The Nashville Predators are a shining example of how quickly a team can turn it around in the salary-cap world. Well, maybe quick is a relative term. For general manager David Poile and the rest of the rabid hockey crowd in Nashville, we're sure the past two seasons, which saw the Preds twice miss the playoffs, were long enough. But the point is, the Predators underwent a significant overhaul that saw longtime head coach Barry Trotz dismissed and a slew of new players brought in, including reclamation project Mike Ribeiro, James Neal and Anton Volchenkov. The results under head coach Peter Laviolette have been nothing less than stunning as the Predators currently own the top spot in the NHL. Now what?
Status: BUYERS
Needs: One might assume that having been active as a buyer in recent years (2011 and 2012 especially) and not getting far in the playoffs, the Predators might be a bit gun-shy. That would be an incorrect assumption. In fact, Poile told ESPN.com recently that the factors are always the same at the trade deadline: How can you improve your club and at what cost? Given their lofty place in the standings and that they appear to be built for the rigors of the postseason with all-world goaltending and a formidable defensive corps, don't expect Poile to be conservative -- assuming the price is right. It's believed the Predators are interested in Cody Franson, a right-handed shooting defenseman whom they traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 2012. He will be highly sought-after though, so Poile might look elsewhere for defensive depth. Also, while Poile is all about giving youngsters from within a chance -- homegrown talent Colin Wilson is having a breakout year, and Ryan Ellis has slowly emerged into a top-four defender after some stutter steps early in his NHL career -- players in the minors don't have experience, Poile noted. Given that, would it be a surprise for Poile to make a move for a Jaromir Jagr or Antoine Vermette? The asking price for Vermette will be much higher, but adding another forward would give the Preds more offensive options, especially on the power play, which currently ranks 20th. And finally, we'll just throw this out there because it would make a cool story: Kimmo Timonen is hoping to prolong his career after blood clot issues forced him to miss the entire season thus far. Timonen grew up in the Predators system and, well, we're just saying.
Finances: The Predators aren't a salary-cap team, so it's more a question of whether additions make sense on the ice and on the bottom line. Poile points to the acquisition of Mike Fisher back in 2011 for a first- and a third-round pick as a deal that made sense long-term as Fisher had term left on his deal and has remained a Predator (he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July). With Fisher, Matt Cullen, Olli Jokinen, Volchenkov and Ribeiro set to become unrestricted free agents in July (look for Fisher and Ribeiro to re-up), the Predators could be more inventive at the trade deadline in bringing in a player with more term and dollar if Poile feels it's a good fit for the team moving forward and not just for the 2015 playoff run.
History: One of the reasons the Predators can afford to be aggressive at the deadline is that, in spite of being aggressive in the past, they also have taken advantage of down seasons to restock the shelves. Nowhere is this more apparent than with Filip Forsberg, who likely will win the Calder as rookie of the year in a walk after being acquired from the Washington Capitals at the 2013 trade deadline for Martin Erat. Last season, Poile off-loaded veteran David Legwand to the Detroit Red Wings (Legwand is a possible rental player again, so keep your eyes on him). That helped offset the picks and prospects that were spent in acquiring Hal Gill, Paul Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn three years ago. The assets go out and then they come back in. That's how it's supposed to work.
