The NHL Draft officially begins today, and let's just say it is a pivotal one for the Nashville Predators. They hold the 5th overall pick as well as picks 23 and 26, and aside from having three first round picks, their objectives should not just be limited to the draft.
The trade market is a very viable option as well, and with six total picks in the top 100, they have lots of room to be creative and make things happen. They already have made a trade as a matter of fact, albeit a minor one, acquiring depth forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils.
Obviously, a trade for Haula plus the draft will not be nearly enough to constitute a successful offseason, so hopefully Barry Trotz has some tricks up his sleeve. I am not advocating for the Predators to do what they did last offseason, but there are some guys who would be quality adds to their roster, including yet another guy from the Devils.
Dawson Mercer should be on Nashville Predators wishlist this offseason
Dawson Mercer is a former first round pick from the Devils back in 2020, and he has found himself in trade rumors this offseason. The guy had a promising start to his NHL career, but just has not been able to build on a productive 2022-23 season, and seems as if he could use a change of scenery. This is where the Predators should swoop in.
First off, Mercer is super young at age 23 and still has lots of potential left with his first round talent. He is a fast skater with center and wing versatility who can make plays happen in transition and around the net, which is a lot of what the Predators could use right now.
His underlying offensive numbers, along with his base production, have fallen off since 2022-23, but his defensive numbers have been strong, suggesting that he is a good two-way player, which is never a bad thing to look for.
I actually get it that Dawson Mercer is in the rumors. New Jersey wants to make some trades, change the culture. Dawson Mercer was not as good as expected in the last 2 seasons. And he still has a solid value & he's only 23 years old. https://t.co/6k7TNmgAr0 pic.twitter.com/Pk8awUjhf4
— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) June 4, 2025
His contract is very manageable too, as he has two years left at $4M each and will be a restricted free agent when it ends. He checks every box when it comes to being a player the Predators could have for the long haul.
Of course, the team should be interested in just about any young player with long-term upside this offseason, but what separates Mercer from most is a connection he has with a fairly important member of the Predators staff.
As mentioned, the 2022-23 season is widely considered the best of his young career, as he scored almost 30 goals on the year. Andrew Brunette was an assistant coach for the Devils that year, and when you put the pieces together, Mercer's successful season does not seem like a coincidence.
Mercer is at his best when he can use his speed and play hard at both ends of the ice, and that is exactly the type of player who can thrive in Brunette's system. It is easy to see how the two guys were a fit for each other in New Jersey, and it would be great for them to reunite that familiarity in Nashville.
The cost would not be anything crazy either, as Mercer's past two seasons have not been as great, and just being in trade rumors can decrease a player's value to a certain degree. He almost certainly would not fetch more than what Trevor Zegras did in his trade to Philadelphia, and that is well within the Predators' means.
It is never a guarantee that a trade like this will pan out, but when you are taking a chance on a guy, you can feel that much better knowing he has direct ties with your head coach. Opportunities like these are not easy to find, so the Predators should take advantage of it.