The Nashville Predators are facing tough decisions with what to do this offseason. After setting themselves up to be cup contenders last offseason—with the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei—expectations were high. With a record of 27-41-8, the Predators are anything but the contenders they hoped to be.
Frank Seravalli and Carter Hutton discussed on Monday's episode of Daily Faceoff Live what the future holds for the Predators with the season ending soon. When asked about which veteran player GM Barry Trotz should move away from, Hutton believed it should be either Stamkos or Marchessault.
Stamkos, 35, only has 46 points—24 goals and 22 assists—on the year with a -31 +/-. When compared to the season prior with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stamkos' point drop off is massive. In 79 games, he recorded 81 points, consisting of 40 goals and 41 assists.
Marchessault, 34, has 49 points—19 goals and 30 assists—in 73 games. He scored 42 goals and 69 points last season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the chemistry the two forwards had in Tampa, they haven't been able to make things work.
Stamkos and Marchessault Are the Only Realistic Options
The Predators roster consists of multiple veteran players locked up on long-term deals. Both Stamkos and Marchessault are signed to 4+ yearlong deals that take up a lot of cap space.
Stamkos will have three years remaining on his $32 million deal after this season. Marchessault on the other hand has four years left on his $27.5 million contract next season. Even though it would be quite hard to trade away either play with their deals, Hutton believes it's the most realistic option.
""I think, for me, it would have to be Stamkos or Marchessault. I feel like they kind of check the same box for me.""Carter Hutton
Hutton went on to explain that moving a player like Filip Forsberg or Roman Josi would be nearly impossible. Forsberg and Josi mean a lot more to the franchise than Stamkos and Marchessault do. Both Nashville-grown talents are core pieces to the organization and would be crazy to move away from. Forsberg is Nashville's goal scorer and Josi is their number one defenseman. Taking either player would not only hurt the team but hurt the organization and their fanbase.
Stamkos and Marchessault's deals are also less expensive compared to Forsberg's $68 million and Josi's $72.5 million paychecks. Forsberg is locked up for the next five seasons and under contract until he is 35. Despite the offensive powerhouse that he is, I'm not sure any team would want to take that risk given his contract/age alignment.
Josi also has the same issue—the 34-year-old has three years left and is getting paid just over $9 million per season.
Even if there are teams that interested in acquiring the two, it would likely be a franchise hurter. Nearly all the contenders in the league are going through their own contract issues. Teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Toronto Maple Leafs all have to resign their star players and at that point, they will have no money left to spend.
Trading One Will Open Up Top Minutes for Nashville's Up-and-Coming Stars
In past seasons, we have seen the Predators experience a large boost in depth scoring—especially from their young guns—after the trade deadline. This year is no different. We saw players like Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L'Heureux, and Luke Evangelista take the next step. The three forwards have contributed to 10% of Nashville goals this season. With Stamkos or Marchessault out of the way, this number would only rise.
Ice time means everything for these three, especially for Evangelista. The 23-year-old has eight points, three goals and five assists, in his last ten games.
The presence of both Stammer and Marchy has been a double-edged sword for Evangelista. On one hand, he is getting mentored by two Stanley Cup winners, and on the other hand, he is being pushed down into the lineup by the two. With Evangelista growing into his shoes as a full-time NHL player, giving him more ice time without needing to worry about veteran priority will be beneficiary.