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Nashville Predators: What Does Future Hold for 2022 Unrestricted Free Agents?

By Max Greenberg

Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Matt Benning
Nashville Predators defenseman Matt Benning (5) . Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Nick Cousins, Matt Benning, and Mark Borowiecki

I included all three of these players on the same slide because more or less, all of them are in the same status.  They are nothing but depth players and should be easily replaceable.

If there is one player on this list who impressed the most, it is Nick Cousins, due to his grit and ability to push his opponents around.  Even then, he did nowhere near enough to justify being prioritized as a key core player.

Benning was not bad by any means and played some valuable minutes on the third pairing, but also proved to be nothing more than a minor, short term asset.

Must Read. Why the Predators Should Avoid a Vladimir Tarasenko Trade. light

Borowiecki was battling major stuff off the ice and barely played for the team this past year, and it is hard to imagine him having a place on the roster when the 2021-2022 season begins.

None of these guys are going to have much value on the trade block at all, even if it would be ideal to unload at least one of them.  And as I mentioned earlier, the Predators almost never put themselves in a position to sell during the regular season.  Expect all three to just walk after their contracts expire next season.

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