The Nashville Predators are trying their best to break out of their season-long slump. While the majority of the NHL is in the playoff picture, Nashville is not, as they are the worst team in hockey points-wise. On Monday, hours before their game against the Florida Panthers, general manager Barry Trotz decided to light a fire under them, by defending head coach Andrew Brunette while saying that the players need to perform better.
The Predators players responded by losing 8-3 to the Florida Panthers. That included giving up a goal in the first 11 seconds of the game, and four goals in total in the first period. It was the worst possible way for the team to respond after the general manager effectively put the onus on them to break out of their rut.
Trotz spoke with ESPN before Nashville's loss to Florida and was asked about the team potentially beginning a fire sale and trading away some veteran players. Trotz said that that's not his plan as of right now, but he does say that the "next seven or eight games are going to be a good indicator" whether he decides to have conversations with veteran players about potential deals.
Barry Trotz sets timeline before potential fire sale for Predators
Trotz revealed to ESPN that he has begun talking to teams that are interested in some of the veteran players on Nashville. He said those talks were more exploratory than anything and that they are meant to "keep me in mind."
One of the big names that is the subject of trade rumors is forward Steven Stamkos. After all, he is considered to be one of the top scorers in the game during his career. But his numbers have plummeted since signing with the Predators last year, as he scored 27 goals and recorded 26 assists for 53 points in 82 games. This season, Stamkos has just four goals and one assist in 22 games played. Stamkos does hold name value, but perhaps he could see his production increase on another team.
The main challenge of trading Stamkos would be that he has a full no-trade clause, and if he doesn't want to leave, he's staying. So that may be off the table. The same goes for Jonathan Marchessault, as he gets to dictate whether he stays or goes.
Ryan O'Reilly, another name with big value on paper, doesn't have a full no-trade clause, so he could be the team's best chance at a trade if they don't right the ship.
Here are the Predators' upcoming games following their disastrous loss to the Panthers on Monday:
- Wednesday, Nov. 26: at Detroit Red Wings
- Friday, Nov. 28 at Chicago Blackhawks
- Saturday, Nov 29: vs. Winnipeg Jets
- Tuesday, Dec. 2: vs. Calgary Flames
- Thursday, Dec. 4: at Florida Panthers
- Saturday, Dec. 6: at Carolina Hurricanes
- Tuesday, Dec. 9: vs. Colorado Avalanche
All of those teams, besides the Calgary Flames, are in the thick of the playoff picture. So it's going to be a tough test for Nashville to try and secure some wins. If the losses continue to pile up during this upcoming stretch of games, it sounds like Trotz will begin having tough conversations with players about their future on the team.