Predlines
Fansided

Four Free Agents That Make Sense for Nashville Predators this Summer

By Chad Minton

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 23: Ivan Barbashev #49 of the Vegas Golden Knights is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 23, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 23: Ivan Barbashev #49 of the Vegas Golden Knights is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 23, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding just how the Nashville Predators will approach this offseason as General Manager Barry Trotz transitions into the role from the franchise’s only other front office leader, David Poile.

The Predators have gradually shifted into a much younger roster since the 2023 trade deadline that saw Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund and Tanner Jeannot dealt away.

Additional injuries to more veterans forced youth and inexperience into the mix, and it was a valiant effort to only come up three points shy of the Winnipeg Jets for wildcard spot.

When thinking of that performance down the stretch and how the team didn’t just fold despite the adversity, it makes you wonder how much that weighs on Trotz when thinking of how he’ll handle the 2023 NHL free agency market.

To be clear, Nashville isn’t a team that’s going to be able to swing for the fences, nor should they. Top free agents like Michael Bunting (TOR), J.T. Compher (COL), Patrick Kane (NYR), Ryan O’Reilly (TOR), and Tyler Bertuzzi (BOS) will require long-term investment and make things even more complicated for the alignment of an already set roster.

This is really about Trotz identifying a player that can boost the mini rebuild and hopefully be around for a while.

Let’s take a look at four free agents who could upgrade the Nashville Predators and not break the bank, either.

Home/NHL Free Agency