We Would Still Have Enough Room to Compensate for More Talent in the Future
Four of the top five players in the draft are centers. With the Nashville picking at five, one of these centers is more than likely going to start their NHL career wearing mustard yellow. Only a few of these players are consider "franchise changing" while the rest are labelled as stars. With the franchise centers going away in the first few selections, the Preds may be left with a star. Combining both Rossi and a star would be a best case scenario.
Rossi has what it takes to man the first line, but he could also handle taking on a second line role with no problem. Once the drafted center fully develops, Nashville would have an alternating center duo of both speed and skill. What makes this centerpiece—no pun intended—even more appealing is the long-term flexibility. With the hopeful departure of our top centers in the future, it opens up more opportunities for the growth of both Rossi and our drafted talent.
By banking on their growth, Trotz wouldn't need to go all in like they did last offseason. Rather, they'd have enough money and roster space to make smart, careful additions as the young duo blossoms under high ice time. Whether it's using developed scoring talent like Joakim Kemell or trading for/signing a top-tier player, or a reliable backup goaltender, there is a lot of flexibility that comes along with this.