One of the primary issues the Nashville Predators faced during the 2024-25 season was a lack of center depth. Sure, Ryan O'Reilly is coming off a 50+ point season, but outside of that, there is a lot ot be desired out of the team's center. The best everyday center outside of O'Reilly was Fedor Svechkov, who racked up 17 points in 52 games. That's a fine for a 22-year-old, but you need to see him take the next step before you're confident he can be a solution long-term.
It is for this reason that the Predators have acquired several players in an effort to address this issue. Most recently, they signed Dylan Gambrell to a professional tryout. This means that if Gambrell can impress during camp, he'll be signed to a veteran minimum deal. But who is Gambrell, and will he be good enough to crack the depth chart?
Is Dylan Gambrell someone who can solve the woes the Predators have at center
Last season, Gambrell spent the 2024-25 season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. In 54 games, he scored 13 goals and recorded 12 assists for a total of 25 points. Although he hasn't played in the NHL for the past two seasons, he does have plenty of NHL experience. During his six-year NHL tenure, he has appeared in 233 games, tallying 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points. This equals six goals and eight assists over an 82-game season.
While Gambrell has struggled to put up good offensive numbers in the NHL, he has been good defensively. During his time with the San Jose Sharks, Gambrell carved out a role as a defensively responsible center in their bottom six. He also helped the Sharks put up decent penalty kill numbers. Although their penalty kill is one of the best in the league, their defense struggled. They allowed 3.34 goals per game, which was sixth-worst in the NHL. Certainly, a large part of the blame lies with the goaltending, but having a better defense in front of them will likely improve that number.
Gambrell is currently competing for the fourth-line center role, which Michael McCarron currently holds. While McCarron has been with the organization since 2020, his production has fallen off over the past few seasons, so his job seems vulnerable.
There is also David Edstrom, the third-best prospect in the Nashville system according to NHL.com. While many projects he won't be NHL-ready until next season, a strong pre-season or start to the season in the AHL could push him to the NHL sooner than expected.
It's clear that Gambrell has his work cut out for him. However, no matter if Gambrell proves he can be a solid NHL player, they should keep him on the roster, even if it's only as a healthy scratch.