Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Of the players on this list, Boeser is probably the least desirable option and hopefully, it does not come down to this. That being said, if it does, Poile should at least inquire about a potential trade.
Boeser is still very much in the early stages of his career, at the age of 25 and having completed only five full years in the NHL. He has not had a season quite as good as he did when he was a rookie, but his skills are evident.
Boeser has a powerful shot and has shown to be an effective playmaker with the puck on his stick. He is also a very lethal powerplay weapon, and while the Nashville Predators greatly improved in that area this past year, the discrepancy between their first and second units was drastic.
The Predators would be getting a legitimate top-six forward who likely has not seen his ceiling yet, and would certainly be an upgrade over anyone Ryan Johansen played alongside for the majority of 2021-2022.
A big issue with Boeser is that he has been inconsistent from year to year, and at five-on-five play, has not shown to excel in any particular area.
Boeser also is not under contract for the upcoming season, and is not exactly someone the Predators or anyone should break the bank for. This is a player who should be traded for and signed at only a low cost, and for what it is worth, Poile could make that happen.
The Canucks are in a weird spot currently, as they missed the playoffs after a head coach firing early in the year, and several of their players are due for new contracts either now or within the next two years. Most of their core players are young, but they realistically will have to get rid of one of them due to cap restraints.
If that is the case, the Canucks will ship him or someone else off at a price lower than they would prefer, and teams like the Predators could take advantage. While this would be far from an ideal offseason splash, if it is cost effective.