The Nashville Predators won NHL Free Agency this summer. They signed Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in a move to give more firepower to their top-six. And they brought in defenseman Brady Skjei to partner with captain Roman Josi on the backend. These moves certainly make them better, but there could be more moves on the way.
NHL Free Agency has significantly thinned out since July 1. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the NHL. Most of the big moves happen when the market opens at the beginning of the month. Still, there are few impact options left. Joe Pavelski has effectively retired while Daniel Sprong signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Predators have made their big moves. However, they could still find valuable depth on the trade market. With this in mind, here are two potential Predators trade targets to consider after their massive spending spree in NHL Free Agency.
Trent Frederic may be a target
The Predators addressed the top of their lineup in NHL Free Agency. However, they could use some added depth down the lineup. Especially when it comes to the center ice position. Ryan O'Reilly and Tommy Novak are fine as the top two centers. And Steven Stamkos certainly can still contribute as an effective pivot. That said, depth could certainly benefit Nashville.
The Boston Bruins are still trying to win a Stanley Cup. And if they continue to have players such as Trent Frederic step up, their competitive window will remain open for years. Frederic is coming off a career season, scoring 18 goals and 40 points in 82 regular season games. He added three goals and five points in 13 playoff games.
Frederic enters the 2024-25 season on an expiring contract. The 26-year-old St. Louis native will be an unrestricted free agent once this final year expires. He carries a rather modest $2.3 million cap hit, and he does not have any no-trade or no-move protection in his contract.
Frederic mostly played a third-line center role during the regular season. In the playoffs, though, he began seeing time on the second-line right wing. His positional versatility could give the Predators options moving forward. Overall, though, he could be a very effective third-line center who can chip in secondary offense when needed.
Alex Kerfoot is coming off a career year
The Utah Hockey Club made a major trade for Mikhail Sergachev at the NHL Draft. For the most part, though, the NHL's newest franchise has not been incredibly active. They certainly want to make a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, though. That said, Utah is likely to listen to any scenario before the start of the new season.
Alex Kerfoot joined the organization last summer, signing a two-year contract with the then-Arizona Coyotes. And he proved the organization's faith in him right in 2023-24. Kerfoot scored 13 goals and 45 points for the Coyotes during the regular season. Furthermore, he completed his third consecutive season without missing a single game.
The Predators would be getting a player who, like Frederic, brings positional versatility. But being consistently healthy is a skill in and of itself. Kerfoot's contract expires after this season, so Utah may be willing to make a move for the right price. And the Predators would be a great fit for the former fifth-round pick.
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