We are past the halfway point of the 2024-25 NHL season and just over five weeks before the Trade Deadline, and for the Nashville Predators, their playoff hopes are all but gone. They are currently 13 points out of the last playoff spot, which is a ton of ground to make up plus having to rely on other teams to crumble, and the thought of them making it is far fetched at best.
Despite that, Barry Trotz seems to not be giving up on the season, as he acknowledged that he could buy at the deadline if the team is at or near a playoff spot by then. It is likely that Trotz is saying that primarily to not show his cards this far out from the deadline, but it is still a weird statement.
With the way the Predators season has gone, the last thing that should be on his mind is burning more future assets for current rentals when there is such a slim chance that they make the playoffs, let alone go far in them. If anything, Trotz should be thinking about which players he is moving to gain more draft picks, prospects, and players for the long haul.
But at the same time it does beg a different question, and that is which players on the roster should be untouchable. There are very few who fit that category at this point, but still several guys who we can be all but positive are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Nashville Predators have very few untouchables, but many players who are stuck for now
Everyone remembers that the Predators went all out in the last free agency cycle, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. It seems crazy to think that the team would or even could be in a sellers' position after those acquisitions, and while things have obviously not gone according to plan, those are three players who would fit under the category of being stuck in Nashville.
It really does not have much to do with how they have played, even if Stamkos and Marchessault themselves have been better than they were early in the year. The fact of the matter is when you sign players to contracts that they were signed to in free agency, there is just next to no chance they get moved for at least a few more years.
The same goes for Skjei, and his contract is one that is actually bad enough for opposing teams to not want to touch within a ten-foot pole. Plus, all three guys have no-movement clauses on their contracts, so trading one of them would require their permission before everything else, and it is just not happening.
Juuse Saros is in a similar situation, as he was just signed to a contract that kicks in next season, also with a no-movement clause. The only reason I hesitate to say he is a full untouchable is because he has played quite poorly since Thanksgiving, but he is still known as a legitimate talent in the league, plus of course, signing him to such a large extension all but eliminates any trade possibility for him.
And especially with how they chose Saros long-term over Yaroslav Askarov, moving on from Saros would be directionless and just a really bad look for the Predators. They are all but forced to commit to him, and if by some chance they decide otherwise, you can go ahead and call for heads to roll within the organization.
Ryan O'Reilly is a player who is in somewhat of a grey area as it pertains to his status as a trade piece. He has no movement protection on his contract and is getting up there in age, so dealing him seems like a completely logical move on the surface.
That being said, the Predators greatly value him for everything he brings as a player and culture booster, and are treating him as if he has a no-movement clause. That is understandable given all he has done throughout his career including in Nashville, plus he has two years left on his contract after this one, so it makes sense to not trade him unless it is worth it.
I am not saying I fully agree with the Predators' approach here, given where they are as a team and that O'Reilly is aging and past his prime as a player. But when it comes to team dynamics, some players are just good to have around no matter what, and O'Reilly seems like one of those guys, so I will not complain if Trotz is not interested in trading him.
Filip Forsberg should be the only true "untouchable"
The only player on the roster I truly feel should be untouchable is Filip Forsberg, who is clearly the best forward on the Predators and has many years left on his contract. He does so much offensively, as even when he was in a goal-scoring drougt weeks ago, he was still pulling his weight as a distributor and playmaker.
He was just recently on a ten-game point streak, and having just turned 30, that is not exactly young, but young enough that he can play at a high level for several more years. Of course, nobody is truly untouchable if the right package is offered, but Forsberg is the kind of player that you just do not get rid of easily, and it is hard to imagine any team would offer something that blows Trotz away.
Roman Josi is another one of those elite talents, and I will not go as far with him because he is four full years older than Forsberg and only has three years left on his contract after this. But once again, you do not just trade a guy like Josi unless you hurt another team, so you can be all but sure he is staying for at leas the foreseeable future.
Every other veteran on the Predators, however, should not be untouchable in the slightest. Most of the remaining options are lower end players who would not fetch a huge return in a trade, but they are still very possible to move, and some of them definitely should be dealt at some point between now and March 7.
There are of course younger guys on the Predators active roster who the team should prioritize for the future, guys like Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L'Heureux, Luke Evangelista, Justin Barron, Adam WIlsby, Nick Blankenburg, and Justus Annunen.
Once again, no player is truly untouchable depending on the circumstance, but those younger players have bright futures, and the thought of moving them should not cross Trotz's mind.
Looking at it holistically, the Predators are in a weird situation when it comes to untouchable players, as there are more veterans who are immovable rather than untouchable. Of course, several guys will not be moved, but Trotz should listen to offers on just about everyone outside of a few guys, as it looks like the quest to win now is not going to work at all.