JÉRÉMY LAUZON, Acquired from Kraken for a 2nd Rd. Pick in 2022
There wasn't much to get excited about when this deal went down one day before the 2022 NHL trade deadline. Lauzon was a bruiser, but really had nothing else to say about his game. The Predators had sorted through several bottom pairing defensemen who did the same thing. Hit hard, but offered nothing else.
Looking back on it now, this has turned out to be a pretty solid trade for the Predators. Lauzon has shown steady improvement in his all around game, including his offense. He has five goals on the season, and he should easily surpass his NHL career high for shots on goal for a season.
But of course Lauzon's true value still remains being one of the hardest hitters in the NHL. He leads the NHL in hits by a ridiculous margin with 264, with the next closest player being Garnet Hathaway with 203.
Above all else, Lauzon has swagger to his game. He plays hard every night and has room for more growth only being 26-years-old and under a modest $2 million AAV through 2025-26.
The Kraken used that 2nd Round pick to select right winger Jani Nyman, who has yet to make his NHL debut but remains in the Kraken's prospect pool and is performing well overseas in Finland.