Trotz should be working on a contract extension for Nick Blankenburg
With the preface that every player has their price, my realistic thought here is that Blankenburg and Nashville can remain a healthy relationship for a couple more years at least.
The Predators bet on Blankenburg, and Blankenburg has delivered to the tune of 34 in 94 games since arriving. Might not seem like much to the casual fan, but for a player that was seemingly a depth defenseman to suddenly be playing their best hockey of their career at age 27, it could be a "lightning in a bottle" type of situation.
I'm not saying overpay or meet crazy demands if Blankenburg would rather test the open market, but I am saying that the door to negotations should be opened to keep him if he's interested. I love his upside, I love his intangibles, and I love his two-way game. Who knows if the best is yet to come, but there is a chance that it is yet to be seen. I'd sure love to see that come in a Predators sweater.
I can't imagine the trade market for Blankenburg being overly aggressive. He certainly will get some interest, but not enough to just give him away or cash in big if you're Trotz. It makes more sense to get Blankenburg a new contract extension before the trade deadline even gets here, which is what I'm banking on.
If that doesn't happen, then he's getting traded for a mid-round draft pick possibly? Maybe a 50/50 prospect. I don't like those odds coming back, but I do like the odds much more that Blankenburg continues to develop into something even more if he stays in Nashville for a couple years.