Three Potential Bargains on Nashville's Roster This Season
The Predators are shelling out just over $10 million in dead cap, but these three players could make the front office feel more than okay about the finances.
Three Potential Bargains on Nashville's Roster This SeasonIt has been an offseason with plenty of turnover not just for the Nashville Predators' roster but also for their checkbook. The Predators retained salary in both the Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen trades, and General Manager Barry Trotz opted to buy out Matt Duchene's contract this offseason as well. It may seem like these moves put Nashville in a financial pinch, but the team has just under $8 million in cap space even after signing free agents Ryan O'Reilly, Gustav Nyquist, Luke Schenn, and Denis Gurianov.
The Predators also have some very team friendly contracts on the books. There are currently seven players making under $1 million who could make the opening night roster. The focus on developing the youth in this reset means Nashville may get plenty of bang for their buck, but it isn't just the young players that are solid deals.
Juuse Saros
With an AAV of $5 million, Juuse Saros may one of the best goaltending deals across the league. The 28-year-old has played more games over the last two seasons than any goalie and finished 2022-23 a .919 save percentage, eighth best in the league. Saros faced the most shots in the league last season, but had the best goals saved above expected and wins above replacement percentages among his peers. Regardless of the team in front of him, Saros is a game stealing goaltender.
Saros has been the subject of trade speculation because he would be an improvement in net for all but about four teams in the league, but Nashville knows keeping Saros here has high value in more than dollars and cents. His $5 million price tag is well worth the price especially as the team embarks on this youth movement. Having a goalie who can steal games gives young players a chance to learn from mistakes, and that may be the ticket to getting the Predators back to the postseason in two to three seasons instead of a four to five year rebuild.
While Saros ties for the fourteenth highest paid goalie in the league right now, the Predators get a Vezina nominated player who stays healthy, carries a heavy workload, covers for errors in front of him, and plays with consistency. There aren't many teams in the NHL that wouldn't pay five million dollars or more for that combination in net.
Cody Glass
On July 1, the Predators announced a two year, $5 million deal with RFA Cody Glass. The 24-year-old has had one of the more challenging roads in his young career dealing with knee surgery while he was with the Vegas Golden Knights, a solitary recovery during COVID, and a surprise trade to Nashville in July 2021. It has not been a linear trajectory for Glass, but the center showed why he was a top ten pick in 2017 as his role expanded with the veterans injuries this past spring.
Glass figures to be a central part of the Predators' reset. In his 72 games last season he scored 14 goals and 35 points and continued to improve as the season went on. While the team came up just short of the postseason, Glass ended the season with quality minutes and hungry for more.
"It started with me just trying to make the team and then ended up playing big minutes and big roles," Glass said at the end of the season. "It was something that I really enjoyed and really want to take advantage of now that I have that taste of what it's like to be in a big role and big opportunities."
Glass will have that chance next season in what will likely be a top six - perhaps even top line - role. If he continues to develop and improve, Glass could turn into the 1C the Predators have paid $8 million trying to get in the past with Johansen and Duchene. a $2.5 million AAV would be a bargain price for a young center who successfully grows into that important role.
Luke Evangelista
Luke Evangelista is still on his three year entry level contract, and if his first 24 NHL games are any indication, the 21-year-old could be a financial steal next season for the Predators.
Evangelista was expected to spend just a weekend in Nashville when he was first called up from Milwaukee, but did so much with the chance he was given he remained in Nashville for the rest of the season. In his 24 games, Evangelista scored seven goals and 15 points. He showed a mature understanding of the game and physically held his own against players with more experience and size. There is so much to like about his on ice game, and it costs Nashville less than $800,000 a year.
One of the biggest storylines in training camp will be Evangelista. If the Toronto native can pick up where he left off, the question won't be if he makes the team, but if he can earn a top forward spot. If Nashville could get 20-25 goals from Evangelista for $797,500, that would be a steal.