Nashville Predators: Players Who Could Realistically be Traded

As the Nashville Predators continue to disappoint this season, one thing is being made very clear — they will not contend for a Stanley Cup with this group of players, coaches, and management. Reality has smacked them in the face on more than a few occasions this year, and we are well past the point of the team needing a drastic shakeup or few in order for their fortune to change.

Those who have been clamoring for the Predators to rebuild might get their wish, as with the way they are trending, they will have no choice but to be sellers at the deadline.

Now, it is not like the team will just trade everyone, as Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg are not going anywhere, and it would be tough to move guys like Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan McDonagh. And even if there are significant changes made to the core of players, coaching and management are likely to still hold them back if nothing changes there.

But change has to start somewhere, and no matter what comes first, right now it looks like several players could be on the move.

Mikael Granlund

Granlund‘s name is one that has consistently been at the top of lists of those who could be traded from the Predators. And honestly, if this team does sell at the deadline, he should be one of the first players to go.

Granlund has always been reliable at what he does best, which is distributing and being a steady defensive presence and overall solid two-way player. This year, he has eighteen assists which is good, and he has still been heavily relied on as a penalty killer and as a result is leading all forwards on the team in ice time.

Unfortunately, one of the weaknesses throughout his career is really rearing its ugly head this year, which is goal scoring. He has been absolutely snakebitten in that category this year, and this game against the Winnipeg Jets shows that he lacks the confidence to shoot the puck right now.

Given the Predators’ offensive struggles as a whole, it is not hard to imagine why he is not doing so well right now. He is still a good player in this league and could be rejuvenated in a better situation, and if other teams out there believe that, they would have no problem taking on his contract.

A trade would provide a fresh start for Granlund, and it might end up helping the Predators too due to their over-abundance at the center position. He is someone who many including myself have really liked during his time in Nashville, but right now it just looks like parting ways may be in the best interest of both sides.

Colton Sissons

Sissons is a player who would be pretty hard to see shipped off from the Predators standpoint. He has always been consistent and does so many great things at both ends of the ice, and there is a reason that the team signed him as a bottom six player to a seven year contract.

He has been worth every penny, and a potential trade would have nothing to do with how he has and is still performing. The issue is that if the Predators are looking to sell and go in a more youth oriented direction, particularly on offense, then Sissons is not needed.

Just as is a big part of what makes Granlund expendable, the Predators have an absolute logjam at the center position. Many of their promising youngsters are naturally and best utilized as centers, and if you are needing to free up a space down the middle, then parting with Sissons makes sense.

He has three years left on his contract after this one is over, but once again, he has done nothing but play up to the level that is expected of him. If a team feels as if they need an extra piece or two to make them tougher to play against come playoff time, someone will be interested in Sissons.

He is 29 years old and with the Predators season going in an unfavorable direction, there likely will not be a better time than now to get some value for him.

Nino Niederreiter

Niederreiter is yet another example of a player whose main problem is not the way he is playing. His eighteen points in 35 games are not great, but he has done much of what he has been expected to do and is actually second on the team in goals with 12 for the season.

Everyone knows the player that Niederreiter is. He is a solid, second line forward who is gritty and actually effective at making his team that much harder to play against, the teams he has played for in the past have loved having him.

Part of what makes him so enticing as a trade candidate later this year is his contract. He only has one more year after this one at a very reasonable $4M, so there is so little risk involved for any team that decides to take a shot at him.

Niederreiter is a win-now player and someone who is by no means someone the Predators are committed to for their long-term future, so this is yet again they might be smart to get some assets in return when they know they can.

Juuse Saros

Trading Saros would tell you everything you need to know about what the Predators wanted to do with their team. You cannot be among the very bottom teams in the league with him in net, so dealing him would show that not only would the Predators want to rebuild, they would want to be one of the worst teams in the league and get one of the most highly coveted prospects in the draft.

I highly doubt that actually happens since the organization has been adamant many times about not wanting to tear everything down, but in a season like this, it definitely has to be discussed, especially because he has only two years on his contract after this one. If you truly want to prioritize youth, do you really want to pay him about double current contract when he is going to be 30 when that kicks in? Especially with Iaroslav Askarov in the system?

Now, no matter how much some people want this team shaken up, you have to be very sure of the team’s direction before you make the decision to pull the trigger. If you can actually deal players such McDonagh, Ekholm, Johansen, and Duchene, then doing the same to Saros is more sensible because at that point you have an objectively bad team that is fully focused on the youth route.

But assuming the more likely scenario, which is that you cannot trade those players, then the best option is to ride it out and keep Saros so the Predators at least have a chance.

Again it is extremely unlikely that Saros will be traded, but the time to think about what you are going to do with him long term will be here before we know it. And with how the current season is going, it is not at all too early for the Predators to start thinking, especially when they could get an absolute haul for him.