The Nashville Predators are having a disastrous 2024-25 season. After making big splashes in free agency, they are way out of the playoffs and getting poor results from their new additions. While Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei won’t be on the move, the NHL trade deadline is a chance for Barry Trotz to recoup some assets. The Predators should sell at the trade deadline but the level to which they sell determines their dream and nightmare scenarios.
If the Predators were buying, they would be in the market for every big name on the move. With three first-round picks, they could have made a big swing. But many of their veterans with contracts expiring soon should be on the move instead. They do not have any pending unrestricted free agents of note, so players with an extra year could be traded.
Trotz has made two moves in the lead-up to the NHL trade deadline. The Predators traded Gustav Nyquist to the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 second-round pick, which is a great return. Then on Wednesday, they made a head-scratching move with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They picked up a fourth-rounder and Michael Bunting for Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn. What will be next for the Predators ahead of the trade deadline?
Dream: The Predators pick up another first-rounder
The Predators got two first-rounders from the Lightning when they sent Tanner Jeannot to Tampa in 2023. They already used one and have the second one coming up this June. They picked up a second one from the San Jose Sharks for trading goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov. If they can somehow get another one, it would be a dream deadline for Barry Trotz.
Trading Colton Sissons, Cole Smith, and Michael McCarron won’t get the Predators a first-round pick. Even if they were all packaged together to the perfect team, they wouldn’t get a first-rounder. Nashville would have to trade a core piece like Ryan O’Reilly to get another first-rounder.
If the Predators get a 2026 first-rounder, their prospect pipeline could be in great shape in just two years. David Poille did not leave a great pipeline for Trotz, so he has to find ways to improve it quickly. Spending all of that money in free agency will only work if there is young, sustainable talent around them. This is an unlikely dream but one Trotz should be working toward.
Nightmare: Barry Trotz unplugs the phone after Wednesday’s deal
The Predators made the move with the Penguins that landed them a young forward and draft pick on Wednesday. They had nearly 48 hours to work between that deal and the buzzer sounding on Friday afternoon. If Trotz does not make another move in that time, it would be an absolute nightmare.
This season is the worst nightmare Predators could possibly dream of. They started 0-5 and never recovered, falling into the same pit as the Sharks and Blackhawks. But if Trotz does not see the writing on the wall and holds onto the guys that contenders will pay for, that would be worse. The general manager is already a franchise legend from his time as the first coach in team history. He should have plenty of job security to sell and try again in free agency this summer.
Another nightmare scenario for Predators fans is the faces of the franchise getting traded. Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros likely won’t go anywhere but anything is possible at the deadline. Fans won’t like to see their favorite players going elsewhere even in a lost season. So while Trotz likely won’t deal these veterans with years left on their contracts, it’s worth mentioning as a true disaster option.
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