Nashville Predators: Post-All Star Break Goals and Expectations

Don’t Mess Around With What’s Already Working

The temptation is going to be strong to get aggressive at the trade deadline for GM David Poile. The Nashville Predators have money to spend for a superstar forward or quality defenseman, but you run the risk of disrupting team chemistry that has been a strong foundation to your team’s success so far.

I love watching this current roster play for each other. No egos, even from top veterans like Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene. Everyone has each other’s back, both literally and figuratively, and it really shows on the ice with resiliency.

Now I’m not saying the Predators should just be non-participants in the trade market. There are some intriguing players out there, like Claude Giroux and John Klingberg, who would make the Predators even better and increase their chances for playoff success.

My reservation is shaking up a roster that’s already playing so well together and proving so many of us wrong through the first 46 games. You have to tread lightly when looking to possibly add a player or two to the lineup, even if that player is a major upgrade. It doesn’t automatically mean more success.

It will be interesting to see what Poile does as the March 21 deadline gets closer. I’m sure he’s got a couple moves up his sleeve that could see a prospect or drafts picks sent away for a depth player. But a big superstar splash would carry a high risk, high reward scenario.