Predators Will Move Other Players, Not Their Big Fish
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Jason Strudwick on Thursday. He was asked about the Nashville Predators and whether players like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Ryan O’Reilly are still available. Do they have others available for trade?
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
NHL Rumors: What is the Nashville Predators Actual Game Plan?
Steve Kouleas: “With Dave Pagnotta, a couple more. Sirius XM Insider, Editor in Chief of the Fourth Period, NHL Network Television as well. Nashville. Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, Dot. Dot, dot. And the realism now that the team has played much better since the start of the year, when everybody seemed to be on the block or on the hot seat?”
Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, I think that definitely shifted to a certain extent anyway with respect to the Nashville Predators. There are still three points out of a playoff spot. They’re just over .500 right now, 23 wins, 22 losses and some ties. I still think that this is a team that would look to make some moves that benefit this club more next season and on.
And with respect to Stammer and to Marchessault. So, I mean, they have full non-movement clauses. I think earlier on, there was much more of an appetite to explore a move to a top-tier contender if the Preds could find a deal and if the money made sense. They didn’t want to retain on these deals. That’s been a bit of a block or a blocking point for some other clubs that wanted retention.
Barry Trotz has been pretty adamant from the get-go that he’s been very reluctant and doesn’t want to retain on these deals. Stamkos with two more years left at $8 million. Marchessault is a lot more palatable at five and a half, but he’s got three years. And Ryan O’Reilly has that unofficial no-trade, even though he doesn’t have any, they’ll do him, right when moving him
NHL Rumors: Interest in Steven Stamkos is High, But Will He Move?
But they have other pieces as well. Even if they don’t make those moves, they have other pieces like Erik Haula, Michael Bunting, and Michael McCarron, if you want to go physical again, sort of along the (Ryan) Lomberg line in Calgary. They have a few others as well on expiring deals. So, this is even if they don’t pull off the bigger moves now, they still have pieces that they can move that are beneficial to some teams that view them as assets they could bring in to go on a bit of a run.
So I don’t think they’ve turned the page on the season, but they’re in the exploratory phase right now, and I still think they’ll take those calls on the big fish. But right now, it seems like, given the marketplace at the moment, the focus for now, anyway, might be more geared towards some of their pending UFAs.”
