Nashville Predators Trade Deadline: Tommy Novak, Alexandre Carrier, Colton Sissons

Although there's never a bad time to have a five-game winning streak, the Nashville Predators have definitely made things more complicated as the trade deadline is nearly here.

Despite that, there are plenty of teams interested in acquiring assets from the Predators, a team that's once again on the fringe of the playoff field but not viewed as a team ready to go deep into the postseason.

General Manager Barry Trotz is getting ready to navigate past his first trade deadline leading a front office, and he is up against a lot of pressure to trade some valuable players which in turn could derail any hopes of returning to the Stanley Cup Playoff this year.

Tommy Novak, UFA in 2024

Tommy Novak, due to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, is getting a lot of interest from around the league. The fact that Novak has yet to reach a deal with the Predators this late in the process indicated that the two sides are quite possibly very far apart, and a trade is being explored.

If the Predators were to lose Novak to a trade, depending on what they bring back, then that would absolutely hurt them in the short-term as far as their 2024 playoff hopes are concerned. Novak is fifth on the Predators in points with 31, and the third-most points with 74 among current Predators players over the last two seasons, only trailing Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi.

The Predators have been very inconsistent with their offense ranking 17th in goals per game and 21st on the power play. Trading away Novak would hurt the offense even more.

However, when you look at the broad picture, trading Novak might be unavoidable. If Trotz sees both sides too far apart now as we're about to enter March, then he cant' gamble with the possibility of losing Novak in free agency this summer. He has to pull the trigger on a trade, even if he doesn't want to. But of course, only at the price that is suitable for the Predators. Otherwise, you move on with Novak and work tirelessly to get him re-signed in the offseason.

There are going to be at least a few contenders interested in boosting their playoff lineup with Novak, even if he's a rental. The Predators are in a much different situation having to manage several pending free agents, and obviously they can't keep them all.

Alexandre Carrier, UFA in 2024

Another UFA in 2024, Alexandre Carrier has so much upside and does a lot of little things very well. He's a prototypical two-way defenseman who can move the puck effectively in transition, and still has potential for much more NHL growth only at age 27.

Carrier is the most logical trade block player that the Predators have, aside from Novak. However, I'm more inclined to keep Novak for the Predators if the two sides can reach a deal. Trotz may see it differently and have more priority to retain Carrier over Novak. I don't see him being able to keep both into next season.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff has Carrier No.11 on his trade targets board, citing that he's a bargain player for his current price but probably is a rental for some contending teams.

There are some teams out there who need help on their blueline for the playoffs. You win in the grueling Stanley Cup playoffs by having a deep roster, and there are some teams out there who are too thin on the blueline. Carrier brings value on both ends, and shouldn't be all that expensive to re-sign in the offseason. He makes $2.5 million from the Predators this season.

The Predators are middle of the pack in terms of blocking shots, but Carrier has led the way in that department with 111 blocks, which surprisingly puts him ahead of the much more highly-touted Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh.

Don't discount how important blocking shots is once you get into the playoffs, and teams see that Carrier has high value in that department, but can also provide transition offense if you put him on the right team. If I'm putting my money on one player that I think for sure gets traded by the Predators, I'm going with Carrier.

Carrier is a really cheap acquisition and rental player for a playoff contending team who are thinking Stanley Cup or bust.

Colton Sissons, Signed 2 More Years at $2,857,143 AAV

Seeing even Colton Sissons pop up on trade deadline scenarios tells you that pretty much everything is up for grabs from the Predators cupboard. The monkey wrench is this five-game win streak and the Predators moving back into a playoff spot.

Sissons is highly respected around the NHL. He's a "do it all" type of player who carries attractive value as a grinder and two-way player for a playoff team that's not entirely pleased with what they currently have.

What's two important things you need to excel at if you're going to go deep in the playoffs? Effective penalty killing and controlling puck possession. Sissons leads the Predators' top penalty kill unit and has always been effective in the faceoff circle. He's also enjoying by far his best season in the NHL in terms of his Corsi rating and is just two points shy of setting a new career high for points.

Novak and Carrier all appear to be much more likely to be traded than Sissons, but don't completely throw out this possibility either. Teams want proven veterans, and Sissons brings the wealth of NHL experience (596 games and 65 playoff games) that Carrier and Novak don't have.

Sissons could also be more attractive to a potential suitor because he's not a rental and will continue to be a bargain player for two more years after this. I would hate to see Sissons go, but we shouldn't be overlooking the value he has.

Other Trade Block Players for Predators

-Tyson Barrie has been on the trade block since December when things leaked to the media. Both sides want to get this done, but Barrie's value hasn't had a chance to increase with limited playing time only playing in five games in the last five weeks.

-Dante Fabbro has recently found his way back into the lineup during the Predators' five-game winning streak and posted two assists against the Ducks on Sunday. He's an RFA this offseason, and the path seems easier for the Predators to retain him over Carrier.

-Gustav Nyquist has hardly been mentioned at all in trade circles, but that doesn't mean Trotz isn't thinking about dealing the top-six veteran winger if the price is right. It would be odd timing considering Trotz just acquired him as a free agent last offseason, but he only has one year remaining and would be of help to some contenders as a 2nd or even 3rd line option for the teams with top heavy forward corps.

-You can't do a trade deadline piece without mentioning Juuse Saros. Things have cooled off a bit with the goalie market being so thin, but we could be in for a crazy day on March 8. All it takes is one goalie desperate team to offer Trotz a king's ransom for Saros. If that happens, you don't hesitate.

-As if this list isn't already long enough, let's throw Yakov Trenin in here as well because he's another potential valuable piece to a contender. Much like Sissson, Trenin brings a boost to a team's depth. The contenders out there are frantic to shore up their bottom six with guys who hit hard, contribute on the penalty kill and can also provide bonus offense. Trenin checks those boxes.