5 Unrestricted Free Agents the Predators Should Sign
The Nashville Predators have done well so far this offseason, but they could do better.
General Manager David Poile pulled the trigger on a trade that brought two-time Stanley Cup champion Ryan McDonagh to Nashville early in the offseason. Then, he extended star forward Filip Forsberg shortly before free agency began.
The Preds were quiet in the first week of free agency, but they got their man in Nino Niederreiter in week two.
Now, according to CapFriendly, the Predators have just over $4 million in cap space, which means that despite the solid moves that have already been made, Nashville can still improve as it looks to contend for the Stanley Cup next season.
The Predators should take a look at these five players.
As it stands currently, forward Nazem Kadri, who just won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, is holding up the market as he carefully selects his next franchise.
As a result, there are a variety of players still available, and while they’re not the stars that have already been locked up this summer, like Johnny Gaudreau, they can be valuable additions for a team like the Predators.
The defense for Nashville is largely set, but you can never be too deep on the back end, and there are a couple of available right-handed options, one of which is familiar with the Predators, that could help the team get deeper.
Offensively, the top six forwards seem to be a solid group. However, there are a few players, like Matt Duchene, who broke out last year after struggling to find his form for the several seasons prior.
The Preds could benefit from some additional secondary scoring in the event that some of last year’s numbers turn out to be one-time occurrences.
Nashville might also want to take a look at some depth forwards that can help improve a penalty killing unit that ranked 18th in the regular season a year ago.
Without further ado, here are five players that the Predators should consider signing as free agency rolls on.
P.K. Subban
It’s been three seasons since P.K. Subban donned the Predators jersey, and it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the once-elite blueliner.
In 189 games with the New Jersey Devils, Subban tallied only 59 points (17 goals and 42 assists) and was a minus-45 in the process.
With that said, he is coming off of his healthiest, most productive season with New Jersey, as he recorded five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 77 games.
It’s no secret that Subban is no longer the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman that he was years ago. He’s also not the 59-point scorer that the Predators knew during the 2017-2018 season in which he helped Nashville win the Presidents’ Trophy.
Of course, at this stage of his career, and given what the Preds already have in place on the right side of the defense, he would be signing up for third-pair minutes.
His most valuable asset would be his locker room presence, which a team trying to win in the playoffs can never have too much of.
Anton Stralman
Another defenseman whose best years are behind him, Anton Stralman would serve a very similar purpose to the one outlined above for P.K. Subban.
Stralman will be 36 years old when the 2022-2023 season commences, but he put up respectable numbers last season with the Arizona Coyotes. In 74 games played, he tallied eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points and a minus-16 rating.
What plays to Stralman’s advantage, and what could give the Predators some hope that he could be useful in Nashville, is the fact that last season was one of his best seasons since his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning three years ago.
Both Stralman and Subban made north of $5.5 million last season and would be due to make significantly less this time around. At the right price, either one of these defensemen would be a good fit for the Predators’ third pairing.
Phil Kessel
Adding Phil Kessel to the lineup would do so many positive things for the Predators.
First, it would bring a two-time Cup winner into the fold, which would go a long way in helping this version of the Predators become more competitive in the postseason. Nashville is clearly going for it this year, so Kessel’s experience would be welcomed.
Second, he managed to score 52 points (eight goals and 44 assists) with the Coyotes last season. That is a tremendous amount of scoring that the Preds would presumably add to its third line, giving the team a proven scorer to complement its big guns.
Finally, Kessel is the type of player that can easily move up the depth chart in the event of injuries. Considering his scoring, his experience, and his history of staying healthy, he’s the perfect player for the Predators to fall back on.
Paul Stastny
At 36 years old, Paul Stastny is another player on this list who would not be coming to Nashville for the long haul. His purpose with the Predators would be to bring a short-term punch offensively while providing depth at the center position.
The former second-round pick still has some hockey left to play, as his 45 points (21 goals and 24 assists) with the Winnipeg Jets last season marked his best season offensively since he scored 53 points in the 2017-2018 season with the St. Louis Blues and Jets.
Like Kessel, Stastny would slot into a third-line role but would give the Predators the flexibility to include him on their special teams units or to move him into the top six when necessary.
Derek Stepan
Derek Stepan brings more of a fourth-line skillset to the Predators, and while he wouldn’t bring the same scoring potential as Kessel or Stastny, he could have a huge impact on the penalty kill.
Stepan has long been one of my favorite depth players, and he could play that role well in Nashville. He has 13 career shorthanded goals, and he knows how to use his body to deliver hits and block shots.
Last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Stepan played less than 11 minutes per game, yet he still managed 19 points (nine goals and ten assists) in 58 games. In his career, he has notched 177 goals and 327 assists for 504 points in 817 games. He also carries a plus-90 rating.
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Nashville certainly does not have room for all of these players, but each one of them could fit a specific role for the Predators that would help make this team more dangerous next season.