3 More Moves The Nashville Predators Should Make This Offseason

The Nashville Predators have had a very busy offseason so far. New general manager Chris MacFarland has worked to reinvigorate the forward core via several trades and signings, starting with acquiring players from his former team, the Colorado Avalanche.

The Predators traded for bottom-six forwards Ross Colton and Jack Drury days before the 2026 NHL Draft. Drury was a pending restricted free agent (RFA), and MacFarland promptly signed him to a five-year deal worth $4.5 million annually. The depth-hoarding continued days before free agency opened, trading a 2029 third-round pick for Nils Hoglander of the Vancouver Canucks. On draft day, the team acquired center Adam Edstrom from the New York Rangers.

However, their biggest move to date came on July 1: acquiring Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin for a second- and third-round pick. Bourque, an RFA, became available so the Stars could clear cap space to re-sign Jason Robertson. The Predators reaped the rewards, signing him to a six-year deal worth $5.5 million annually. In free agency, Nashville signed Alex Kerfoot to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million annually.

MacFarland still has over $7.5 million in cap space to work with. That’s a sizeable amount to bolster the team. Here are some moves that would help their short- and long-term future.

Extend Luke Evangelista

Luke Evangelista has finally become the quality top-six winger the Predators have been waiting for. After two solid but unspectacular seasons, notching 39 points in 2023-24 and 32 points in 2024-25, he stepped up in 2025-26.

Evangelista is a great playmaker with smooth skating and strong two-way play. At just 24, he should continue to evolve his game, so Nashville should lock him up now before he becomes an RFA at the end of the season.

AFP Analytics projects that Evangelista could get around $5.7 million on a short-term deal. He has three more seasons under team control, although he is eligible for arbitration. However, if the Predators wanted to sign him long-term, AFP Analytics forecasts it could be around $7.8 million. That would be over the Predators’ remaining cap space and could create problems if they want to sign entry-level contracts or add talent down the line.

Predators Must Untangle the Forward Core

According to PuckPedia, the Predators are projected to keep about 14 forwards on their roster, with Adam Edstrom and Ozzy Wiesblatt in the press box. Those forwards don’t include Reid Schaefer, who played 47 NHL games last season, Vitali Pinchuk, signed from the Kontinental Hockey League, or Cole O’Hara, who could be ready for the NHL.

That’s a lot of forwards, and Nashville would be wise to clear at least one of them off the books. They could trade Wiesblatt and Schaefer, especially if they are expected to sit in the press box. Both players are affordable and could easily be traded for defensive help or draft picks.

They could also move on from Joakim Kemell. The first-round pick from the 2022 NHL draft hasn’t lived up to his potential, fighting to stay above water on the Predators’ roster. Next season will be a major one for him, but it’s doubtful Kemell will have a chance to shine in Nashville, given their crowded forward group. They should trade him in a change-of-scenery deal.

Move Jonathan Marchessault

MacFarland must also consider moving on from Jonathan Marchessault. He had a nice 21-goal, 35-assist season in 2024-25, but last season was a disaster. He missed 20 games due to injury, and he hasn’t looked the same since, notching 12 goals and 19 points in 62 games. His $5.5 million cap hit is becoming less easy to stomach, especially if Nashville is out of the playoffs this season.

A trade will be difficult given his 15-team no-trade list. However, if management can’t find the right deal, a buyout is possible. If Marchessault gets bought out, the team would save over $1.2 million in cap space this season and $2.2 million in the following two seasons. The options aren’t ideal, but management has to at least try. It seems like the two sides are moving towards a breakup, and he might regain some of his playmaking skills on a new team.

Predators Have Done Well This Offseason

MacFarland has done a fine job of revitalizing the Predators this offseason. They had a great draft, selecting players with great upside (Wyatt Cullen, Tommy Bleyl). They’ve added youth to the forward core, and Bourque has the potential to become a quality top-six forward.

It doesn’t appear as if they’ll make any drastic moves that would imply a rebuild, like trading Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, or even entertaining offers for Filip Forsberg. The deadline to re-sign Evangelista is before July 1, 2027, and while the Predators have a ton of forwards, they could wait until training camp to resolve that group. If this is the final roster heading into training camp, it’s much improved from last season.