On the Nashville Predators …
Emily Kaplan of ESPN: Looking at the keys to the Nashville Predators offseason.
1. Pending RFAs Ryan Hartman and Jusse Saros – The Predators gave up a first-round pick at the trade deadline for Hartman. Saros is Pekka Rinne’s heir apparent.
2. Keeping tabs on 2016 first-round pick Dante Fabbro – Fabbro is the next in line of the Preds successful draft and develop on the blue line. Fabbro was recently named the captain at Boston University, so it looks like he could be returning for another season. The Preds could try to convince his offseason to sign, or they could wait after next years college season is over.
3. Continue to get younger – Scott Hartnell and Mike Fisher will be gone, and Eeli Tolvanen should get an extended look.
On John Tavares …
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Elliotte Friedman earlier this week on Sportsnet 650 was talking about John Tavares and his pending free agency. Friedman was asked which teams could be lining up to speak and make a pitch to Tavares.
Friedman believes the Islanders will get another chance and that they likely aren’t out of it, but they know they are in a race for him.
“I would think the Sharks would be there. I wonder about Vegas. I do. I think that Vegas has a lot of flexibility to do a lot of things. I think a team like St. Louis will be aggressive. It wouldn’t surprise me if Toronto asks.
“Philadelphia has got a lot of money, and so do the Rangers. I don’t know, though, if he’s going to want to stay – is he going to want to go to a rival of the Islanders like them. I don’t know.
“But I think you can look out there… Look, everybody is going to want a seat at this table. Montreal is going to throw basically whatever he wants. I think there’s a lot of teams there. The one thing I think Tavares and his camp have done, they’ve done a really good job of limiting the idea of where – if it’s not New York – what his preference really is.”
