Who should be the Predators’ top target this offseason?
By Jake Evans
After a chaotic beginning to the offseason, the Nashville Predators have offensive holes in their lineup. GM David Poile must now try to fill those voids.
With the loss of James Neal, potential retirement of captain Mike Fisher, and possible loss of other players to free agency, the Nashville Predators lineup will not be the same next year. After last week’s draft, the Predators now have more young, undeveloped talent. However, that talent won’t be NHL ready for a few more years, leaving Nashville with a need to fill those gaps now. GM David Poile now has the tough job of trying to acquire talent to fill these voids. Many talented players are available this off season, which is good for GM’s. With a plethora of options for NHL teams, front offices face the decision of who or who not to sign, or trade for.
A few of the notable players that are available include, defenseman Kevin Shatterkirk, forward Alexander Radulov, defenseman Karl Alzner, and forward Joe Thornton. Many other elite players are top trade targets as well. While talent is a concern for NHL GM’s, so is money. Recently, the NHL increased the salary cap to $75 million. This number leaves the Predators with just over $22 million to spend. Free agency opens on Saturday July 1st, so who are the best options for the Predators?