Nashville Predators: Best and Worst Trades over the Last Decade
The Trade:
This was a pretty big deal at the time. The Predators were looking to make that next leap into the playoffs. They were already a regular participant in the playoffs, but were having a hard time taking that next step.
In came Mike Fisher. A proven leader, a reliable contributor and a player the Predators really needed for their locker room at the time.
This trade ended up being a huge success for the Predators. They gave up a first-round pick in 2011 to get Fisher, and the Senators ended up with Stefan Noesen. A player that never played a game for Ottawa, but did have his most productive season several seasons later in 2017-18 for the New Jersey Devils.
Fisher ended up being a huge piece of the puzzle for the Predators when they eventually made their Stanley Cup run. He’s 7th on the Predators franchise list for goals (111), and 9th in goals per game (0.26).
Safe to say this trade worked out beautifully, and we got Carrie Underwood.
The Trade:
I come across fans regularly who are still sick over losing Kevin Fiala, and I totally feel their pain. He’s a dynamic offensive player and had a bright future ahead of him at the time of this trade.
This trade came as the Predators were trying to add weapons to their arsenal for another deep playoff run. They were coming off a dramatic and heartbreaking second round playoff exit to Winnipeg, and felt like they still had the team to win the Stanley Cup.
Granlund just didn’t take off here like everyone hoped. Instead of coming anywhere close to being a 70-point scorer like he was in Minnesota, he was a pedestrian 30-point scorer in 63 games the following season.
On its surface it didn’t look like a bad trade at the time as Fiala wasn’t taking off like some expected him to. Looking back on it now, the Predators should’ve been more patient with Fiala and looked at other problem areas.
Fiala, on the flip side, took off in his first full season with Minnesota putting up 54 points in 64 games. I think the Predators would love to have that trade back now, especially considering Granlund is likely going to be traded away during this current trade cycle.
The Trade:
For anyone who remembers Paul Gaustad, you know he was a critical depth player and leader on the ice. Not a flashy player by any means, but one that was really important to those Predators teams.
Gaustad played in 14 games initially for the Predators during that season, and was a master in the faceoff circle. He laid out hits, blocked shots and was reliable as a decade long veteran at the time.
And then there’s what the Predators did with their draft pick they received in 2013 on this deal. Now of course there was no way they knew who would be available with that pick, but they ended up taking Juuse Saros all the way back in the 4th-round.
What did the Buffalo Sabres do with that 2012 first-round pick? They took a player named Mark Jankowski who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins and has played 30 games this season. He never played a game for Buffalo.
I would call this a very fruitful trade for the Predators that still has its ramifications to this day with Saros as Nashville’s hopeful franchise goaltender.
The Trade:
Shield your eyes Predators fans if you get worked up into a frenzy over anything about Kyle Turris. This trade was a mammoth three-team trade early in the 2017-18 season while we still had huge Stanley Cup aspirations.
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To make this clear, this isn’t a complete bashing of Turris. The guy was playing in a system that didn’t fit with him and for a head coach in Peter Laviolette that didn’t really use him effectively. He was also a class act while here in Nashville.
Turris was viewed as a veteran piece that could add scoring and many other things to a Predators team that just nearly won the Stanley Cup not too long before that. The real travesty was when the Predators took on a gargantuan $6M contract through 2023-23 that they eventually had to buyout.
Samuel Girard, a promising defensive prospect, was sent to Colorado as part of this deal and that’s what stings the most about this horrific trade. Girard’s game continues to get better to this day, and he’s up to 24 points on the season for the Avalanche.
You can mark this as the beginning of the end for GM David Poile’s tenure with the Predators if he does indeed end up being let go or he decides to retire after this season.
The Trade:
This one isn’t a slam dunk because Patric Hornqvist was a vital player for the Predators before being dealt in this trade for James Neal.
With that said, Neal was an electric player for the Predators as they built up into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. He was clutch, showed that raw emotion and passion you love, and was just plain fun to watch.
At worst, you can call this trade a push because Hornqvist has remained a pretty important player in his own right to Pittsburgh while Neal was dumbfoundedly not protected in the expansion draft and lost to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Even with that, Neal had three outstanding seasons for the Predators scoring 77 goals, with 14 of those goals being game-winners. Two more game-winning goals came in the 2017 playoff run that ended in the Stanley Cup Final.
It would’ve been nice to see Neal stick around in Nashville for another couple of seasons as the team preceded to enter a gradual decline that they’re still dealing with now.
The Trade:
This move at the time not only shook up the NHL world, but also the sports world. P.K. Subban is a transcendent sports figure, and he was coming to Nashville in a trade that sent away our beloved Shea Weber.
Many of us, including myself, didn’t know what to think about this trade when it happened. It was exciting to see a player like Subban bring his brand to the small market Nashville Predators, but crushing to see Weber play for another team.
It’s taken a lot of time to really analyze who won this trade. Subban shot up like a rocket initially with the Predators as the team went to the Stanley Cup Final and he was all over the airwaves putting the Predators on the map.
However, Subban quickly faded and was traded away unceremoniously to the New Jersey Devils while Weber is still a vital piece for the Montreal Canadiens.
I appreciate everything that Subban did for the Predators and what he represents. It’s not necessarily a trade that makes me cringe, but it is one that over time has come to light that the Predators lost due to longevity.
The Trade:
Ah, yes. The trade that will haunt Washington Capitals fans for all eternity, and will give us Predators fans a quick grin. Those Caps fans will be just fine as they have Alexander Ovechkin, so I don’t feel bad for them at all.
This wasn’t a blockbuster trade by any means when it happened. If anything, it was kind of hard to see Martin Erat leave. One of those aging veterans that was such a huge piece of the early years of the Predators when the franchise was trying to climb its way up the NHL ladder.
What’s crazy about this trade isn’t only what Forsberg ended up becoming, but also that Erat only produced two goals for the Capitals. Just the season before that Erat put up 19 goals and 58 points.
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It’s worth noting that Erat did post 23 assists in his lone full season with Washington, but still. What a steal for the Predators, and what a huge miss for the Capitals. Things that cause nightmares for general managers everywhere.
To add insult to injury, Michael Latta was a prospect that ended up playing in 96 games for Washington, but only posted 13 points and hasn’t made it back to the NHL level since then.
The Trade:
You want to talk about a trade that drove a stake in my heart at the time? Losing David Legwand crushed me as a lifelong Predators fan. It was hard, but I also understood that it made sense.
Looking back on it now, it’s a beautiful trade that’s still bearing huge results for the Predators. Calle Jarnkrok is currently 2nd on the team in goals with nine, and 3rd on the team in points with 15.
Legwand’s successful NHL career was close to coming to an end at that point, and the Predators made the tough, but wise, decision to move on from their first every draft pick.
What really stung about this trade was the team it was with. Of all teams, you trade Legwand to the Detroit Red Wings. We probably have the last laugh as I’m sure the Red Wings would love to have an offensive player like Jarnkrok on their team right now.
Get buckled up for some big trades in the coming week or so as the Predators could be entering a rebuild, or give people the fear that they go for it one more time by being buyers.