Rapid Rewind: Grading the Predators Offseason
The Nashville Predators were one of the teams that most people around hockey thought would have a deep playoff run, but that didn’t happen. The Predators were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Stars. There were a few factors that led to the elimination, but the biggest one was the ineptitude to score while on the man advantage.
The Predators have one of the best defenses in the NHL so they didn’t need any help there. If anything, the Predators were going to have to shed a contract from the blue line to get some cap space to sign a free agent or two. The team needed to add some scoring depth throughout the lineup, but especially add another big playmaker or scorer to the top six. The Preds crease was also set with Pekka Rinne and Juusse Saros as the goalies. The team absolutely wanted to find another player that could help an inept power play, which ranked as one of the worst in the League last season.
FREE AGENCY
The Preds made one major move in free agency and that was to sign center Matt Duchene. The center didn’t come cheap, but the Predators got him at a cheaper cap hit than other teams would have, if he signed elsewhere. Duchene signed a seven-year, $56 million contract that has a cap hit of $8 million per season through the 2025-26 season. In free agency, a team will pay a hefty price to get a decent player because he could sign with any of the other 30 teams.
Duchene will give the Predators the option to split Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg, if necessary. The Duchene signing will also give the team some depth down the middle of the ice and balance out the top six a little bit more. The center should definitely help what was an inept power play last season. There was too much passing and not a willingness to shoot. The power play also lacked a net front presence at times especially when Arvidsson and Forsberg were out injured.
TRADES
The Predators knew going into the offseason that they needed to shed some cap space going into free agecy, and that it would likely be one of the higher paid defenseman. The rumors were swirling early that P.K. Subban would be the one moved, and it made sense with his cap hit of $9 million dollars for the next three seasons. Dante Fabbro came up late in the season and played well so he could easily take Subban’s roster spot, as he is mobile and can move the puck.
The Predators acquired defenseman Jérémy Davies and Steven Santini from the New Jersey Devils for Subban and Adam Helewka. The Predators also received two draft picks in the deal. The deal made sense for both teams since the Predators needed to shed the cap space and the Devils needed a defenseman with Subban’s offensive ability.
OFFSEASON GRADE: C-
The Predators improved the team by signing one of the best available centers in free agency in Duchene. David Poile also signed Colton Sissons to a seven-year, $20 million cap friendly deal. They traded away a dynamic defenseman who can move the puck and skate. The team didn’t do too much to improve the bottom six of the lineup so the balance just won’t be there again this year. The Predators will be a two-line team that will rely on defense and goaltending to win games.
