As part of TheHockeyNews.com's current series ranking the off-seasons of every NHL team, we're focusing today's article on team No. 10 – the Nashville Predators.
Since making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2016-17 season, the Nashville Predators have won only one playoff series.
The franchise has essentially become the dictionary definition of a mushy-middle team – a group that's not good enough to make the playoffs, while not being bad enough to land generational talent at the top of the NHL entry draft.
However, things may be changing for the better in Nashville.
For starters, they have new leadership in the front office with former Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland replacing Barry Trotz while also joining on as Nashville’s president of hockey operations.
There could be more off-ice changes coming in Music City as well. Predators coach Andrew Brunette should be concerned about his job security if the team falters out of the gate. MacFarland has a clear mandate to turn this team into a genuine threat to win a championship, and it's likely that nobody's job will be safe.
The Predators sit in 10th place in TheHockeyNews.com’s series ranking each team’s off-season. Criteria for these rankings include roster arrivals and departures, GM and/or coach changes, promotions, and contract extensions.
Let’s analyze the Predators' additions and subtractions from this summer and discuss where their competitive future stands.
Arrivals:
Chris MacFarland (GM), Mavrik Bourque (C), Ross Colton (C), Jack Drury (C), Alex Kerfoot (C), Nils Hoglander (LW), Adam Edstrom (LW)
One of the Predators’ biggest moves was hiring MacFarland, who has been bold right out of the gate with the radical changes he's made to Nashville’s group of forwards.
He initially acquired former Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque to serve as their No. 2 center, then signed him to a six-year contract worth $5.5-million per-season.
Bourque was coming off a breakout season with 20 goals and 41 points, and he’s not someone the Stars would normally give up on. But Dallas’ salary cap crunch forced the move, and the Preds wisely swooped in and acquired Bourque well before he's reached his prime.
Otherwise, Nashville prioritized bringing in experienced, reliable talent, including former Colorado Avalanche forwards Ross Colton and Jack Drury along with former Utah Mammoth center Alex Kerfoot. MacFarland also took a low-risk bet on former Vancouver Canucks winger Nils Hoglander, only giving up a third-round pick to retain his services.
These acquisitions suggest the Predators won’t be as bad as they were last season, but in the hyper-competitive Central Division, they needed to do more to be considered a playoff team.
Departures:
Barry Trotz (GM), Erik Haula (LW), Fedor Svechkov (C), Tyson Jost (C)
Ultimately, the Predators' biggest loss was the departure of Barry Trotz. He'll still be around as a sounding board for MacFarland, but given the impact Trotz has had on the organization, it’s going to take one hell of a new GM to improve on what’s been done to get them to this point in their competitive cycle.
Erik Haula was a solid offensive contributor last season, but they felt comfortable letting him move on to the Los Angeles Kings this summer as a UFA. Fedor Svechkov wasn’t a good fit, and Tyson Jost was a run-of-the-mill, bottom-six forward with a skill set that can be easily replaced.
The Predators didn’t allow for widespread change at every position. They carefully worked on the areas they felt needed to be addressed, and they still have $7.6 million in salary cap space to use during the season.
MacFarland only flushed out a handful of players and replaced them with equal or better assets, all while still maintaining the financial flexibility to improve the roster throughout the season. All things considered, it was a successful off-season.
The Bottom Line:
Despite taking steps in the right direction, the Predators still don’t have the type of high-end talent needed to compete with the powerhouses in the Central like the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars.
That’s going to be MacFarland’s biggest challenge. While they look better off than the Predators team that finished sixth in the division last season, their improvements still might not be enough to push for a playoff spot.
This is why some people wonder why Nashville is so averse to embark on a full roster rebuild. If you want generational talent, your best chance is by bottoming out and selecting high at the draft.
Only time will tell if MacFarland ever decides to truly commit to a complete overhaul, but as of now, he's looking to reignite this group's competitive fire with a stronger supporting cast.
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