Équipe: 2021-22 Predators de Nashville

Date de création initiale: 2 juill. 2021

Publié: 2 juill. 2021

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

Here's what I think will happen, not necessarily what I'd like to see happen. Poile is too late in his career to blow it up and rebuild. If the Preds go into full rebuild mode, I really hope it's with a new GM that can see it through. Plus, I think a rebuild seals our fate with losing Fil as a UFA.

Poile got what he could for Arvidsson (not a lot), but I think it opens up an opportunity to load up top line. Poile is not gonna be able to move Johansen or Duchene contracts, nor do I think he should, so I believe he'll give them the best opportunity to succeed.

Poile will stand pat with a solid D-core, which gives Farrance a chance to develop in the AHL before coming up. I could see Ekholm re-signing a relatively team friendly deal. Having a guy like him around will be super valuable for young guys to develop, moreso than whatever we could fetch at a deadline deal.

I think Poile will follow through with his supposed youth movement that he has ever so slowly implemented. Giving a Tomasino a protected 3rd line role with some vets and keeping together a 4th line that came together last season.

Which leads me to the expansion draft.. I believe Poile will deal with Seattle to ensure key vets are kept around to insulate young guys (Tolvy, Kunin, Tomasino, etc.). I don't think he'll want to lose Cousins or Jarnkrok and with emergence of Olivier and Jeannot, Yakov Trenin becomes expendable. His stay in Nashville seems tenuous anyway with the threat of leaving for KHL. That is certainly a deal that would need to be sweetened. I could see Poile adding Connor Ingram and a 3rd Rd pick in order to select Trenin. Don't sleep on Ingram, he had a stellar season a year ago, hopefully he's doing better after entering Player Assistance.

This doesn't leave a ton of room for UFA, but Granlund definitely earned a decent contract and he seems to be fitting in in Nashville finally. I think Pekka will come back for one more year before hanging 'em up, so he can watch Juice take the torch and run with it (hopefully). Little bit of cap space left for depth guys that Poile will undoubtedly add.

No real big swings from Poile this off-season after the Arvy trade, just another middling team and a first round exit. At least we should see a few young guys come into their own.