Nashville Predators Waive Former First Rounder

The Nashville Predators surprised many across the NHL when they decided to waive former first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen.

The 23-year-old Finnish forward has recorded just two goals and two assists over his 13 appearances in Nashville this season. Tolvanen was a 30th overall selection back at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and is in his fifth season with the Preds.

Last season was a career year as Tolvanen recorded 11 goals and 12 assists in 75 games. Obviously, not necessarily the best production out of a first-round pick, however still productive enough to play a role in the team's bottom six. This season hasn't been the same level of production however, and management decided it was time to make a change.

Tolvanen is signed for $1.45 million annually through the 2023-24 season and becomes a restricted free agent once his contract is up. There's certainly a chance a team takes a flyer on him before Monday afternoon.