Predators Focused on Retooling Not Rebuilding
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined Sirius XM NHL Network Morning Skate with Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick and was asked in regards to the Nashville Predators’ plan moving forward.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
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Gord Stellick: So, we’ve got a trade freeze happening now. And naturally, I actually think things are going to heat up heading towards the trade deadline, sooner quite than later, in some cases. And the weird one, once I just talked in regards to the what with you, in regards to the Western Conference playoff race. I fully expected the Nashville Predators to be an element of it. And so they had the strange thing that was a few years ago after they were sellers, they swiftly got good, like they banged some pretty good futures draft picks, you name it.
They made a couple of moves (Philip) Tomasino, (Alexandre) Carrier being traded. I’m really curious what they’re going to do? Like, are they going to chop bait early? And, like, could Ryan O’Reilly go somewhere again, like, I don’t know. It’s just that that’s form of an intriguing situation for me. And what, what, where? What direction do you’re thinking that Barry Trotz goes to go?
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Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, I can be surprised to be if he goes that way. I mean, unless he’s completely blown away with the hell of a proposal. Obviously, that goes without saying, but he seems to love no less than the core pieces. The issue is there’s not enough depth, quality, or depth inside that group. They’ve been searching for a 2C for the reason that preseason, before the beginning of the season, after they realized, Oh, we could have a problem here.
We may not have anyone. They like (Steven) Stamkos on the left, (Jonathan) Marchessault) on the best. They tried a pair of fellows, a couple of guys up the center, and it just didn’t work. And so they began their search at that time. And perhaps that was a tell, hindsight being what it’s, perhaps it was a tell that, oh, perhaps this season may not go in response to plan.
I don’t think anybody anticipated them to go on this direction. But I believe from the Nashville side of things, you don’t have too many pieces to unload by way of the rental market. Gustav Nyquist is on an expiring deal. He hasn’t had the season, actually he had last 12 months. But when he can revive his offense a little bit bit, that could possibly be anyone in play for the Predators going toward the trade market by way of moving things out.
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Apart from that they’re focused on next season and trying to seek out deals which are going to accommodate them moving forward. And Barry Trotz spoke last week and said, I’m going to should, if I can’t find it via trade, I’m going to be just as aggressive as I used to be last summer, this coming summer, within the free agent market. So it’s not a rebuild threat that he had a pair months ago, I believe that was more so to spark the team.
It didn’t work, and he’s acknowledged that it’s going to be more of a retool than anything going into next season. But his eyes are already focused on 25-26 and going from there, I believe I agree with you by way of certain teams that need to begin accepting their fate and deal with next 12 months and make some big moves, get some picks, after which the tide can shift pretty quickly in case you do it right.
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I’m interested by the Recent York Islanders in that respect, because they’ve got some pieces that they’ll unload in the event that they don’t gain any traction and gain some first-round picks for a few their guys in Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, after which be aggressive within the free agent market, after which swiftly, this team could possibly be right back within the thick of things and within the Metro next season.
It doesn’t sound like Nashville will go in that direction, simply because they don’t have those varieties of assets to maneuver.”
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