Expect More Moves from the Nashville Predators and Barry Trotz
The Nashville Predators have gotten the party started regarding silly and trade season. Last week, general manager Barry Trotz traded defenseman Ryan McDonagh back to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“We talked at the end of the year and he’s got so many good memories of his time in Tampa,” Trotz said. “We just had a conversation, a little bit about life and what the future holds, and for me, he’s been such a fantastic leader and someone who I have so much respect for. So [he asked] if there was ever an opportunity for him to get back to Tampa if I would explore that a little bit. And so out of respect and [because of] the type of person that Ryan is, I talked to [Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois] and we made I think a fair deal that would allow us to have Ryan go back to Tampa Bay and do the right thing.”
The Predators did not retain any salary in this deal with the Lightning, and that was smart, as Nashville needed cap space for next season.
Nashville was carrying $12 million in cap space, either with retained salaries or buyouts between Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, Mattias Ekholm, and Kyle Turris. So moving out McDonagh’s $6.75 million salary cap hit over the next two seasons just made sense.
Recall that when Barry Trotz first came in as General Manager of the Nashville Predators, he traded Ryan Johansen to Colorado and retained his salary. He then bought out Matt Duchene‘s contract. Trotz wanted certain guys in the room that would make the team better. Nashville made the playoffs this past season, thanks to Juuse Saros. There will be more on him in a little bit.
However, with that success, there are consequences. One of which is that the Predators will have a salary cap hit of $5.55 million this season and $6.55 million the next two seasons for the Matt Duchene buyout. So, moving out McDonagh’s contract just made sense.
“[It gives us] probably some flexibility now,” Trotz said. “Just because of the retention and all the stuff that we have going on with what I did last summer, this probably gives us a little more flexibility to maybe be a little more active in some free agency that we probably weren’t considering ourselves to be in.”
The Predators will have a lot of draft capital in the 2024 and 2025 NHL Drafts. They can pick players to restock the farm or move those picks to acquire players to help sustain success.
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However, the biggest question for the Nashville Predators is what they do with goaltender Juuse Saros.
As Full Press Hockey has documented, the Predators and New Jersey Devils discussed Saros last season. Sources indicated to Full Press Hockey that the Predators asked the Devils for Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey, Akira Schmid, and the Devils’ 2025 2nd-round pick for Alexandre Carrier and Juuse Saros, with the Predators retaining 50 percent on Carrier.
While that offer is no longer on the table expect the Devils and Predators to take a stab at this again. However, Barry Trotz is open to keeping Saros on an extension.
“(Saros) wants to be here, I’d like him to be here,” Trotz said. “We’re gonna work hard on getting something done with him.”
The numbers must work with the cap constraints, but Trotz knows he has a goalie waiting in the wings. Yaroslav Askarov has been tearing up the AHL. However, Trotz knows he has a good situation and isn’t looking to change right away, but down the road, he can’t have both guys on the roster.
“I’ve talked to Saros. He said it’s been good & he’s going to keep him in the loop with decisions & talk to his agent,” Trotz said on 10.25 The Game in Nashville. “If a deal is out there he’ll do what’s best for the team. Four to five years down the line, it’s one or the other starting.”
Again, if a deal is to be made for Saros, Trotz will make it, but he is still holding out for a high package.
One thing you will see again this season is a younger Predators team, as several of their free agents will probably not be back to make room for the players in the system to come up and compete for spots.
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