Follow me on Twitter Follow @TheJeremyLaura
Another overtime in Nashville felt like DejaVu all over again….but this time Carolina was able to get the win. The emotional roller coaster of a season for Nashville has ended, and big changes could be coming.
The Predators’ Cap Friendly page Next year’s projected cap space just under 17M with 17 NHL players. Duchene and Johansen have 5 years and 4 years (respectively) at 8M. Forsberg 1 year at 6M, Arvidsson 3 at 4.25. Josi has 7 more years at 9 million, Ellis has 6 at 6.25.
Duchene and Johansen just haven’t lived up to the deals they signed. RJ’s highest scoring season as a predator was 15 goals (39assists). He’s scored 14 goals 3 times and 7 goals this past season. His assists are decent (except the past two years (22 and 15) but at 8 million, you need to be scoring goals. Duchene scored 13 goals (29 assists) in 66 games last year. 6 goals (7 assists) in 34 games this year. 16 million dollars tied up in less than 30 goals for your top paid forwards is a nightmare. (Queue me getting ripped because they’re “difference makers… on the ice without scoring. Save it for guys making 3.75-5.25).
If the team hadn’t made the playoffs, big changes were coming (apparently). However, they knuckled down and kept Dallas at bay. Nashville’s 2 wins in this series (OT) still saw the Preds woefully outplayed by Carolina but Saros was exceptional. That goalie is getting a raise next year, and 17M for 9 RFAs (including Fabbro) isn’t going to cut it.
Arvidsson was a much sought after commodity before the deadline. However, the asking price was never met. Forsberg may well want a raise from his 6 million dollar deal after next season. There are players that could fetch a nice return if Nashville decides to head toward rebuild island (right next to the Isle of misfit toys). I don’t know what you do about Duchen and Johansen. A buyout is going to tie up some money for a while. Can you package a deal for Seattle to get them to take one of them? Ekholm has 1 year left at 3.75. Is the 31 year old D man a fit for Detroit?
Nashville has almost all of their picks for this year. They are in good shape there. Whatever the team decides to do, money is going to have to go out the door in some form. I’m not seeing too many deals that would be “perfect… for Detroit in terms of personnel or asking price. If they blow it up, is there anyone you would want to be in on? Let me know in the comments.
UFAs Mikael Granlund C/RW (29) 3.75M Erik Haula C/LW (30) 1.75M Erik Gudbranson RD (29) 4M Tyler Lewington RD (26)700K Pekka Rinne G (38) 5M Kaskamir Kaskisuo (27) 700K Luca Sbisa LD (31) 800K
RFAs Eli Tolvanen LW (22) 894K Rem Pitlick C (24) 874k Mathieu Oliver RW (24) 730k Tanner Jeannot LW (23)713k Michael McCarron RW (26)700k Dante Fabbro RD (22) 925k Jeremy Davies LD (24) 925k Ben Harpur LD (26) 700k Juuse Saros G (26) 1.5M
Check out my previous blogs: