Nashville Predators talk - The Offseason

[Flgatorguy87]

From the Preds website:

Maybe I'll make it after all. Keep the streak alive

 

[GeauxPreds1]

There's about $8.5 mil in cap space potentially opening up next summer with Glass, Gus, and Fabbro on deals ending after this season. Just depends how much the cap increases to get into a FA discussion next summer ... if Marner makes it to the open market.

Cap is projected to go up 4 million to 92ish. Evangelista will need a new deal. I don’t think there is any possible scenario where we can get marner. Maybe if we didn’t have almost 9 million in dead cap we could

 

[101st_fan]

Cap is projected to go up 4 million to 92ish. Evangelista will need a new deal. I don’t think there is any possible scenario where we can get marner. Maybe if we didn’t have almost 9 million in dead cap we could

In April the projection was McDonagh on our blueline at over a $6mil cap hit and there was no way in hell we'd be in on Stamkos, Marchessault, and Skjei. There are possible, not probable, scenarios ... moving out Sissons, Novak, Schenn, and/or Lauzon ... or even Saros before his NMC kicks in ... if that is what Trotz wants to chase.

 

[Armourboy]

Cap is projected to go up 4 million to 92ish. Evangelista will need a new deal. I don’t think there is any possible scenario where we can get marner. Maybe if we didn’t have almost 9 million in dead cap we could

I mean you could but then you are talking about trading everyone you can that makes 2 million or more and playing guys on ELC. Toronto has already shown that ain't exactly a great path to take.

 

[ShagDaddy]

Big assumption here on my part but O’Reilly should be satisfied with the additions of Marchessault and Stamkos instead of getting Marner.

 

[PredsV82]

Big assumption here on my part but O’Reilly should be satisfied with the additions of Marchessault and Stamkos instead of getting Marner.

I'm pretty sure he was pushing for Marner before UFA day so didn't know we would be getting all those guys. I'd guess he's extremely happy right now

 

[nullednumbed]

After a few days of letting the dust settle my feelings are this going into the season. A caveat is that Trotz still probably needs to make a couple of more moves between now and the start. First and foremost to be able to see Steven Stamkos play for the Preds over the next few years is pretty damn awesome no matter how I feel about the team as a whole. Trotz picked a path to go down over the next several seasons so can't fault him for that.
I am still not convinced these older forwards, as great as they have been, will lead this team deep into the playoffs. I think one or more of Forsberg-ROR-Nyquist will regress. There is no Point or Kucherov for Stamkos - he will need to really elevate the Novaks of this team. Saros, though decent overall, did have a down year (insert "5th in Vezina" comements) and needs to find a way to not get stuck in such a slow start. No doubt still a solid goalie but man that 8-year contract with the no move stuff really kind of stinks. This team still really needs a dynamic center, and understandably those are really tough to come by. But that is something I think will hamstring this team a bit.
So in my way too early prediction I am thinking the Preds finish out right around where they did last season; a wild card entry. But I am more pumped this year to go see them play in person because #91 is one of the all-timers. Perhaps Trotz will also do something before the puck drops as well.

 

[Scoresberg]

In case anyone still thinks we're in a re-tool...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811449037008027807

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

In case anyone still thinks we're in a re-tool...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811449037008027807

I'd say 29.8 years old is probably the apex of a hockey player's career, so I'd say we're in great shape.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

In case anyone still thinks we're in a re-tool...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811449037008027807

Wow, I'm shocked we're only #3. Ok, I knew we couldn't touch Pittsburgh. But I'm surprised Edmonton is ahead of us.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Three different approaches to roster building in that top 3.

Penguins core players are 34, 36, 36, and 37
Oilers are 27 and 28
Preds are 29, 30, 34

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Three different approaches to roster building in that top 3.

Penguins core players are 34, 36, 36, and 37
Oilers are 27 and 28
Preds are 29, 30, 34

Ahem, Saros-Forsberg-Josi-*Stamkos*-and probably Skjei now too... ? Maybe even O'Reilly, considering the minutes and role he has.

 

[Predsanddead24]

It is interesting because aging curves built on a lot of different metrics suggest players peak between 26-29 and then decline in their 30s. We do have a lot of guys we are relying on now that are in over 30, but while those trends are useful at a macro level they aren't a guarantee of anything at the individual level. Marchesseault and Nyquist both had career years last season and Josi is still as good as he's ever been. O'Reilly and Stamkos while not quite as good as their peak both had great seasons last year too. So while their is definitely some risk in the old man roster approach we're taking I think it's an interesting moneyball type of approach. I can't remember another team going in so heavily on signing older vet types like we have the last couple of years so it'll be an interesting case study. Dallas is maybe the closest and hopefully we can have similar success transitioning into a younger core when the time comes like they have too.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

While I’ve always wanted to see Nashville go into a full rebuild, I’m extremely happy they chose a side instead of staying in the mushy middle. Getting stamkos and Marchessault shows me that this organization is no longer afraid to swing big to compete and that’s a far cry from our last management. Yea we’re an older team but last year we was the 5th oldest team with zuckers and sherwoods on this team. Now we’re the 3rd with freaking stamkos and Marchessault. I’ll happily take that. I’m excited to see this team this year. More excited than I’ve been for a long time. We could complain about this or that or we can sit back and enjoy and realize that our team finally had the balls to push their chips in and say let’s go for this. I choose the latter. Let’s freaking Go

 

[herzausstein]

Ahem, Saros-Forsberg-Josi-*Stamkos*-and probably Skjei now too... ? Maybe even O'Reilly, considering the minutes and role he has.

Yeah alot of our top role players are on the wrong side of 30. Some of them are just barely though. Skjei is 4 years younger than Josi atleast. Some of this will help smooth out the aging out situation with the top players. Our center situation isnt pretty still in terms of age.

 

[ShagDaddy]

O’Reilly had his highest point season and his second best goal season at the age of 32 (last year)

Nyquist had his highest point season and his second best goal season at the age of 32 (last year)

No one can predict if they’ll be able to put up those numbers again but Brunette was able to get the most productive seasons out of them in their career. There’s no reason to believe that he can’t do the same with Stamkos and Marchessault.

Even if O’Reilly and Nyquist point production falls off and Stamkos and Marchessault don’t replicate their point totals from last season, we should expect that Evangelista, Novak and Parsinnen will improve on their numbers from last year to make up for any drop off from the older (not old) players.

The group coming back from last year have a full grasp of Brunette’s system and hopefully O’Reilly, Forsberg and Nyquist can help Stamkos and Marchessault figure out the system quicker. This coming season should be a blast to watch.

I’d also say that Saros now knows exactly what to expect from the group lay in front of him this year as opposed to the first half of last season so he should be able to have a better start to the season.

 

[Preds Partisan]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but I think the Preds playoff roster was something like 6th oldest. Whatever it was, I always had this thousand yard stare at random fans who claimed that "at least the young guys got a chance to play".

At least this older version of the roster is better, not just older.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but I think the Preds playoff roster was something like 6th oldest. Whatever it was, I always had this thousand yard stare at random fans who claimed that "at least the young guys got a chance to play".

At least this older version of the roster is better, not just older.

I mean, if "older" is based on the new UFA signings, yes. But last year before we signed those guys... I'm not at all sure it was "better" with our depthy depth filler guys.

 

[Kat Predator]

In case anyone still thinks we're in a re-tool...

Trotz pushed all the chips in the middle of the table. I don't know if that is a "re-tool" or not, but it is taking a huge swing.

It's definitely going to be interesting to see how the new superstars fit in and mesh with the rest of the team.

 

[braindead]

Does Dante Fabbro have any positive trade value? Asking for a friend who needs cap space.

 

[Armourboy]

Does Dante Fabbro have any positive trade value? Asking for a friend who needs cap space.

Probably being he is RHD, but my guess is it ain't a ton. Although we got a 4th for Afanasyev so who knows.

 

[herzausstein]

Trotz pushed all the chips in the middle of the table. I don't know if that is a "re-tool" or not, but it is taking a huge swing.

It's definitely going to be interesting to see how the new superstars fit in and mesh with the rest of the team.

I wouldnt say he pushed all his chips in the middle.

We havent spent any futures of consequence. Still have all our prospects, still have all our picks, etc. The picks we did spend were to get young players like Gibson that only serve to make the future core stronger.

UFAs are like playing with house money. He is trying to maximize the current core without jeopardizing the future. Now if we trade off Askarov, Kemell, Etc for win-now pieces that would be pushing all our chips into the middle. Likely will see some prospect swaps at some still and some cap shuffling

 

[101st_fan]

There are five players on the roster with a cap hit between $2-3 million. The biggest question over the next two months is which of them gets traded off for picks and/or AHL level prospects to open up enough cap space for a replacement plus a 21st player on the roster.
Glass? Fabbro? Schenn? Lauzon? Sissons?

 

[triggrman]

There are five players on the roster with a cap hit between $2-3 million. The biggest question over the next two months is which of them gets traded off for picks and/or AHL level prospects to open up enough cap space for a replacement plus a 21st player on the roster.
Glass? Fabbro? Schenn? Lauzon? Sissons?

My actual hope is 3. Glass, Schenn and Fabbro.

 

[101st_fan]

My actual hope is 3. Glass, Schenn and Fabbro.

I don't see anyone taking on Schenn's contract. Glass is a fragile reclamation project with potential upside. Fabbro at his hit and short term is workable for a lot of teams. Lauzon and Sissons have moveable deals, but are Trotz/Bruno go to guys making their departure unlikely.

My expectation is Glass or Fabbro.