Despite losing three of their last four games, the Nashville Predators are still clinging to the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They will look to tighten their grip on that spot this week as they face challenging road tests against Central Division rival Minnesota on Thursday (Jan. 25) and red-hot Edmonton on Saturday (Jan. 27). In the meantime, let’s get to the latest news and rumors.
Predators Lose at Home – Again
The Predators were outshot 38-27, including by a 14-4 margin in the first period, and turned the puck over 22 times en route to a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday at Bridgestone Arena. It was their third loss in their last four games and their 12th loss of the season on home ice.
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A 34-save performance by goaltender Juuse Saros and a goal from defenseman Jeremy Lauzon were the bright spots, but it was the fourth straight game in which Nashville scored two goals or fewer; the Predators have totaled just six goals during that span.
The Predators have a 13-12 record at home this season – the second-worst home record in the Central Division behind Chicago (10-11), and they are tied with San Jose, Montreal, and Buffalo for the third-most regulation home losses in the NHL.
Pärssinen Reassigned
Predators general manager Barry Trotz announced on Tuesday that the team had reassigned forward Juuso Pärssinen to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.
Pärssinen was a healthy scratch in the Predators’ home contest against Florida on Monday; it was his first scratch since Dec. 21 at Philadelphia. The former seventh-round pick is in the final year of his entry-level contract, making him eligible to report directly to Milwaukee without having to clear waivers.
Pärssinen enjoyed a breakout rookie season in 2022-23. Despite missing 23 games in the second half of the season due to an upper-body injury, he finished the 2022-23 campaign tied for 16th among all NHL rookies with 25 points (nine goals and 16 assists).
Much was expected of Pärssinen this season, but he hasn’t been able to replicate last year’s success. He sat out a large portion of training camp with a lower-body injury and has struggled to remain consistent and solidify his role under first-year head coach Andrew Brunette. Pärssinen has 12 points (eight goals and four assists) in 44 games this season, with just two goals (both empty-netters) and one assist in his last 15 contests.
Pärssinen started the season on the top forward line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly, but he didn’t last long in that role. He has since appeared on or around the bottom six of the lineup with occasional, limited appearances on the power play.
Pärssinen is in a sophomore slump; it happens. His production has dropped, and he’s losing opportunities at the NHL level as a result. Fortunately, his waivers exempt status allows the Predators to send him straight to Milwaukee, where he can play more meaningful minutes and build his confidence back up. This is the right move for both the player and the organization.
Smith Extended
One of Nashville’s pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) is officially off the market. Trotz announced on Wednesday that the Predators had signed forward Cole Smith to a two-year, $2 million contract that will begin in the 2024-25 season.
Smith, who has established a career-high in goals (five) and, with 13 assists and 17 points, is on pace to top his previous best marks in both categories through 46 games this season. He also ranks second on the Predators and tied for 12th in the NHL in hits (118) and leads Nashville forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:19) while adding three points (1g-2a) on the penalty kill. The hard-hitting winger also has two multi-goal games this season and recorded a career-best five-game point streak from Dec. 12 to Dec. 21 (1g-4a).
Wednesday’s team practice concluded with Smith taking a victory lap around the ice to the tune of cheers and stick taps from his teammates. The celebrations will no doubt continue on Thursday when the Predators play at Xcel Energy Center in his native Minnesota, where he expects to have roughly 40-50 friends and family in attendance.
“He’s a really big part of our team,” Brunette said. “I’m really happy for him. He deserves it. It’s a great story, and hopefully it’s just a step of many more coming up.”
Predators Trade Talk
On Monday afternoon, Trotz said on the Predators’ flagship radio station that he was “going to try and do a couple of things at the trade deadline.” The magnitude of any potential moves, though, is yet to be determined.
Trotz joined The Jeff Marek Show on Tuesday to discuss his trade deadline strategy, which is almost entirely dependent on where the team is in the playoff standings at that point. Trotz told Marek that he would “let the players decide” how he approaches the deadline based on their play over the next few weeks.
“I wouldn’t say we’re a team [that’s] all in because of the fact that I still think we have a lot of growth,” Trotz told Marek. “But if we’re at the trade deadline and we’re right there [in the playoff race], I have no problem adding something to our team.”
The Predators’ current roster construction allows them to be either buyers or sellers – or perhaps a bit of both – depending on where the team sits in the standings by the time the deadline rolls around. Trotz noted that there are currently seven forwards on the Predators’ active roster earning less than $1 million per year, making them “affordable” trade chips for teams looking to add depth pieces. He also said, though, that he would be open to trading a less-affordable veteran in the right circumstances (i.e. if the Predators are several points back of a playoff spot by the time the deadline rolls around).
Plenty of Predators players have come up in trade whispers over the last several weeks, and Trotz has already started working the phones with other GMs. Still, don’t expect any major decisions to be made until much closer to the March 8 trade deadline.