Nashville Predators Rumors: Forward Expected to be Shopped

The Nashville Predators were major sellers at the 2023 Trade Deadline. They traded Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Tanner Jeannot, and more moves should be on the way. Before his season-ending injury, the Predators were listening to offers for Ryan Johansen, and that is expected to continue this summer.

The Predators have made it known that they are retooling their roster, and Johansen stands out as a prime trade candidate because of it. The 30-year-old has two years left on his contract and carries an $8 million cap hit. For a move to come to fruition, Nashville will need to retain some of his $8 million salary but showed with the Ekholm trade that they are not against doing that for the right price. 

Teams looking for a potential second-line center will surely consider making a push for Johansen. In 55 games this season, he had 12 goals and 28 points. Although it was a down year for his standards, he also posted a 63-point campaign in 79 games in 2021-22. Thus, perhaps a change of scenery could help him pick up his offensive totals again.

photo credit:  Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports