We are now a week from this year's NHL Trade Deadline, and the Nashville Predators find themselves in a very weird situation. They looked just about a week ago like they were surely going to be heavy sellers, but now the team has won all of their last seven games.
The Predators suddenly find themselves in a fairly comfortable playoff spot, with a seven-point cushion on the next team in line for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Even for a team that should be prioritizing the future, the hot streak and playoff spot definitely impact the plans at the trade deadline.
It is understandable that the Predators want to go for a playoff spot when they have a real chance at it, but that does not mean that everyone has to stay. In an article recently released by Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic, it was mentioned that Barry Trotz is looking to make decisions for the present and future of the team.
The article also included an even more telling quote from Trotz regarding the state of the team, and based on that it would be surprising if some players are not dealt.
The quote in this article that stands out to me was this: "...then keep growing and become a team that can compete on a regular basis for division titles and championships. We’re still not there.”
— Boyd (@Boyd_1212) February 28, 2024
In Trotz's mind the work in progress is both current and future state. #Preds https://t.co/Psa3QCFa3d
With the Predators having eight players on the roster who are pending unrestricted free agents, they will want to make sure that as few of them as possible walk for nothing. Luckily, there are several teams out there who could use some of those players.