July 1, which marks the start of this year's NHL Free Agency cycle, is less than a month from now, and so many teams are itching to start making moves. That is especially the case for the Nashville Predators, who had a lot of cap space to begin with, but with recent news of the NHL salary cap rising to $88M, they will have a little more room than they previously anticipated.
Barry Trotz has been on record saying that he wants to get more speed and skill, and that the future is important and cannot be compromised. Steven Stamkos has been mentioned as a possible acquisition and it makes sense given his pedigree, but he is likely to take a hometown discount to stay in Tampa Bay, or be quite expensive to sign.
Oftentimes in free agency, players can be older and more expensive, so it might be tricky for Trotz to find quality players for the future who are relatively cheaper. Luckily for him, there are five guys who have that potential and will probably not require breaking the bank to acquire.