The 2023-24 season is likely to be one of transition for the Nashville Predators. After selling multiple pieces at the 2023 trade deadline and moving more veterans out in the offseason, Barry Trotz has shown a willingness to make tough decisions that will shape the Predators organization to fit his vision. Just a couple weeks into the season it looks like another tough decision might be coming. Starting on Halloween night Nashville embarks on a 5 game, 10 day road trip out to western Canada and Seattle. Where that creates a complication is that the Predators only have 6 healthy defensemen with Luke Schenn on Injured Reserve for the next month or so. After the recent waiver claim of forward Liam Foudy from Columbus it also means that Nashville has a full 23 man roster (15 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies) which also includes an injured, but still on the active roster, Cody Glass.
It stands to reason that the Predators would want to have a 7th defenseman available for that road trip in case one of the regulars sustains some type of injury. Therefore some type of roster move would need to be made. The most likely route would be to call up one of the defensemen currently playing for the AHL Milwaukee Admirals since there are several with NHL experience. Given that the Admirals will be nowhere near western North America over those same days it will be very challenging to orchestrate a call-up midway through the trip. That means the roster move will need to take place before the Predators leave Nashville on October 30th. So what does Barry Trotz do? Let’s take a look at the options he has available.
Put Cody Glass on Injured Reserve
This option is probably the simplest option and embodies kicking the can down the road. Glass was injured in the October 19th game against the Rangers, though it is not thought to be serious. Glass could be put on Injured Reserve retroactive to his injury date and it would open up a spot on the active roster for a defenseman. However, when Glass is ready to return then another move would have to be made to clear his spot. If the Predators think his recovery could take even part of the road trip then placing Glass on IR solves the depth problem short term without creating roster chaos like any of these subsequent options would.
Send Philip Tomasino to Milwaukee
This is probably the second simplest option as Tomasino is the only waivers-exempt player who is not in the everyday lineup. After playing in the first two games of the season, Tomasino hasn’t seen the ice since. It’s unfortunate because in my opinion, Philip Tomasino had a very good training camp and looked ready to contribute back at the NHL level but through those two games he was largely invisible. Given how other players have performed it is unclear when Tomasino will return to the lineup. Perhaps a couple weeks in Milwaukee playing big minutes will help get his confidence up? Or would it further weigh down a player probably not feeling his best right now? If Trotz chooses to send Tomasino down it would also be the first test of his and Andrew Brunette’s partnership with Karl Taylor and the Admirals coaching staff. This option is easy enough from a transactional standpoint, but the potential ramifications have to be understood.
Put a Roster Player on Waivers
They could… but who? The likeliest options would be forwards Michael McCarron, Kiefer Sherwood, Sam Fagemo or Liam Foudy but there isn’t a good argument for any of them to be waived. There would need to be a hope that one of them would slip through and go unclaimed but is Trotz willing to take that risk? I assume he is not.
Make a Trade
While this is technically an option, it’s sorta the equivalent of using a bazooka to take out a bee hive. The likelihood of a trade this early in the season of an existing roster player for what amounts to an 8th defenseman is awfully low. Stranger things have happened I guess, but I wouldn’t count on a trade to solve this particular issue.
So there are a couple viable options that Barry Trotz and Andrew Brunette can undertake to solve the roster for the upcoming road trip. It really just comes down to which risk they are willing to absorb in the short term. Most likely either Cody Glass will go on IR or Philip Tomasino will head to Milwaukee for a bit and after a couple weeks most everyone won’t think about this moment anymore. However it is an interesting early test of roster management for a new general manager and coach to navigate.
Contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly
