Predators: Looking at the Biggest Unrestricted Free Agents Next Offseason

This team could end up looking completely different at this time next year as several players are becoming unrestricted free agent next offseason.

The big names of the Nashville Predators are here for a few more years baring some kind of unexpected trade. However, there are some key depth players due to become unrestricted free agents, and the Predators won’t be able to keep them all.

The Predators already took care of business by re-signing Roman Josi earlier this year. That was the big point of order that everyone took a sigh of relief that it got done. He’s such a critical piece of how this team operates both offensively and defensively.

Austin Watson was also re-signed not too long ago. He’s a player that brings toughness and grit to the fourth line, while also chipping in the dirty areas to score goals. It’s been somewhat of an underwhelming season for him so far.

Let’s take a look at every unrestricted free agent and if the Predators should keep them or let them go. All contract numbers are according to CapFriendly.com.

Mikael Granlund

It hasn’t been what you would call smooth sailing for Granlund since coming here via trade last season. He has’t lived up to the expectations most had for him when being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in return for Kevin Fiala.

Granlund is making $5.75 million this year at age 27. He’s still in the prime of his career and is a former 67 and 69-point scorer. If the Predators decide to keep him, they’re rolling the dice that he can become that player again, and soon. He has just 16 points in 42 regular season games for Nashville going back to last season.

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There’s a lot of time left to change my mind, but I don’t see the Predators retaining him. He’s going to want a long-term contract, and a big investment from whichever team he ends up with. Someone will want him more than the Predators want him.

I will say that if he hits a hot streak and becomes a big piece to the Predators climbing back into the thick of things, then he could earn his way back in. Judging off of his productivity to this point, I don’t see him returning. He’s currently day-to-day with a lower body injury that forced him to miss his last game.

Craig Smith

This one is going to be the toughest decision to make in my opinion. Simply speaking, Smith hasn’t played well so far this season. He’s been held in check and doesn’t look anywhere near his usual lock of scoring 20-plus goals.

With all of that being said, Smith has been such an important piece of the Nashville Predators for several seasons now. He was drafted by the Predators in 2009 and has always brought the intensity needed to rally the troops.

Smith is approaching the back nine of his NHL career, if he’s not already there. He’s making $4.25 million this season while putting up just seven points in 27 games. He’s been a regular on the third line for the Predators and is shooting percentage has oddly slumped all the way down to three percent. Way below his career average of 9.3 percent.

I don’t think it’s going to take a crazy high contract to keep Smith in Nashville. I’ve always hoped he retires as a member of the Nashville Predators. However, this might be one of those business decisions that sees him sadly wear the sweater of another team next season.

Rocco Grimaldi

This is going to be another tough decision to make with Grimaldi. He has stepped up to the plate in a big way this season after entering it with some questions around him. There were doubts that he could stick as a regular on the NHL level and be consistent.

He’s proving any of those original doubts wrong with 12 points and a plus-4 plus/minus ratio. The Predators third line has been a bright spot on many nights, and Grimaldi has been a big part of that. He’s easily going to set a new career-high in points.

Grimaldi is proving to be an important piece to the Predators’ bottom six. He’s become a reliable contributor and earning his spot on the roster for the long-term. He always had trouble sticking around on the NHL level until he got to Nashville last season.

Now it looks like Grimaldi may have found a long-term home with the Predators. He’s probably earning himself a shiny new contract next season that might keep him in Nashville for the next few seasons. I expect the Predators to retain Grimaldi for the next two to three years.

Matt Irwin

Here’s another player that should be an easy decision to probably let go. Irwin just doesn’t bring a whole lot of value to the team when he’s out there. He occasionally gets a big hit or makes a big block, but that’s all I really see.

Irwin would come at a relatively cheap price if the Predators did keep him, but I’m more of a fan of giving prospects a chance over what we already know we have in Irwin. Also, the Predators are definitely going to be shopping for a free agent defenseman in the coming months.

I don’t see Irwin sticking around past this season. He’s already losing starts and playing on a part-time basis on the troubled third defensive pairing. Even though he’s not out there to produce a lot of offense, he has to give you more than just one point in 12 games. He had seven points in 44 games last season.

There’s going to be some holes to fill defensively for the Predators going into next season. We know what we have in the top four defensemen, but the third pairing is a mess. Ideally, the Predators need a free agent to move to the second pairing, and move Dante Fabbro to the third pairing. Irwin is just a fill-in until something better comes along.

The others

Yannick Weber is another defenseman that’s due to become an unrestricted free agent for the Predators next offseason. He’s also not appeared to be the answer to fixing the third defensive pairing. Him and Matt Irwin have been interchangeable in that role, but Weber has played three more games up to this point. I could see Weber returning over Irwin or Hamhuis, but only for really cheap and short-term.

Daniel Carr is in the midst of his first season with the Predators. He’s always been a player that flourishes on the minor league level, but can’t translate it to the NHL level. He was the AHL MVP last season.

Carr has appeared in eight games for the Predators this season and has failed to register a point. He’s even seen some quality time on the second line. His ice time has been minimal, averaging just under 11 minutes per game. He just turned 28-years-old, so he’s running out of time to really stick on the NHL and avoid becoming a career minor league journeyman.

Then you have Miikka Salomaki, a player who has been with the Predators since 2014-15 and got a contract extension back in March 2016. He’s always managed to stick around on the roster on the fourth line, but now appears to be the end for the 26-year-old.

Salomaki gets a lot of criticism, but you do have to admire his toughness, grit and willingness to lay out big hits despite being a little undersized. He’s only appeared in five games this season and is seeing a lot of time with the Milwaukee Admirals. Perhaps they retain him for a very cheap and low-risk price, but that seems unlikely to me.