The Tampa Bay Lightning have stumbled out of the Olympic break, but remain the top team in the Atlantic Division. As they look to get back to the Stanley Cup Final, this week looms large. The Lightning have interest in Nashville Predators forward Cole Smith ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, per NHL insider Frank Seravalli.
“Sounds like [Lightning] have been circling around [Predators] Cole Smith in trade talks,” Seravalli reported. “Smith was removed from tonight's game after a three-second shift – and the pending UFA winger is awaiting word on a potential trade destination.”
Cole Smith is on the #Smashville bench. Parked next to Juuse Saros. He hasn’t played a shift in the second. Just three seconds in the first. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/ue2qPmPNBm
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) March 4, 2026
The Predators were on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday when Smith was pulled. He sat next to goalie Juuse Saros on the end of the bench, waiting for the official word to drop. If he gets traded to the Lightning during the game, he will leave the bench and head to Tampa.
Smith is a bottom-six forward with limited offensive upside. He has never scored more than nine goals in a season, and has just six goals and ten points this season. But the Lightning have plenty of elite scorers, so they won't need Smith to find that skill. With Pontus Holmberg and Curtis Douglas currently making up Tampa's bottom-six right wingers, Smith can provide an upgrade.
The Predators already made one trade on Tuesday, sending Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 second-round pick. With general manager Barry Trotz stepping aside at the end of this season, Nashville is looking to build for the future. Trading away players on expiring contracts, like Smith, for a draft pick is the first step in that process.
The Predators could have bigger moves coming, namely involving Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos. But for now, it appears they are dealing depth pieces for picks.
