Reports this weekend indicate that the Nashville Predators could be a team interested in a trade deal with the Vancouver Canucks, but the timing may not be right for the Predators to make that move right now.
According to several sources around the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks have given Conor Garland's agent permission to talk to teams about a potential trade, and one of the teams mentioned as a possible partner has been the Nashville Predators.
Garland, a 27-year-old winger, played 81 games last season in Vancouver and scored 17 goals and 46 points. This season his ice time has been reduced in the two games the Canucks have played, but Garland scored a goal in the first game of the season against the Oilers.
In return, the Canucks are rumored to be interested in freeing up some cap space and would prefer a defenseman in a deal. The Nashville Predators have the cap space to absorb Garland's $4.95 million AAV, although Vancouver may be willing to retain some of that salary in a deal. Nashville also has defensemen, and one name that may end up in potential trade whispers is perennial trade target Dante Fabbro.
Timing may be the deciding factor for why a deal doesn't happen between the Predators and the Canucks. Currently, Fabbro is playing on the top defensive pairing with Roman Josi, a partnership that had a lot of chemistry a few seasons ago. Head coach Andrew Brunette also likes what he has seen from Fabbro in his last two games. Brunette is still working to find the forward combinations that result in all four lines playing well simultaneously. It seems far more likely that the team will focus on finding the correct spots for the players currently on the roster and providing ice time and experience for young players like Phil Tomasino and Luke Evangelista before making a move to bring in another piece.
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