The Nashville Predators have traded longtime Predator defenseman Mattias Ekholm to the Edmonton Oilers. Ekholm was drafted in 2009 by the Predators in the fourth round, and has been with the team since.
It's Ekholm and a sixth to EDM
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 28, 2023
To NASH it's Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first this year and a fourth.
The wild week continues for the Preds, and are heading into full rebuild mode. This comes after the blockbuster trade of Tanner Jeannot being dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Ekholm has had a decent season with the Preds, despite the team having a down year. Ekholm has so far posted 5 goals and 13 assists, good for 18 points. A legend on and off the ice, this one is necessary, but hurts.
I think I speak for many Predators fans when I say its hard to see Ekholm go, but this just shows how cruel the business can be sometimes. A leader on and off the ice, Mattias wasn’t just a great teammate in the locker room, but a great person too. The amount of good he has done for the city of Nashville cannot be understated, and he has left a legacy as he departs up North to Alberta.
The Preds also traded away a 6th round pick with Ekholm to the Oilers. The Nashville Predators have acquired Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first round pick and a fourth round pick. Even after another trade of a fan favorite, I got news for y’all, I don’t think they are quite done yet.
We will see in the coming days/hours what other moves the Preds will make, and as always we’ll have you covered here on Predlines with the latest moves the Preds make. In the meantime, the Preds will be facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Bridgestone Arena tonight at 7PM.
We’ll have your game coverage over on our twitter @PredlinesNSH, along with any other action that could take place. Go Preds!