The Predators are in a strange situation, having signed a plethora of aging free agents last summer and hoping they’d mesh. But you know what happened - the Preds did anything but mesh, and they ended the year with one of the worst records in hockey.
Still, if all things remain equal, the Preds will have a lot of players coming back to town, hoping that 2024-25 was nothing more than a dress rehearsal and that their championship-caliber results were just delayed a year. So, that means bringing in, you guessed it, more aging talent to supplement Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg, and Company, either via trade or free agency.
Yeah, the clock’s ticking, but the Preds are still a team loaded with talent up and down their lineup. They just didn’t transfer their ‘good on paper’ look to actual on-ice results. Primarily, they couldn’t score. But if they can bring in the following older but talented forwards, maybe they’ll end up winning that elusive Cup.
John Tavares, F
Yep, I told you we’re going with a common theme here: Aging players who can still play, but won’t sign for anywhere near what they made in their previous contract. Or, at the absolute least, the contract length won’t be as long.
Anyway, adding someone like Tavares alone would fix the Predators scoring woes, considering his 38 goals last season. And with 74 points, it’s safe to say Tavares still has plenty of playmaking ability. He can also block shots like a defenseman and land plenty of body checks, so you can celebrate if he’s available in July and the Preds sign him.
Jamie Benn, F
When you think of the Dallas Stars, Jamie Benn is the first player who comes to mind. Yeah, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskinen may be better players at this point, but Jamie Benn is the Dallas Stars.
But, with so many questions facing the Stars, he could end up moving on and finishing his career elsewhere, much like Steven Stamkos.
So why not bring Benn into the fold? He’s no longer the 89-point player he was, but he’s still good enough to put up between 40 and 50 a season as he desperately looks to add a Stanley Cup to his resume. Yeah, the Preds had their struggles this past season, but this team is loaded with older talent, which may attract Benn.
Brad Marchand, F
Speaking of faces of franchises who will finish their career elsewhere, Brad Marchand is one of them. Does he retire if the Panthers win the Cup? He might, but he may want to run it back with another team, playing a full season for them in the process if the Panthers aren’t in his future.
Therefore, the Preds would be a viable option, especially if Tavares and/or Benn joined. Or, even a player in the same situation.
Marchand’s still a good player, evidenced by his four goals and 14 points in 17 playoff games heading into the Stanley Cup Final. Plus, he’s a pest who will get under anyone’s skin, and that’s something the Preds can use in what they hope would be a year of redemption.
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