Offseason Review: Nashville Predators

Now that the dust has settled on a wild NHL offseason, let's take a look at how each team did in regards to drafting and free-agent signings. Today, we'll look at the Nashville Predators.

Nashville is in an unusual position, and it isn't clear what exactly this team is. After managing to squeak into last season's playoffs with a strong second half to their season (and some help from a nosediving Blackhawks team), The Preds were eliminated from the first round in 6 games by the Carolina Hurricanes. They didn't look like a bad team by any stretch, but it's hard to tell if they're trending back upward after a couple down years, or slowly trending downward as their core's age begins to take effect. Similarly, their offseason is a bit of a mixed bag. They traded away a veteran player in exchange for a couple young, high-skill prospects, but also locked up several of their current pieces long-term, some of whom will be in their mid-thirties by the time their new contracts expire. It's unclear what position the Preds see themselves in, be it a partial rebuild, or a few steps from Stanley Cup contention. Their offseason did little to shed light on that. Let's see what went down.

Free Agency:

Nashville's big splash this offseason wasn't a signing, but a trade. They were the middle man in a three-way deal that included Philadelphia and Vegas, which saw the Preds send Ryan Ellis to Philly in exchange for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick. Patrick was then swapped with Vegas for Cody Glass. Philippe Myers is a 24-year old right-shot defenceman who has shown well in his first couple stints with the Flyers, particularly the 2019-2020 season where he finished with 4 goals and 16 points in 50 games and was a +17. He wrapped up the 2021 season with 1 goal and 11 points but was a -10. That said, the Flyers had a rough season all around, so take that +/- with a grain of salt. Cody Glass is an unproven prospect as of yet but was taken 6th overall by Vegas with their first-ever draft pick in 2017. Currently, Glass has 6 goals and 22 points in 66 NHL games. Not bad, but he has yet to break out into the high-end talent he was drafted as. He's going to get plenty of opportunity in Nashville, as the Preds' depth at centre is still subpar. In another deal, the Preds sent top-line forward Victor Arvidsson to Los Angeles in exchange for a couple of draft picks, including a 2nd-rounder this year.

After that, most of the Predators' contract work came from within, although they did sign David Rittich for one year to back up Jusse Saros. Speaking of, Saros himself was extended on a four-year deal, and after the retirement of longtime goaltender Pekka Rinne, is a lock for the starter's crease in Nashville. Mikael Granlund was also signed to a four-year deal, Dante Fabbro is back for two more years, as are both Tanner Jeannot and Matthieu Olivier. Ben Harpur, Jeremie Davies, Frederic Allard, Michael McCarron, Anthony Richard, and Rem Pitlick were all extended on two-way contracts, and the Preds picked up Matt Tennyson and Matt Luff from the free-agent market, also on two-way deals.

Grade: C+; The Predators made a big trade to start the offseason which gives their team a bit of a new look, but little else was done to change the complexion of their lineup besides shipping off a few of their longest-serving players. Currently, this Preds team is worse than last year's, but if a couple of the kids have breakout years, this new squad will start to come together.

Draft:

The Preds made a trade with Carolina at the draft that landed them an extra pick in the 1st round in exchange for both of their 2nd-round picks, including the one they received from LA for Victor Arvidsson. First, they picked 19th overall, selecting forward Fedor Svechkov. Svechkov is a cerebral two-way forward who reads the ice exceptionally well. His sense of timing is fantastic and he's reliably able to find himself some open ice to receive a pass. Defensively his positioning is strong, taking away the middle of the ice and forcing opponents out wide, where he bodies them off of the puck. He will play for SKA St. Petersburgh next season.

With the pick they received from Carolina, 27th overall, Nashville drafted Zachary L'Heureux. Literally translated to "The Happy One," L'Heureux is appropriately an absolute pest of a player. Extremely physical for his 5'11" stature, he eagerly and frequently crunches his opponents into the boards or in open ice. L'Heureux will fight, he'll muck it up after the whistle, and he also puts up points with 19 goals and 39 points in 33 games with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads last season. L'Heureux presents as the second coming of Brad Marchand, and he will be a terror in the NHL before long.

Waiting patiently for the third round, the Preds selected defenceman Anton Olsson at 72nd overall. Olsson plays a shutdown game without needing to overly rely on physicality thanks to his strong positioning. He reads plays well, and battles in the crease with the pace and intensity of a professional player. He will return for his second season with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL this year. 

Grade: B+; Two great picks in the first round make for an exciting draft in Nashville. Along with the development of their superstar goaltender in Jaroslav Askarov, there are plenty of players to be excited about in the Preds' pipeline.

Overall grade: B; Their meager work in free agency is a bit concerning, given Nashville's current status as a bubble team, but this makes two straight years of excellent work in the draft by GM David Poile. While it remains unclear when, or if, the Preds intend to rebuild this team, there's still lots to look forward to in the world of Nashville hockey.

How do you think the Predators made out this offseason?

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports