Nashville Predators Will Continue Retool Roster on the Fly

The Nashville Predators continue to rework their roster since the start of the season. After playing “fantasy hockey” in the summer, as General Manager Barry Trotz coined it, with the signings of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, the Predators have underperformed.

General Manager Barry Trotz was unhappy with how his team began the season. Trotz said early on if things did not change, he was going to make moves. He already moved out several players, but his goal is to go a young defenseman and number two center. Trotz has his eye, along with several other teams, on Dylan Cozens of the Buffalo Sabres.

There was talk before the holiday freeze, and the Predators were trying to get a trade done for Cozens or another impactful move, but as Trotz told the media this past Thursday, it had to be for the right piece.

“Don’t be surprised if we make a move,” Trotz said. “If there is the right piece, I’m going to add it. I want to make our team better. I want to win; I don’t want to lose.”

Expectations were higher for the Predators, who won the offseason. Things have not gone well. Dante Fabrro was the first to be moved once the season began. Even before Fabbro was put on waivers, young goaltender Yaroslav Askarov was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Barry Trotz was filling the Nashville Predators with his type of players.

But Fabbro was not the last of the moves. Recently, we saw the Nashville Predators trade Philip Tomasino, Cody Glass, Scott Wedgewood, and now Alexandre Carrier. All of these players, except Wedgewood, were misused by the Predators.

According to Barry Trotz, the Nashville Predators are not rebuilding but are resetting and looking at potentially being active in the summer once again.

We’re not selling off. We are resetting,” Trotz told Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic. “We know where we are. It’s not where we thought we would be.”

Nashville Predators: Are the Nashville Predators Already Looking To Blow It Up?

New York Rangers: New York Rangers “Open for Business” with All Options on the Table

Calgary Flames: Calgary Flames Weighing All Trade Options

Nashville Predators: Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz on the Prowl for a Center

LeBrun even reiterated last Thursday on Insider Trading that the Predators are looking to reset their team and cap situation. He believes the Predators will be aggressive again this summer. We saw how aggressive they were this past off-season, but this time, they may be aggressive on the trade front, too.

“This is not a rebuild; this is not a teardown. That’s not what he’s doing here. Yes he’s dealt away a few players so far this year. It’s really in an effort to reset his team for the off-season, where he plans to be aggressive again both in free agency and in the trade market,” LeBrun said. “He believes this team has enough talent to have a bounce back next year and compete for a playoff spot. That’s the hope, and so no, he’s not dropping a Grenade on this thing.” – Full Press Hockey Transcriptions

Again, the Predators need a top-four defenseman. Nashville and Barry Trotz hope they have that in Justin Barron. Similar to Montreal keeping tabs on Carrier, Trotz and his scouting staff did that with Barron. He feels that Barron will fit in well with what they are doing in Nashville. As for Cozens, the Predators want to add him. According to sources close to RG, the Sabres and Predators have talked about him. The problem is Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is hesitant to move young players with the history surrounding them, especially if they go on to win Stanley Cups. But the trade package for Cozens would be high for Nashville. They have the assets to make a deal work, but Buffalo will want a talent-for-talent return. But it is clear that Cozens is the target for the Nashville Predators.

Again, the Predators have the cap space to make things happen. They could not complete a deal before the holiday freeze, but that does not mean things will not pick up once the freeze is over and into 2025.

They are clearing cap space for something. It may not be for right now, but it’s coming,” a source told RG.

The Nashville Predators will be an active team that continues to shape its roster for the future. However, one thing is certain: the high-priced talent they brought in is not going anywhere. Trotz wants to add to that talent, not subtract.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Launched in April and we are posting weekly podcasts, hot takes, and rumors from around the NHL. Come along for the ride.