The Nashville Predators are a team that is stuck in no man's land, because they aren't good enough to make the playoffs, yet aren't bad enough to tank. So the best thing for them to do is trade away the players with value and rebuilding the team through the draft. This is how I would rebuild the Nashville Predators.
At the 2022 Trade deadline, two major trades are made:
Nashville Predators trade Mattias Ekholm to the New York Islanders for Kieffer Bellows, Simon Holmstrom, and a 1st round pick in 2022.
The Islanders need to improve their left defense after trading away Nick Leddy, and Mattias Ekholm would make their defense even more potent. For the Predators, they get two top prospects and a 1st round pick, which helps to accelerate the rebuild.
The Predators also trade Filip Forsberg to the New Jersey Devils for Jesper Bratt, Kevin Bahl, 2022 1st round pick.
The Devils need to add another top 6 wingers if they are making a playoff push, and Filip Forsberg has been consistently one the best young scorers in the league. For the Predators, they get a top 9 forward in Jesper Bratt, a defensive prospect in Kevin Bahl, and a 1st round pick.
The Nashville Predators finished the 2021-22 season with the 5th worst record in the league.
Before the 2022 draft, one trade is made:
Nashville Predators trade Colton Sissons, Rocco Grimaldi to the Dallas Stars for 2022 5th round pick, a 2023 6th round pick.
The Preds manage to dump Colton Sissons contract to the Stars for two draft picks.
At the 2022 draft, Nashville Predators trade pick 37 to the Arizona Coyotes for picks 47, 57.
2022 Draft
5-Simon Nemec
18-Frank Nazar
29-Alexander Suzdalev
47-Simon Forsmark
57-Ludwig Persson
69-Marco Kasper
72-Julian Lutz
101-Tim Almgren
135-Topi Ronni
146-Joel Kjellberg
The Predators replenish their farm system; stockpiling the pipeline with a bunch of players that will take at least two years to be NHL ready.
Nashville Predators re-sign a few players:
Luke Kunin- 4yrs/4M per
Jesper Bratt-3yrs/3.5M per
Cody Glass-3yrs/2.5M per
Yakov Trenin- 3yrs/1.5M per
David Farrance-2yrs/1.5M per
Nashville Predators re-sign all Non-Roster RFAs.
Nashville Predators sign the Following Players in Free Agency:
Brayden McNabb-2yrs/2.5M per
Pavel Francouz-1yr/2.5M per
The Nashville Predators finish the 2022-23 season with the 8th worst record in the league but jump up in the lottery to the 3rd pick in the draft.
Before the 2023 draft, two major trades are made:
Nashville Predators trade Ryan Johansen to the Ottawa Senators for Ridly Greig, Erik Brannstrom, and a 2023 2nd round pick.
Ryan Johansen is not the same player he once was, but he would still be a solid 2nd line center behind Josh Norris. For the Predators, they get Erik Brannstrom, who hasn't been used properly in Ottawa, Ridly Greig, one of the Sens's top prospects, and a 2nd round pick.
The Predators also trade Mikael Granlund, Dante Fabbro to the New York Rangers for Filip Chytil, Zachary Jones, 2023 2nd round pick. Nashville retains 1.5 million of Granlund's annual cap hit.
This is a win-win trade for both sides because the Rangers add a veteran forward in Mikael Granlund and a solid defenseman in Dante Fabbro, while the Predators get two good young players and a 2nd round pick.
2023 Draft
3-Adam Fantilli
40-Quentin Musty
42-Kasper Halttunen
51-Mikhail Gulyayev
The Predators add a few dynamic forwards in Adam Fantilli and Quentin Musty, along with two other solid prospects in Mikahel Gulyayev and Kasper Halttunen.
Nashville Predators re-sign a few players:
Philippe Myers-4yrs/3.85M per
Erik Brannstrom-3yrs/3.5M per
Filip Chytil-3yrs/3.25M per
Kevin Bahl-2yrs/2.5M per
Zachary Jones-2yrs/2M per
Alexandre Carrier-1yrs/2M per
Kieffer Bellows-2yrs/1.8M per
Tanner Jeannot-1 yr deal
Mattieu Oliver-1yr deal
Nashville Predators re-sign all Non-Roster RFAs.
Nashville Predators sign Yaroslav Askarov to an Entry-level Contract.
At the 2024 trade deadline, one trade is made:
Nashville Predators trade Matt Duchene, 2024 1st round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for Jacob Perreault, Isac Lundestrom, and a 2025 2nd round pick.
This is a huge trade for both teams, which sees the Ducks land Matt Duchene and a 1st round pick, while the Preds get a top prospect in Jacob Perreault, Isac Lundestrom, a solid top 6 forward, and a 2nd round pick.
Nashville Predators finish the 2023-24 season with the 14th worst record in the league.
After the 2024 draft, one major trade is made:
Nashville Predators trade Juuse Saros to the Edmonton Oilers for Stuart Skinner, 2025 2nd round pick. If Juuse Saros gets 30+ wins, the 2nd round pick becomes a first-round pick.
Now that the Predators have their goalie of the future in Yaroslav Askarov, they can afford to trade Juuse Saros; Stuart Skinner is a decent backup goalie, and the Predators could get a conditional 1st round pick, depending on Saros' performance with the Oilers.
Nashville Predators re-sign the Following players:
Ridly Greig-6yrs/4.6M per
Eeli Tolvanen-4yrs/4.25M per
Zachary L'Heureux-4yrs/4M per
Jacob Perreault-3yrs/4M per
David Farrance-3yrs/3.75M per
Philip Tomasino-3yrs/3.5M per
Isac Lundestrom-2yrs/1.7M per
Simon Holmstrom-2yrs/1.3M per
Stuart Skinner-2yrs/1M per
Nashville Predators re-sign all Non-Roster RFAs.
Before the 2024-25 season, one trade is made:
Nashville Predators trade Cody Glass, David Farrance, 2025 1st round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens, 2nd round pick 2025.
The Predators need a second-line center behind Adam Fantilli, and Dylan Cozens is an up-and-coming young center, who wasn't getting used properly in Buffalo.
By the 2024-25 season, the Nashville Predators have put together a dominant team.
2024-25 Nashville Predators
Z.L'Heureux-A.Fantilli-J.Perreault
E.Tolvanen-D.Cozens-P.Tomasino
R.Greig-F.Chytil-L.Kunin
K.Bellows-I.Lundestrom-S.Holmstrom
R.Josi-P.Myers
Z.Jones-S.Nemec
K.Bahl-E.Brannstrom
Y.Askarov
S.Skinner
Top Prospects:
F: F.Nazar, Q.Musty, A.Suzdalev, L.Persson, M.Kasper, J.Lutz
D: S.Forsmark, M.Gulyayev
G: T.Vomacka
The Nashville Predators have assembled a young and dominant team that could contend for the next few years.
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