Nashville Predators Get Big Win in Ryan McDonagh Trade
The Nashville Predators picked up a huge win over the holiday weekend.
On Sunday, the Preds acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Tampa Bay Lightning. In return, the Bolts received defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash.
McDonagh is coming off of his third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance and brings valuable playoff experience to a Predators team that has not won a playoff series since 2018.
The 33-year-old defenseman had 26 points (four goals and 22 assists) in 71 games this season, while also adding five points in the postseason. He is certainly capable of contributing offensively, but he makes his mark by blocking shots and being physical.
The McDonagh acquisition is a big win for the Predators.
He has played nearly 800 regular season games in his NHL career and is fourth among active players in terms of games played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (185).
The former New York Rangers captain will give the Predators the potential to be one of the best defensive groups in the league next season.
With 2022 Norris Trophy runner-up Roman Josi coming off a monster season, and Mattias Ekholm still in the mix as well, Nashville should have no issue making life difficult for opposing offenses. Goaltender Juuse Saros will also help solidify that back end.
This move also paints a picture of the direction in which the Predators want to go this offseason. Given the ages of some of Nashville’s stars, I think this summer could have featured an all-in approach or a rebuilding approach.
Now, it seems pretty obvious that the Preds still believe they can be competitive in the Western Conference, and adding a player like McDonagh will go a long way in making that a reality.
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McDonagh has four years remaining on his contract, which will carry a $6.75 million cap hit annually. The goal for the Predators, however, will be to succeed in the short term, and there is no doubt that in that regard, this trade is a huge win for Nashville.