Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

[Top 6 Spaling]

Novak is the only semi-major piece I can see us moving. ROR is possible at the deadline if we're truly out of it completely and he is open to it.

 

[finnishflash13]

So many old dudes with NMCs - no rebuild is plausible with all of those anchors.

Stamkos, Forsberg, Josi, and Saros are the only ones with NMCs according to Puckpedia...
not ideal but if it came to it i bet some of those guys would agree to waive.

 

[Scoresberg]

Novak is the only semi-major piece I can see us moving. ROR is possible at the deadline if we're truly out of it completely and he is open to it.

I could see Gus going too.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Stamkos, Forsberg, Josi, and Saros are the only ones with NMCs according to Puckpedia...
not ideal but if it came to it i bet some of those guys would agree to waive.

Marchessault and Skjei also have NMCs according to PuckPedia. Just if they waive theirs, then there is a broader field of possible trade destinations due to their NTCs. But they have full control over being traded or not.

And with Saros, his doesn't kick in until July 1st, 2025. So we could still trade him before then. Which IMHO if the suckage continues we very much should. If anybody will give us anything for him, anyway. He's playing well. Hopefully some team out there would be desperate enough. But I don't really expect that. I don't really believe any other team would touch that contract, not even if he was available for free. At which point, we might just as well keep him. In that sense, what Trotz said is accurate enough - Saros can't practically be moved even if we wanted to, even before his NMC kicks in.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Shocker. Kids line immediately gets a goal.

And immediately the worst second d pairing in the league gives up a goal.

 

[Nevins]

It is genuinely depressing that we are the oldest team in the league and this season is probably the best we will be for the next three years.

The most amazing thing about evaluating the Predators' performance is that Saros (I've only seen a few games) seems to be one of their best players. Imagine with an average or bad goalkeeper?

 

[Hins77]

I don’t want to be a hater but signing player around 33/34 years old is like signing players 37/38 yo like 15 years ago. They are beginning their decline big time. I never understood why Trotz put all that money on those UFA. It remember me when Gainey in Montreal were signing old timer a la Robert Lang, Brian Smolinsky, Radek Bonk and cie.

 

[Armourboy]

I don’t want to be a hater but signing player around 33/34 years old is like signing players 37/38 yo like 15 years ago. They are beginning their decline big time. I never understood why Trotz put all that money on those UFA. It remember me when Gainey in Montreal were signing old timer a la Robert Lang, Brian Smolinsky, Radek Bonk and cie.

Cause the team wasn't going anywhere over the next couple of years. We had too many good players on NMC's and younger talent to ever bottom out, but not enough to be more than an edge bubble team. So he spent his cap for the next 3-4 years to try and do something more than that.

The good thing about it is that is all he did, use cap space. He didn't trade anything away to get those players, and still has multiple first round picks. We may not be good, but we aren't in a situation like say Pittsburgh and Edmonton where they are old and have nothing younger coming.

 

[herzausstein]

We have to figure out the 2C situation.

Sissons is not a 2C. He can be elevated if an injury occurs but he should not be your gameplan. He is an excellent 4C or a good 3C.

I like what i see out of Tomasino Parssinen Evangelista. Too bad i doubt that ends up sticking when Jankowski and/or Novak get healed.

If we arent going to use Novak as 2C, then i dont really get his place on this team.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

What about Nelson on an expiring deal at 2C?

 

[Predsanddead24]

What about Nelson on an expiring deal at 2C?

He'd be good but similar to when we discussed trading for Andersson I just don't think we should spend any assets adding to this team until they prove they are even remotely competitive. This team certainly has holes but we should not be in the cellar with teams that are actively tanking and until they can prove they are even a bubble team I'm not adding anything.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

He'd be good but similar to when we discussed trading for Andersson I just don't think we should spend any assets adding to this team until they prove they are even remotely competitive. This team certainly has holes but we should not be in the cellar with teams that are actively tanking and until they can prove they are even a bubble team I'm not adding anything.

I agree. caveat is certainly that the team gets off their face and seems like they are ready to fight a little.

 

[Kat Predator]

Maybe he should tell his coach to give the current younger players a legitimate chance to play....

Barry Trotz explains Nashville Predators' 'rebuild' remark, needs to buy time for prospects

General manager Barry Trotz talked to the Tennessean about his \

www.tennessean.com

Agreed. It doesn't make a lot of sense to keep rolling out the same groups of oldsters who can't get anything going over and over and over when plan B, which will come in a couple seasons regardless, is to start wholesale integration of younger players into the lineup.

Sadly the guys that "are here" are also the guys not doing much of anything. They can still be "here" and collect the in-house retirement checks from Trotz while getting 6 minutes of ice time and getting a head start on seeing which younger players are hungry and can play in the NHL.

I think a lot of other fans would be happier seeing some young players be allowed to play through mistakes instead of seeing unwatchable hockey performed by a core that seems to be poorly constructed.

 

[Scoresberg]

What about Nelson on an expiring deal at 2C?

I'd much rather add a top-4 defenseman. That defense is looking HORRID right now.

 

[herzausstein]

What about Nelson on an expiring deal at 2C?

Id prefer not to give up the assets it will require for a 33 year old center. Would he improve the team? Sure but dang we are already so old and he is going to cost a 1st round pick or equivalent.

 

[ShagDaddy]

Id prefer not to give up the assets it will require for a 33 year old center. Would he improve the team? Sure but dang we are already so old and he is going to cost a 1st round pick or equivalent.

If they’re going to trade assets for a 2C they should be looking for a young 2C (23-26) that has the potential to grow into a 1C when O’Reilly is done. Players such as:

Anton Lundell
Shane Pinto
Josh Norris
Trevor Zegras
Mason McTavish
Quinton Byfeld
Morgan Frost

Maybe Sam Bennett

 

[Predsanddead24]

Anton Lundell

It's really a shame we've never gotten the opportunity to draft someone like him.

 

[hido]

Disclaimer: when we were the off-season champions (hang a banner!), I supported and was excited by some of the moves outlined below. But here we are.

So it now looks like Trotz:

- mishandled a potential generational goalie and possibly Lankinen (who is 6-0-2, damn. I know, he wanted to be a 1, but still) and gave us the gift of Scott Wedgewood
- extended a goalie until 2078 who may be starting a decline
- didn't find a second line center
- signed several over-the-hill "serial winners" who actually WILL retire in Nashville
- has a coach who has an aversion to consistently playing anyone under the age of 30
- Karl Taylor (I just like saying his name)
- is completely f-ing with Tomasino, Fabbro, and Parsnip
- has a coach whose system isn't clicking and doesn't seem to know what to do about it
- is paying Matt Duchene to lead the Stars in points and goals
- has a Luke Schenn crush
- what did I miss?

It's just freaking depressing, man. I was so excited about this season. I should've known better.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

It's really a shame we've never gotten the opportunity to draft someone like him.

He would have been traded or waived or signed somewhere else after toiling in the press box til UFA anyway. No big.

 

[Soundgarden]

He would have been traded or waived or signed somewhere else after toiling in the press box til UFA anyway. No big.

Right. Check out the guy picked directly after Tomasino, no way he gets that shot here.

 

[Armourboy]

And people thought I was being crazy when I said this team was just as likely to stink as it was to be a playoff contender. Now I figured it would be injuries that would get us, but right now injuries may be our only salvation.

 

[herzausstein]

The entire "leadership" group is playing like dog shit.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

The entire "leadership" group is playing like dog shit.

I was going to ask where all these "leaders" and "winners" are that we're supposed to have in the roster.

 

[nullednumbed]

And people thought I was being crazy when I said this team was just as likely to stink as it was to be a playoff contender. Now I figured it would be injuries that would get us, but right now injuries may be our only salvation.

I was not one of them. I'm really not trying to repeat myself on here, but signing old dudes to play with other old dudes, even if they have some skill, can just as easily backfire as can work out. That's why I was dubious of that spending spree on the long NMC contracts for 'em.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

And people thought I was being crazy when I said this team was just as likely to stink as it was to be a playoff contender. Now I figured it would be injuries that would get us, but right now injuries may be our only salvation.

I just really wished we had "stood pat" outside supplementing the D and seeing if we could acquire a youngish 2C. And mostly didn't want to lock into Saros long-term and give Askarov a shot.

Go in with an open mind but this has been a disaster.