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Trade deadline day was a trade deadline dud for the Nashville Predators.
After making four moves earlier in the week — suggesting that a sell-off was coming — general manager Barry Trotz made zero moves on March 6.
Explaining his strategy to reporters at Bridgestone Arena after the 2 p.m. CT deadline, Trotz said this was about keeping the Predators intact for a desperation playoff push.
"You've got to like our team," Trotz said. "Take out the first 20 games and there have been some exciting games. They've been clawing back. We haven't gone on any crazy winning streaks, but winning two of three and all of a sudden you're in some meaningful games late in the season."
The Predators (28-26-8, 64 points) are three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With 20 games to go, it's not inconceivable they could make the playoffs.
But realistically, the Predators are not a major contender for the Stanley Cup. Up against Colorado, Edmonton, Dallas, Minnesota and Vegas? Nashville does not stack up.
Which is why Trotz made some moves earlier in the week. He described this two-pronged approach as "serving two masters."
"I have to do my job for the present, to give this team a chance," Trotz said. "But I also have to worry about the future. That was the balancing act . . . When you're close enough, but not there, you have to serve two masters sometimes."
On one hand, Trotz traded Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, Nick Blankenburg and Michael Bunting — all older players on expiring contracts — for draft picks. On the other, he kept pending free agent Erik Haula and higher-priced players Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
"I thought we got really good value for the players that we moved, but it was a little bit of a balancing act," Trotz said. "We've got all our young kids up here, so it's a little bit of a balance. You want to make sure you've got a couple of veterans."
Two of the Predators' top four trade targets, Stamkos and Marchessault, had trade protection built into their contracts. The other two, Haula and O'Reilly, did not.
Haula, 34, is having a resurgent season for the Predators, with 10 goals and 21 assists in 62 games, mostly as a defensive center.
"There were offers (for Haula)," Trotz said. "We got down to some really good offers that I felt were very fair. He was one of those balancing ones where . . . is it worth it trying to help some of our wingers where we don't have a veteran center?"
He compared his strategy with Haula to the situation with defenseman Alex Carrier in 2024. At that deadline, Trotz held on to Carrier, calling him an "own rental." He eventually signed Carrier to a contract the following July, but traded him to Montreal later that year.
As for O'Reilly, Trotz was committed to holding up his end of a "handshake agreement" — that he would treat O'Reilly's contract as if there was a no-movement clause. He explained the trade talks as a cooperative effort.
"To be quite transparent, I talked to (O'Reilly), I talked to (Stamkos) and I said I'm going to get calls. You're hearing the noise . . . it's all over the place," Trotz said. "I pulled them aside and said, 'Listen, I don't want to get rid of you guys. But if I get an offer that makes sense and knocks our socks off for what we're trying to do, I'm going to take it to you and you can say yes or no.' "
Trotz said he came "fairly close" to trading O'Reilly and/or Stamkos, but "until it's done, it's not done."
With the future on hold, the Predators look to the present. Trotz added that now younger players can work with the veterans, something that will shape their careers.
"They're in a playoff race," Trotz said. "That's a great teacher for them. Playing meaningful games late in the season, when it gets tightened up. See if they can handle it."
TRADE GRADES: How did Predators do at NHL trade deadline? Grading the moves
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: GM Barry Trotz explains Predators' plans on NHL trades
Continue reading...
After making four moves earlier in the week — suggesting that a sell-off was coming — general manager Barry Trotz made zero moves on March 6.
Explaining his strategy to reporters at Bridgestone Arena after the 2 p.m. CT deadline, Trotz said this was about keeping the Predators intact for a desperation playoff push.
"You've got to like our team," Trotz said. "Take out the first 20 games and there have been some exciting games. They've been clawing back. We haven't gone on any crazy winning streaks, but winning two of three and all of a sudden you're in some meaningful games late in the season."
The Predators (28-26-8, 64 points) are three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With 20 games to go, it's not inconceivable they could make the playoffs.
But realistically, the Predators are not a major contender for the Stanley Cup. Up against Colorado, Edmonton, Dallas, Minnesota and Vegas? Nashville does not stack up.
Which is why Trotz made some moves earlier in the week. He described this two-pronged approach as "serving two masters."
"I have to do my job for the present, to give this team a chance," Trotz said. "But I also have to worry about the future. That was the balancing act . . . When you're close enough, but not there, you have to serve two masters sometimes."
On one hand, Trotz traded Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, Nick Blankenburg and Michael Bunting — all older players on expiring contracts — for draft picks. On the other, he kept pending free agent Erik Haula and higher-priced players Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
"I thought we got really good value for the players that we moved, but it was a little bit of a balancing act," Trotz said. "We've got all our young kids up here, so it's a little bit of a balance. You want to make sure you've got a couple of veterans."
Why Trotz didn't move Erik Haula, Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos
Two of the Predators' top four trade targets, Stamkos and Marchessault, had trade protection built into their contracts. The other two, Haula and O'Reilly, did not.
Haula, 34, is having a resurgent season for the Predators, with 10 goals and 21 assists in 62 games, mostly as a defensive center.
"There were offers (for Haula)," Trotz said. "We got down to some really good offers that I felt were very fair. He was one of those balancing ones where . . . is it worth it trying to help some of our wingers where we don't have a veteran center?"
He compared his strategy with Haula to the situation with defenseman Alex Carrier in 2024. At that deadline, Trotz held on to Carrier, calling him an "own rental." He eventually signed Carrier to a contract the following July, but traded him to Montreal later that year.
As for O'Reilly, Trotz was committed to holding up his end of a "handshake agreement" — that he would treat O'Reilly's contract as if there was a no-movement clause. He explained the trade talks as a cooperative effort.
"To be quite transparent, I talked to (O'Reilly), I talked to (Stamkos) and I said I'm going to get calls. You're hearing the noise . . . it's all over the place," Trotz said. "I pulled them aside and said, 'Listen, I don't want to get rid of you guys. But if I get an offer that makes sense and knocks our socks off for what we're trying to do, I'm going to take it to you and you can say yes or no.' "
Trotz said he came "fairly close" to trading O'Reilly and/or Stamkos, but "until it's done, it's not done."
With the future on hold, the Predators look to the present. Trotz added that now younger players can work with the veterans, something that will shape their careers.
"They're in a playoff race," Trotz said. "That's a great teacher for them. Playing meaningful games late in the season, when it gets tightened up. See if they can handle it."
TRADE GRADES: How did Predators do at NHL trade deadline? Grading the moves
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: GM Barry Trotz explains Predators' plans on NHL trades
Continue reading...
