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The Nashville Predators are having the worst-case scenario season. After spending millions on Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei, and Jonathan Marchessault in free agency, they have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Newly extended goalie Juuse Saros has struggled, Ryan O'Reilly hasn't been the perfect fit, and GM Barry Trotz has choices to make. The Predators should make some trades this offseason. Who should be on the move?
The Predators made three trades before the NHL trade deadline. They sent Gustav Nyquist to the Wild, Luke Schenn to the Penguins, and Mark Jankowski to the Hurricanes. There were no significant deals that tore apart their core, which would not have been an overreaction to their season. Whether they fire Andrew Brunette is almost a moot point; the team on the ice needs to change.
The Predators should be making moves this offseason to re-tool and shoot into playoff contention. Who on the roster should be traded before the puck drops on 2025-26?
Ryan O'Reilly should be on the move
Before the NHL trade deadline, there were a lot of rumors around Predators forward Ryan O'Reilly. Trotz said that he treated the veteran as if he had a no-trade clause even though he did not have one. He decided to join Nashville before the 2023 season and committed to the organization, so they want to commit to him. That is noble, but not realistic given the state of the franchise.
O'Reilly is due $4.5 million through the 2026-27 season. He has 43 points in 69 games this year and is not impacting the defensive side as much as he did in his prime. For a Cup contender, he could provide solid veteran leadership down the lineup. With the cap increasing, other teams could fit him under the cap easily.
The Predators do have to balance the salary cap even with the rise coming. Juuse Saros is getting a $2.7 million raise and their buyout total is increasing by $1 million. Trading O'Reilly will help their cap situation for years going forward.
Trading Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons could lead to a solid return
There are plenty of players on the Predators who are free agents after the 2025-26 season. Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon are two of them who should be on the move this offseason. They are together on the list because Trotz should try to deal them both in one move. A contender picking up a depth defenseman and depth forward for a low cost could net a solid draft pick.
This is not usually the type of move that we see in the offseason. But the rising cap will mean rising salaries for players of all levels. If a team near the cap wants to get deeper this offseason without shelling out a lot of money, they could flip a mid-round pick to Nashville for Lauzon and Sissons.
The Predators may have made a mistake in 2024
This is the biggest question the Predators have to ask this offseason. Did they make a mistake during the summer of 2024? And if so, how many mistakes did they make? Stamkos was always risky because of his age but his contract is not too long. Marchessault is only on a five-year deal as well. Skjei is a concern, but defensemen can evolve in their 30s. Saros is the biggest concern, and they should consider trading him before his no-move clause kicks in.
At this point in the season, that would have to be at the NHL Draft because his clause kicks in on July 1. It would be difficult for Trotz to face the music after trading Saros because he already traded goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov. But Saros has been a Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie in the past. A team that needs a goalie, like the Carolina Hurricanes or Edmonton Oilers, could be convinced that their defense is better than the Predators.
The goalie is having one of the worst seasons of his career. Nashville would need to find a new goalie, which could be reason enough not to do it, but trading Saros could kick off the rebuild. The Predators are in a bad place but is it bad enough to trade Saros this offseason?
