Nashville Predators Puck Drop: And Now The Offseason Begins

Welcome to The Puck Drop, a weekly roundup of all things Nashville Predators. We look at news stories, social media posts, and everything else regarding YOUR NASHVILLE PREDATORS.

Now that the whirlwind season is officially over, the Predators can close out this chapter and look towards the future. Of course, what the future holds is anybody’s guess. However, Nashville made some strides last season and has much to look forward to once the next season begins.

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The exit and end-of-season media interviews are over for the players as well as Head Coach John Hynes and GM David Poile. While there is an overall disappointment with last season’s outcome, most players spoke of their excitement for what lies ahead next season.

The next event on the horizon will be the NHL Expansion Draft. With speculation on who the Seattle Kraken will choose already underway, everyone will be waiting to catch that first glimpse of the Predators’ protected player list,

Some big names will be looking for contract extensions over the Summer including, Filip Forsberg, Mattias Ekholm, and Juuse Saros.

Signing extensions for these three players is a pivotal cog in the plans of the franchise. So, hopefully, the negotiations will go smoothly.

As the Summer rolls on, we can expect some changes within the Predators organization. Next season we may see some familiar faces missing from the roster and some new faces possibly joining.

With their identity now in place, the Predators can move forward and build a team capable of making deeper playoff runs.

Mark Borowiecki Speaks About Health Issues

On Tuesday, Defenseman Mark Borowiecki revealed some details about his lingering health issues during the season. He spoke about a concussion, headaches, and nausea after being injured in a game against Carolina. He later said he has been skating for three weeks and is feeling great.

Borowiecki also revealed that he struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and received help from his former team, the Ottawa Senators, as well as the Predators.

He closed his statement by encouraging others to seek help no matter what and that there is always someone that can lend a hand.

Encouraging words from Borowiecki. We are glad to see he is doing better, and we look forward to seeing him on the ice next season.

Lingering Injuries Still Plague Some Nashville Predators

During his exit interview, Poile gave an update on the status of some injured players.

Poile stated that Mark Borowiecki has finally been cleared to play after suffering a concussion, but Defenseman Luca Sbisa is still recovering from a concussion received early in the season.

Poile also said that Viktor Arvidsson is still recovering from a lower-body injury but should be good to go for the start of next season. Lastly, he stated that Roman Josi was close to 100% after suffering an injury in game six against Carolina.

Will He Or Won’t He?

One player that everyone was interested in hearing from at the end of the season was Pekka Rinne. Speculation has swirled that this past season was going to be his last. However, after seeing his comments during his media availability, it is clear that we will have to wait and see if he will return to the Predators next season.

Rinne said that he wants to take a couple of weeks before meeting with Poile to decide his future. He also said that he wants to do what is best for his family.

Rinne did say that he still has the passion for playing hockey and that he wouldn’t rule out an opportunity to play for another team if that situation arises.

If the May 10 game against Carolina was his last, Rinne went out in style. He posted his 60th career shutout in the 5-0 win in front of a crowd of adoring fans and teammates.

Fan-Favorite Kaskisuo Heading To  Sweden

On Friday, free agent Goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo announced that he would not be re-signing with the Predators but instead playing in Sweden with Leksand.

Kaskisuo signed a two-way contract with the Predators before the 2020-21 season. However, he became a taxi squad member and only made it into one Predators game, relieving Pekka Rinne in the 3rd period of a game against Carolina in March.

Good luck to you and your family as you start this new adventure.

Nashville Predators Sign Juuso Parssinen

On June 1, Poile announced that he had signed 2019 seventh-round pick Centerman Juuso Parssinen to a three-year entry-level contract.

Parssinen, 20, spent the past two years playing for TPS in the Finnish professional league, where he served as an alternate captain.

Last season with TPS, Parssinen played in 55 games and tallied 42 points (8 goals, 34 assists).

Welcome to Smashville!

Happy Birthday

On June 1, Captain Roman Josi celebrated his 31st birthday. On May 29, Tanner Jeannot celebrated his 24th birthday.

Happy birthday to the Captain and the Oxbow Ox!