The Nashville Predators have an abundance of players they should be trying to trade right now at the Olympics break, but Jonathan Marchessault is at the top of that list and has been for a while.
Marchessault is rumored to be open to waiving his no-movement clause if he can land somewhere very particular to his choosing. That doesn't leave Preds GM Barry Trotz with very many options, much less the length of Marchessault's contract which runs for three more years after this one.
Per Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts podcast recently, Marchessault is open to being traded out of Nashville, but only to a place with good minor hockey infrastructure for his children.
""He has control, but there’s a willingness between team and player for something to happen. Unique in his case: his preference is somewhere with good minor hockey infrastructure for his children""Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts
A lot of factors at play to get Marchessault traded by Nashville Predators
This leaves a very narrow box for Trotz to work within to find a trade partner for Marchessault. Not to mentioned that it will take almost certainly salary retention to make the length of the contract a little more bearable. Another thing working against Trotz is that Marchessault has been in and out of the lineup due to injury and has done very little to boost his trade value this season.
This feels like more of a break-up than it does Trotz being able to make a quality trade. However, you're kind of back into a corner here and need to move on if Marchessault doesn't want to be here. The last thing you need is roster space being taken up when you're about to go through a selling period at the trade deadline.
What could Marchessault fetch in a possible trade? I don't think Trotz is going to get exactly what he wants for Marchessault, but a second-round draft pick would be a great starting point. If the Predators can get a prospect who has future pontential to play at the center position, then I'd be more inclined to retain salary to get it across the finish line.
Even if the Predators end up fortunate with a trade return like that, it's obviously not what we were envisioning back in the summer of 2024 when Marchessault was signed in free agency along with Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei.
The Montreal Canadiens keep being brought up in relation to Marchessault. It does seem like a logical fit for Marchessault that he would be pleased with, so there might be something to that once the trade freeze lifts on February 22.
I'm all for moving on from Marchessault even if it means not getting the greatest return. If I'm putting money on the first dominoe to fall in the Predators' selling frenzy, Marchessault is the top priority.
Nashville Predators have plenty of reinforcements from their prospects to benefit from Marchessault being traded
Without Marchessault in the Predators starting lineup the rest of the season, it will open up more opportunities for Matthew Wood. However, I've also put forth the idea that Wood should be tried out at center if the Predators move some combination of Michael McCarron, Erik Haula or Ryan O'Reilly.
Let's also bring back up Reid Schaefer, who has looked great this season in his first NHL action of his career putting up four goals and two assists in 27 games. But it's not just the offensive production for Schaefer, it's his physical presence and his overall confidence level so early in his career.
Schaefer has looked right at home in his role for the Predators and should be back for the final push to the Stanley Cup Playoffs to build on that experience. He figures to be a major piece of the rebuild that is finally coming.
Another prospect who stands to benefit from Marchessault being traded is Zachary L'Heureux. A hard-hitting winger who already has experience at the NHL level with 62 games, but has yet to make his season debut the season after his rookie campaign. The organization needs to see what they have in L'Heureux in Year 2 of his NHL career as he is due to be a RFA this offseason.
You also have winger Joakim Kemell who would like to see some NHL action before the season ends. He has just four games of NHL experience after being drafted 17th-overall in 2022.
So unlike the center position where the Predators have very little reinforcements right now in terms of NHL-ready prospects, they have several options to explore at the wing to replace Marchessault.
I'll wrap this up by saying that Marchessault can benefit greatly from this as well. He can land on a playoff-bound team as he gets into the late stages of his NHL career. I can't imagine he's interested in sticking around for a Predators rebuild.