Unlike many NHL teams heading into a busy summer of contract negotiations, the Nashville Predators can breathe a little easier. With only a few key roster players on expiring deals, General Manager Barry Trotz has the flexibility to focus on the draft and free agency. Still, a few decisions loom large.
Nashville has three players on the starting roster on expiring deals. With some ranging from a must-need deal to some worth skipping, here's a list of all the players Trotz must examine before bringing them back to the organization.
Evangelista Is a Must-Do for Trotz and the Predators
Luke Evangelista is an obvious lock for the most important player to resign this offseason. It isn't a matter of when Trotz will resign him, it's a game of how much. Evangelista has been one of the more promising players to come out of the Nashville organization. He's solidified himself as a reliable middle-six forward with offensive creativity. The 2020 second round pick recorded 10 goals and 22 assists in 68 games. He's accumulated 86 points in his 172-game career in the National Hockey League.
It’s unlikely Trotz trades away another young forward like he did with forward Tommy Novak and Philip Tomasino. Evangelista has proven to be too important for the team and Trotz knows better. When on 5v5, the 23-year-old spends 45.1% of the time in the offensive zone which puts him in the 95th percentile league-wide. He is also in the 72nd percentile for shots on goal with 134. While his shooting percentage isn't the greatest, 7.5% this season, he does a great job at wearing out the goalie and setting up plays.
Evangelista is not only a core part of the team, but a core part of the community. He teamed up with Friends Life Community, a local non-profit that helps those with developmental disabilities, to help create shoes with the brightest of the community. Evangelista and a new friend worked together to create shoes for each of the Predators theme nights. He even wears the shoes before the games—just check out this video for yourself, it'll make you smile.
Knowing his importance to both the team and Nashville, it’s hard to imagine Trotz letting him walk given his impact on and off the ice. Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean believes that Evangelista could resign at a reasonable deal that'll keep him in Nashville for a while.
"Nashville might approach Evangelista with the same idea: Commit to a four- to six-year deal with an annual cap hit of about $2 million, locking up the young, skilled forward in the short term, plus setting up Evangelista to sign a bigger contract when he hits unrestricted free agent status."Alex Daugherty
Personally, I see both parties looking at a bridge deal where Evangelista gets signed to a three-year deal around the $2-3 million AAV mark. Keeping him is crucial for the team so I believe Trotz would do anything to keep him, even if it means giving him an extra million or two.