It’s been awhile since I’ve written and posted. A lot of my attention has shifted to our weekly radio show on 102.5 The Game. Compiling information and preparing for a jam-packed hour of local, live hockey talk is relatively time consuming, but I know not everyone can listen live. Of course, I’m happy to point out that our show also lives on in the form a podcast and is available wherever you get your podcasts. However, I want to get back to writing about hockey in addition to talking about it and there seems like no time better than now. Penalty Box Perspective, I hope, will be my regular outlet for written discourse on the current Nashville Predators topics of the week. Up first, the trade deadline.

I wanted to take a moment to let the reality of the trade deadline set in before I commented. For the last few weeks, my co-host (Ann Kimmel) and I (and sometimes Anthony Pellegrino of Ice Insider) have been talking about what we wanted to see happen at the trade deadline. I can boil it down for you like this:

1. Identify anyone you don’t see as a part of the team next season and get the best you can get for them on the trade market.
2. Don’t take on contracts unless you plan on them being a part of the team next season.

And, of course, our wishes for the rest of the season looked kind of like this:

1. Call up players from Milwaukee you think could have a role on the team next season.
2. Let them (and the rest of the team) play together and get some chemistry going.

The first major move was the most predictable move, Gus Nyquist was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a second round pick in 2026. A lot of fans were upset at the return. Personally, I think this was a solid return for what amounts to a few more weeks of Gus Nyquist. An aging veteran with an expiring contract. He had a great season last season and a not-so-great/okay season this season. A second round pick seems high and, quite honestly, I don’t believe Barry Trotz saw him as a piece of team next season. Perhaps people were upset that Nashville retained 50% of his salary? If so, I would point out that that’s probably what sweetened the deal enough to make that draft pick as high as it did. And, the good news is that that money goes away after this season.

The next big move was a bit of a surprise. Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak went to Pittsburgh in exchange for Michael Bunting and a fourth round pick in 2026. First, anyone who listens to the show will know I didn’t think they’d trade Schenn, so I was surprised. However, one of my primary complains over the last few seasons is that the defensive pipeline is clogged. Schenn had another season on his contract and he would likely be clogging up the Preds defense next season. This move paves the way for an up and coming defender like Spencer Stastney to take on a more prominent role. It’s been common knowledge that the offense in Nashville goes through Roman Josi, but recently, the defensive corps beyond the captain has been a lot of heavy hitting players with less offensive upside. Freeing up some of these spots could allow a second pairing similar to Josi’s first pairing of a speedier, skilled, offensively minded defender with a more traditional stay-at-home defender who can handle things on the backend. With players like Stastney and Tanner Molendyk in the pipeline, you’d have to be at least a little excited about this prospect. It hasn’t been a great (or even good) year for the Predators defensively, so I think a change would be welcome.

Tommy Novak, another player I’ve been known to favor on the show, was less of a surprise because I felt like he had some value and could be seen as untapped potential for another team. As Barry Trotz pointed out to Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean, Tommy Novak got the bigger contract a year ago, but he hasn’t been putting up the numbers to earn it. Of course, Trotz himself signed Novak to the contract instead of trading him at the deadline last season when his value was considerably higher, but his willingness to cut bait and move on from the contract (without retaining anything) is a step in the right direction.

The addition of Michael Bunting was interesting to me because he has a higher scoring upside than Novak, but can play a heavier role on the ice and has a tendency to agitate his opponents. We haven’t had a chance to see him in action yet (as he’s recovering from an appendectomy) but it appears he’s a player Trotz has had his eye on for awhile and views as a part of the team moving forward. I’d rather have him now, let him get a feel for the culture of the team, and play a few games than have him come in during the offseason and start off brand new.

Now, some may be upset that the Penguins flipped Schenn to Winnipeg for a second and fourth round pick, but at the end of the day, the money in versus money out calculations on this deal seem like a win for the Preds. But more on that later.

Then, of course, there was the Jankowski trade. Mark Jankowski has been with the organization for a few years and has played at the NHL level for a few longer stretches. He’s been a solid player at the level expected. He had a very small contract with another year left on it. The team received a 5th round pick in return. Again, it’s about the return I’d expect, especially considering there was term left on the contract. Again, it seems like some people are upset because Jankowski played in his first game with Carolina and scored…twice. Would you believe that NEVER happened while he was with the Predators? It’s true. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s REALLY COOL for Jankowski and it makes it look like he was an incredible player that Nashville never used appropriately. But, most likely, that’s not something you’re going to see a lot of in the future.

Barry Trotz also claimed two players from waivers. Jakub Vrana from the Capitals with a bargain bin contract that expires at the end of the season. Trotz coached him in Washington so he knows the guy and probably wants to see if he can fill a role for him. If he can’t, he’s gone in a few weeks when the season ends. The other player is Jordan Oesterle from Boston. He’s a defender. The Preds just traded one and had a spot to fill. Another bargain bin contract with one year left on it. Best case scenario, he can play the rest of the season and next season for very little money. Worst case scenario, he gets waived. The Preds were able to add these guys to roster without having to give anything up and that’s a win in my book.

Those were the moves. That’s what I think about them. Here are my thoughts on what’s next.

You already saw some changes. Barry Trotz commented that this allows the guys to build some chemistry for next year. This is exactly what I’ve been calling for on the radio for weeks. We’ve heard (for many years from both GMs) that the young guys are going to get a chance to play. Well, this seems like the first time that’ll happen. We’ve already seen Luke Evangelista playing on the first line, Fedor Svechkov getting opportunities, and Spencer Stastney on the second pairing. I can’t complain about that one bit. The more chances they get to play more minutes against better competition just gets them ready for next season.

It’s also important to remember that there are some guys on this team that are injured that are key pieces. Don’t forget Jeremy Lauzon is out for the remainder of the season, Roman Josi is week to week, and Zach L’Heureux could return sometime in the near future. These are guys that’ll be playing next season. And don’t forget about guys like Joakim Kemell in Milwaukee and Tanner Molendyk in Medicine Hat. These are both dynamic players that have a chance to make a big impact next season and they’re already a part of the organization.

Of course, Barry Trotz isn’t finished. There’s still free agency and, of course, the draft. Trotz can go and find a solid, reliable center and lights out defender through free agency or use some draft capital/prospects to trade for one before next season begins. I think an improved defensive corps and a youth injection to the offense will make some dramatic changes for the Predators next season. And the good news is, Trotz has freed up quite a bit of cap space to use. With the cap going up, he has a lot of flexibility to make some big buys.

The rest of the season is just about finding solid ground to use as a springboard for next season. It should be enjoyable and if it’s not, at least it’ll be interesting.

–featured image via John Russell/Nashville Predators-–