Three have left and plenty more are destined to go.
The Nashville Predators have made it clear to the league that they'll be sellers at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Shipping off players Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, and Nick Blankenburg wasn't just a quick decision; it was a strategic advance towards a brighter future.
These guys aren't the biggest names we'll be seeing departing Nashville this week. Insiders predict that the Predators will be hearing the phone ring constantly in response to these two forwards: Erik Haula and Michael Bunting.
Haula joined Nashville over the offseason in a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Bunting on the other hand was dealt to the Predators last March in exchange for center Tommy Novak. Both forwards on are on expiring deals at AAV's at or below $4.5 million. If a team is looking for a cheap middle-six guy, these two are easy targets.
Haula and Bunting got tons of trade value and with an inflated trade market, the team could get big assets in return. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that Nashville is trying to sell everything on the table. With this in notion, let's take a look at a couple of outcomes for these two forwards.
Trade 1: Erik Haula to Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are definitely a mystery team this year. After finishing seventh in Metropolitan Division with 80 points last year, the Penguins now sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with 75 points (on pace for around 100. A team carried heavily by their offense, Pittsburgh is always looking for someone to add onto the crew to score.
The Penguins are experiencing heavy center injuries with Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte out of the lineup for the team being. If they want to remain in the playoff race, they must find a way to continue scoring at center. Haula might be the best piece to pursue at the deadline. If this season is a fluke, it's best not to go all in and lock in a big name long-term for it to not work well. Haula is a safe piece since he's high skill and not going to be asking for that much.
In a trade, Pittsburgh will have to deal at least a second rounder and potentially a prospect. Here's the trade I propose.
Why this work? Pittsburgh gets a solid centerman who could take over on the second or third line. Evgeni Malkin will likely remain on the first line even when Crosby returns since they're a crazy duo. Novak might control second, but Haula's got more experience. This makes it more likely that Haula would man that line instead. Novak isn't doing the best at faceoff (40.7 W%) so he could be pushed to the wing where he can score at will.
Nashville gets another second rounder just in case they can't get a first anywhere else. At the moment, Haula is the highest trade piece on the table. We could get a first for him, but here's where it gets good. Peyton Kettles. A solid RHD drafted in 2025 who is known for his 6'5" frame and defensive game. The Predators need some RHD talent and Kettles fills that hole. Enough yap let's move on to Bunting.
Trade 2: Michael Bunting to Lightning
Same with the Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning are experiencing an injury bug. Dominic James and Gage Goncalves are out of the lineup and the bottom six is filled with AHL guys. Bunting would fit really well in Tampa's lineup with his net-front presence and grit. The Lightning, who's notorious for their insane power play unit, would greatly benefit from Bunting's penalty drawing penalties.
Tampa is also well known for their abilities to manipulate the cap. This time, there won't be any of that needed. If Nashville could retain 50% of his salary for this season, Tampa would be in the clear. The tricky part with a trade with the Lightning is their lack of assets. Management decisions to go all in every year is leaving Tampa dry in the value picks department. They don't own their first-round pick for the next two seasons, but they do have a few second rounders they can work with. Here's the deal I think works for either side.
The Lightning have overpaid for depth guys in the past. Take Tanner Jeannot for example. Management shipped off multiple picks (including a first and second), and if they're willing to do that for him, imagine what they would do for a veteran like Bunting. Since we're retaining salary, Tampa would need to add some value to compensate for it.
The inflated market will surely persuade the Lightning to go all in. They're contending window is closing and they're hungry for another cup. Adding Bunting to the squad puts them in a good position to do so, even if it's only for one season.
As suggested, these are only hypothetical and are made with assumptions and not facts. In terms of value, I see these are pretty even for both sides, benefiting them in the short and long term.