The first wave of the National Hockey League free agency period has come to a close, and there was a whirlwind of activity that saw plenty of the bigger names change destinations. And perhaps no team made more meaningful and impactful additions to their squad than the Nashville Predators, who put the rest of the League on notice by declaring their intentions to be viewed as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.
Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain and future Hall of Fame forward Steven Stamkos was lured to Nashville after 16 years with the Bolts, signing a four-year contract with an AAV of $8 million. This marks arguably the biggest free-agent signing in club history since they entered the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1998. However, they weren't done yet.
Also arriving in Nashville was forward Jonathan Marchessault, formerly of the Vegas Golden Knights. Just over a year removed from being named the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner for helping lead Vegas to their first Stanley Cup victory, Marchessault made it clear that, like Stamkos, he was disappointed by the lack of meaningful negotiations on a new contract with his old club.
The Predators also made additions on the defensive side of the puck, inking former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei while also securing backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood to play behind starter Juuse Saros, who recently agreed to an eight-year extension.
Securing future Hall of Famer Steven Stamkos: A
It's the end of an era in Tampa Bay, as franchise icon and team captain Steven Stamkos officially departed the only squad he's ever suited up for and is now a member of the Predators for the next four seasons. Despite being on the wrong side of 30 years of age, Stamkos had no problem producing in 2023-24, enjoying yet another 40-goal campaign and bringing his career total to 555.
The only potential issue with the acquisition of Stamkos is that he'll be making $8 million a season until he's 38. We've seen many examples of hefty contracts becoming burdensome for teams as a player's production begins to decline. But for Nashville, they're clearly in “win now” mode. It will be worth it if they can reach the mountaintop of Stanley Cup glory even once during the Stamkos contract.
A two-time Cup winner, Stamkos brings valuable championship experience to Nashville, which he will help them focus upon as he explained during his introductory Predators presser via NHL.com:
“We want to win a Stanley Cup. That’s why we play the game,” Stamkos said Tuesday. “I think some people are sometimes afraid to say that and it heightens expectations, but at the end of the day I’ve always been a big believer that you have to believe you can do it in order to achieve it.”
Valuable scoring depth with Jonathan Marchessault: A-
Like Stamkos, Marchessault could not agree on a contract extension with the club he'd helped to their first-ever Stanley Cup win. He agreed to join the Predators with a five-year contract, paying him $5.5 million a season. He enjoyed a career-best 42 goals last season for Vegas, with whom he was known as one of the original “misfits” from their introduction into the NHL in 2017.
His addition gives Nashville yet another scoring punch with valuable championship experience, and another Conn Smythe Trophy winner on the roster alongside Ryan O'Reilly, who earned the honor as a member of the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Solidifying the defense with Brady Skjei: A
The Predators were in need of a bonafide defenseman to fill the gap left behind by Ryan McDonaugh, who returned to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They filled that void in meaningful fashion with the signing of Brady Skjei, who established a new career-high in power-play points last season with the Carolina Hurricanes.
A key factor that attracted Skjei to Nashville was their clear commitment to winning as evidenced by the aforementioned additions of Stamkos and Marchessault, something he explained in his own introductory press conference via NHL.com:
“That was a huge thing for me,” Skjei said. “I think you can even look before the signings on July 1, at the youth in this organization and the skill they have up here, and even in the AHL and in the farm system – the team is going to be good for a while and make playoff runs in the future. And adding the guys that we did on July 1 can just hopefully speed that up pretty quickly. I think it's going to be a very exciting few years here in Nashville.”
Goaltending depth with Scott Wedgewood: B
Having played the last few seasons as a backup to Jake Oettinger with the Dallas Stars, the Predators secured the services of veteran Scott Wedgewood, who will compete with Kevin Lankinen for playing time behind Saros. Goaltending depth is at a premium these days, and the Predators might choose to be one of the few teams rolling with three goaltenders on the roster.
Overall Predators Free Agency grade: A
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