasino pressbox slot for a while until we got a 2028 4th offered for him
- Wilsby and Stastney can be spare D
- and of course Bruno has earned another look, we'll see how things are at Christmas


2025-26 Nashville Predators

Forsberg ($8.5M) - Tavares (UFA - $10M) - Stamkos ($8M)
Nyquist (UFA - $3M) - O'Reilly ($4.5M) - Marchessault ($5.5M)
Smith ($1M) - McCarron ($0.900M) - Sissons ($2.857M)
L'Heureux ($0.8633M) - Jankowski ($0.800M) - Novak ($3.5M)
Evangelista (RFA - $2.5M)

Josi ($9.059M) - Barron ($1.15M)
Skjei ($7M) - Blankenburg ($0.775M)
Lauzon ($2M) - Schenn ($2.75M)
Wilsby (RFA - $0.825M)
Stastney ($0.825M)

Saros ($7.74M)
Annunen ($0.8375M)

Ekholm retention: $0.250M
Turris Buyout: $2M
Duchene Buyout: $6.5556M

TOTAL: $93.6874M
2025-26 NHL Cap: $95.5M
REMAINING CAP SPACE: $1.8126M

I think you are right about this. This is 100% what Trotz is thinking, although whether it's Tavares or whoever remains to be seen.

Again, I don't believe for a second Trotz believes in building through the draft. He's in the cut-throat business like Vegas but unfortunately, he lacks the creativity to actually build a dangerous team like that. So, we're left with spending huge dollars on has-been UFAs. I truly think we've just seen the start of the "Bandaid UFA" strategy..

 

[beardawg]

I think you are right about this. This is 100% what Trotz is thinking, although whether it's Tavares or whoever remains to be seen.

Again, I don't believe for a second Trotz believes in building through the draft. He's in the cut-throat business like Vegas but unfortunately, he lacks the creativity to actually build a dangerous team like that. So, we're left with spending huge dollars on has-been UFAs. I truly think we've just seen the start of the "Bandaid UFA" strategy..

Why is he stock piling draft picks if he doesn't believe in building through the draft?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Why is he stock piling draft picks if he doesn't believe in building through the draft?

I'm not sure that was really the purpose? He got the extra picks because he wanted to get rid of guys, not because he wanted those picks? Our extra picks this year are for Askarov and Jeannot? The extra ones the year before were for Ekholm and Niederreiter and Granlund? I think he just wanted to clear the decks for his "serial winner" UFA signings, not because he wanted to build through the draft?

 

[Scoresberg]

Why is he stock piling draft picks if he doesn't believe in building through the draft?

That's a fair question. In my mind, he's collecting picks to use in trades, although we've not seen him actually do that much. I'll take my words back for a bit, I do believe he's out to get a legit top center from the draft but as far as other positions go, I don't think he believes in drafting and developing players for those positions. Because if he does believe in that, he's doing a really horrible job at it.

Also, when I said he lacked creativity, this is actually what I mean. He has a lot of picks to use in trades, but I think his evaluation of players has been so off since the start of his tenure, that he actually hasn't been able to spend those picks, YET. I do think he was in on Cozens, Jiricek etc. these guys but got beat by other teams offers (or in case of Cozens the holiday freeze just kicked in and ultimately he wasn't moved).

 

[Armourboy]

Keep in mind several of those picks were from Poile's moves, not Trotz. Poile was just freeing up cap and getting picks to give him options. Another was from the Askarov trade, which he kind of forced himself into.

I think Trotz is tying to GM like he is playing on NHL 2024. He overvalues his own players and undervalues other teams and goes for names he knows rather than actual fits.

Frankly I don't think he knows what he wants to do.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Why is he stock piling draft picks if he doesn't believe in building through the draft?

I don't know this is true, but if so--look at this franchise's history with drafting and development and who can blame him for not wanting to just stock prospects and hope they'll pan out. If he doesn't believe in building through the draft, draft assets are still one of the best tools to stockpile to make trades with for players he wants.

 

[hockey diva]

I don't know this is true, but if so--look at this franchise's history with drafting and development and who can blame him for not wanting to just stock prospects and hope they'll pan out. If he doesn't believe in building through the draft, draft assets are still one of the best tools to stockpile to make trades with for players he wants.

Then fix the development process!

 

[braindead]

I have a more optimistic hot take on it, if a hot take can percolate for 2+ months. The continued beatings have not been good for my morale but I’ll get around to posting it at some point.

 

[Scoresberg]

Carson Soucy reportedly available from Vancouver.

I mean, that's the type I'm talking about with defensemen we should be targeting. He has another year on his contract but only comes in at +3 mil and is pretty much a risk-free bet. Could provide some shelter for the kids and eat up tough minutes.

 

[Scoresberg]

Saw an interesting proposal from a Jets fan over at main boards:

ROR

for

2026 1st
Perfetti
Barlow

Now that's a package that gets you listening. Obviously Perfetti is the main piece there, a very promising young player. Barlow's a recent pick (2023) but hasn't taken off at least as of yet. The 1st would probably be a low-one.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Saw an interesting proposal from a Jets fans over at main boards:

ROR

for

2026 1st
Perfetti
Barlow

Now that's a package that gets you listening. Obviously Perfetti is the main piece there, a very promising young player. Barlow's a recent pick (2023) but hasn't taken off at least as of yet. The 1st would probably be a low-one.

If this was a real deal offered and Trotz didn't take it he should be arrested and jailed for cruel and unusual punishment

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Saw an interesting proposal from a Jets fan over at main boards:

ROR

for

2026 1st
Perfetti
Barlow

Now that's a package that gets you listening. Obviously Perfetti is the main piece there, a very promising young player. Barlow's a recent pick (2023) but hasn't taken off at least as of yet. The 1st would probably be a low-one.

I imagine all the other Jets fans must have jumped on him for that transgression.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

Carson Soucy reportedly available from Vancouver.

I mean, that's the type I'm talking about with defensemen we should be targeting. He has another year on his contract but only comes in at +3 mil and is pretty much a risk-free bet. Could provide some shelter for the kids and eat up tough minutes.

He has a NMC, but if he'd waive it, agreed that we need to be bringing in players like that.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

He has a NMC, but if he'd waive it, agreed that we need to be bringing in players like that.

I would agree, but only if we are moving a vet in the process. Like Novak for Soucy makes sense to me or Lauzon+ for Soucy

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

So during the tournament break... will the Preds actually send the waiver exempt youngsters back to Milwaukee to continue playing games?

Milwaukee has games on the 11th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 20th, and 21st... although practically they probably wouldn't want players playing back-to-back on the 21st and 22nd with travel, so realistically it is 5 AHL games.

The eligible players would be Evangelista, Svechkov, L'Heureux, and Wilsby.

I imagine most NHL teams will send waiver-exempt youngsters back, not just for developmental purposes but also because the Salary Cap and payroll keep ticking during the break, so it will represent a chance to shave a wee bit off accrued Cap. One complication is that I think teams still have to technically maintain a full NHL-minimum roster size? i.e. 20 players. So we might have to keep a couple of the kids around regardless.