When the Nashville Predators and their GM Barry Trotz dipped into the 2024 NHL Free Agency pool, they didn't cause ripples–they made waves. One of their key signings was then 33-year-old Jonathan Marchessault. The winger had just completed a magnificent stint with the Vegas Golden Knights, capped off by a 42-goal, 69-point campaign in 2023-24. Trotz gave Marchessault everything Vegas bafflingly didn't, signing him to a 5-year, $27.5 million contract to join fellow newcomers Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei. Many prognosticators had the Predators easily eclipsing the 98 points they had just accumulated, going as far as labeling them Stanley Cup Contenders. Fast forward seven months. The Predators are not only going to have a lower point total than they did last season, but they are currently a lottery team with virtually no hope of making a post-season appearance. Trotz's experiment has not worked and he has not been shy about his willingness to hit the reset button already. Here's what he said in November when the Predators limped out of the gate: > "I'm trying to do some things right now. We will be limited a little because > of the contracts that we have... but if we don't get it going, then I'm going > to start our rebuild plan." - The Predators did not get it going. So will Trotz stick to his word and start selling? For this exercise, we're going to assume he will. The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly looking for a scoring winger that can boost their power play and overall offense. Despite Nashville being a disappointment this season, Marchessault has been his usual self, scoring 17 goals and 44 points in 54 games. That puts him on pace for 26 goals and 67 points, which would represent the third highest regular season point total of his career. For what it's worth, Nashville and Los Angeles have been keeping an eye on another recently–AND Marchessault is a Pat Brisson client [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/news/la-kings-news-kings-acquire-pierre-luc-dubois-from-jets-in-a-sign-and-trade-ml0802]. WHY IT WORKS Let's start with the obvious–Marchessault is a right shot, scoring winger who consistently produces on the power play. Those aspects alone check several boxes for the Kings. 17 of Marchessault's 44 points have come on the power play. Kevin Fiala leads the Kings with 13 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-fiala-shines-but-inconsistencies-raise-concerns]. Looking at his cap hit (AAV), the number itself is manageable. At $5.5 million a year, Marchessault still has significant value, especially considering the fact that the NHL Salary Cap limit is about to get a rocket strapped to its imaginary back. WHY IT DOESN'T WORK Here's the tricky part in acquiring Marchessault–the length of his contract when coupled with his age. He is 34-years-old and has 4 more years left on his deal, making him 38 when the contract expires. While he's still productive today, the back end of Marchessault's contract should make every inquiring GM nervous. The saving grace, again, is that the cap limit is growing at an incredible rate, making his cap hit less impactful year over year. WHAT WOULD IT COST Now comes the most difficult but most amusing part of the exercise. What would the Kings be sending back in this trade? If Nashville is selling for the purposes of getting younger, LA has some solid currency to offer. For starters, Jordan Spence could be available if the Kings are set on keeping Vladislav Gavrikov on Mikey Anderson's right side. If the Predators are looking to restock their goaltending pipeline, the Kings are in a position of strength there [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-goaltending-prospects-provide-optimism-and-excitement]. Could Hampton Slukynsky or Carter George be of interest? Important to note that the Kings would have to send SOME salary back to make the trade work. They are currently projected to have $4.5 million in Trade Deadline cap space. Jordan Spence's $1.5 million is enough to make the numbers work, but do the Kings want to be that tight to the ceiling after a single move? THE OFFER To Los Angeles: Jonathan Marchessault To Nashville: Jordan Spence and 2026 2nd round pick Is Marchessault the type of player the Kings should be targeting? Let me know below! WA-LA-4NFO-Doughty4NationsAdd
