In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Nashville Predators. The Predators had an average season last year as they finished with a 38-34-10 record. The 86 points in the standings were not good enough for a spot in the postseason. As a result, former general manager Barry Trotz stepped down from the role into an advisory position. Ex-Colorado Avalanche GM Chris McFarland takes over at the helm of the club’s management team. McFarland has been busy this summer working the phones, having made plenty of moves thus far as he looks to get this team back into playoff contention next season.
Who are Nashville’s Additions?
Key additions: Jack Ahcan, Chase Bradley, Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Adam Edstrom, Nils Hoglander, Alex Kerfoot, Ilya Lyubushkin, Hunter Skinner
The Predators have made a few sneaky additions to their forward core. The biggest add of note is Mavrik Bourque from the Dallas Stars. Bourque should get an increased role with this team compared to what he had on a crowded Stars offensive rotation. Bourque signed a six year $33 million contract extension after being acquired by this team. McFarland has conducted plenty of business with his former Colorado organization, acquiring forwards Ross Colton and Jack Drury from the team. They should add depth to Nashville’s bottom-six. Nils Hoglander and Alexander Kerfoot have also been inserted into the offense. On the back-end, Ilya Lyubushkin has been added to the mix.
Who are Nashville’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Magnus Chrona, Andreas Englund, Kevin Gravel, Erik Haula, Zachary L’Heureux, Tyson Jost, Jordan Oesterle, Fedor Svechkov
Nashville has avoided any major losses this summer. The most notable exit is forward Erik Haula, who heads off to the Los Angeles Kings. Haula produced 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 81 games with the Preds last year. Fedor Svechkov and Tyson Jost are a couple more secondary forwards who have departed from this team.
Overall, it has been a productive opening session for McFarland with his new Predators team. According to The Athletic’s model, Nashville is the most improved squad of the offseason thus far. We’ll see if the results translate on the ice in what projects to once again be a loaded Central division picture next season. There is no doubt the offense has made gains; the question mark for this team is on the blueline. Beyond star defenseman Roman Josi, the defense leaves a lot to be desired with a lack of depth. Of course, having Jusse Saros in net helps make up for the defensive shortcomings. It will be interesting to see if McFarland adds more support on defense to aid Josi by the time next season gets underway. Much of the Predators success next season will hinge on their top veterans such as Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg remaining in strong form. The hope is that their assembly of young players can take a step forward as well.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
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