Nashville Predators Trade Rumors: Brock Boeser to Smashville?

Even though the NHL Trade Deadline is still three months away, it’s never too early to start scanning through the trade rumblings. The Nashville Predators might be an interesting suitor for a talented scoring winger currently on the trade block for the Vancouver Canucks.

According to Elliotte Friedman during the “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcast on Saturday night, Brock Boeser’s agents have been given permission to speak with other teams about a potential trade. The 25-year-old right winger is in the first year of a three-year/$6.65 million AAV contract running through the 2024-2025 season.

Could the Nashville Predators become buyers for a player like Boeser and land a major offensive weapon? Let’s take a look.

What Would Brock Bring to the Ice for the Nashville Predators?

Things have reportedly gotten really sour between Boeser and the Canucks brass after being initially scratched this past Saturday but then added late due to an injury to another player during morning skate, per a report from The Vancouver Sun.

Brock Boeser has played 344 regular season games and 17 postseason games in the NHL, all of which have been played with Vancouver.

Throughout his NHL career he has 125 goals and 147 assists for 272 points, averaging .79 points per game. This season in 20 games played Boeser has posted four goals and12 assists on a Vancouver team that is near the bottom of the Western Conference at 11-12-3.

Over the course of his career, Boeser has posted seasons of 55, 56, 45, 49, and 46 points averaging 50.2 points per season over the past five. Two of those seasons were shortened due to COVID-19.

Boeser is a top-six forward who is averaging just 15:49 of ice time this season, dramatically lower than his career average of 18:24. Clearly things are heading to a breakup between Boeser and the Canucks.

Where Would Brock Fit?

It would be expected that with the lack of goal scoring being produced by the Nashville Predators currently, ranking 30th in the NHL in goals for at 61 goals according to Statmuse, that Boeser would be leaned on for his offensive abilities.

Boeser would fit well on a second line made up of Matt Duchene and Colton Sissons. This would move Tanner Jeannot back down to the third line.

The Predators could also interchange Sissons, Ryan Johansen, and Juuso Parssinen at the center position up and down the top three lines.

The million dollar question is what will it take to get a high caliber player like Boeser in a trade that would shake up the Western Conference landscape?

According to Capfriendly.com, the Nashville Predators have approximately $989,899 in cap space. In order to get Boeser in a Smashville sweater the Predators would have to give up some pieces to make it work.

Vancouver currently ranks 30th in the league in Goals Against, allowing 100 goals in 26 games. The Predators should consider making a trade of Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro in addition to a first and third round draft pick in the 2023 draft to send to Vancouver.

Here’s what the potential trade scenario would like look between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, and it would take a lot to outbid the other suitors if you’re the Predators.

Should Nashville Explore this Option?

Absolutely, the Nashville Predators have not received the goal scoring that they have needed up to this point of the season.

Bringing in someone like Boeser to the lineup would come at a high cost, but would add another option up front to put pucks in the back of the net.

Boeser is still young and has a long career ahead of him and we can only hope that it is in a Nashville Predators sweater.