General manager (GM) Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators made waves ahead of the NHL Entry Draft when they traded Ryan Johansen to the Colorado Avalanche for Alex Galchenyuk. Retaining 50 percent of his salary, a cool $4 million they’ll pay him for the next two seasons, the move was viewed as more of a cap dump. With Galchenyuk as an unrestricted free agent, the Predators can let him walk and take the free $4 million they saved.
With all the talk about who won the deal and what Johansen could mean to the Avalanche, there remains one area for Nashville that is interesting to consider. Sure, the Avalanche solve their second-line centre problem, as Gabriel Landeskog will miss next season due to a knee injury, but what does Nashville gain outside of the cap space? They ultimately risk losing a player for nothing, leaving them a hole to fill this offseason.
Related: Grading Avalanche’s Trade for Ryan Johansen
While this is true, it’s still a possibility for a bigger-picture scenario on the horizon. The Predators currently hold the 15th and 24th overall picks in this year’s draft, along with a haul of second and third-round picks. It also happens to be Trotz’s first year as GM, and he’ll look to start molding the team to his vision. There may be one fast-track way of doing this.
Predators Can Target Senators’ Alex DeBrincat
It’s no secret that Alex DeBrincat wants out from the Ottawa Senators, and there will undoubtedly be plenty of suitors looking to add him to their team. Despite being undersized, he provides positive value with his dynamic offensive awareness and ability to put up points. He looked great on an average Senators team and is one year removed from a 41-goal season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
It’s recently come to light that Debrincat has the Predators listed as one of his preferred destinations. The list includes the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Detroit Red Wings. Considering only the Red Wings have comparable assets for the 2023 Draft, the bidding war for DeBrincat may come down to them and Nashville. It may come down to how badly Trotz wants him in their lineup and what the Senators could ask for in return.
The Cost of Bringing DeBrincat Over
Last year, the Senators acquired DeBrincat for a package including a 2022 first-round pick (seventh overall), a 2022 second-round pick (39th overall), and a 2023 fourth-round pick. This year’s draft is exceptionally deeper than 2022, and DeBrincat is also coming off a year where his total point production was a step-down. It’s unlikely that Nashville will place the same offer to Ottawa, but what exactly is fair value?
For starters, Trotz will likely need to place either his 15th or 24th pick on the table. Depending on how the draft goes up until his first pick and whether they miss out on players they had high on their list could help determine that quickly. DeBrincat still brings first-round value, and the Senators will demand that at the top of the phone call. They don’t have any selections in the first three rounds, which is devastating with all the talent available.
The Predators will also need to table at least a 2023 second-round pick, which they have three of, or a prospect to sweeten the deal. One name that jumps to mind is forward Philip Tomasino, who has one year left on his entry-level contract and is only 21. He possesses tremendous upside at both ends of the ice and would fit comfortably with the Senators.
Predators Should Not Consider These Players
Whenever a big name pops up on the trade market, fans of all involved parties become infatuated with creating trade offers. Whether it is a seven-player blockbuster or a one-for-one, superstar-type deal, there’s no shortage of finding them on social media. Two names currently being thrown out there are goaltenders Juuse Saros and Yaroslav Askarov, the current and future of the Predators crease respectively.
In a one-for-one trade of either, the Predators are likely on the losing end of this deal. Saros still has two years remaining on his contract and continues to shine bright between the pipes, while Askarov’s potential as a star goaltender isn’t there yet to take over that duty. If the Predators wish to move Saros to spark their rebuild, they’ll be more tempted to seek a deal similar to what the Senators are looking for with DeBrincat.
It’s not unfathomable that either netminder will depart from the team at some point, but their value should be taken advantage of with teams in dire need of goaltending. The final trade offer from the Predators will likely become their own first-round pick in 2023 and the choice between Tomasino or one of their three second-round picks in 2024. If the Red Wings match that, it may be worth including all three pieces, but anything more than that should end the discussion.
