Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Nashville Predators have already moved out defenseman Alexandre Carrier and they continue to explore other deals, but it’s not going to be a firesale or a rebuild. Predators GM Barry Trotz last week.
“I’m not in the business of not winning. I’m in the business of trying to win. We’re not selling off. We are resetting. We know where we are. It’s not where we thought we would be. But we want to move forward.”
Trotz admits that they already have some good players and prospects in the system and that they could end up with a top-five pick in the 2025 NHL draft if they don’t turn things around. Trotz is looking to set things up for the offseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs Break into Top Five Stanley Cup Favorites
“I want to set myself up for the summer. We will look at the free-agent market. We will look at adding pieces. There will be teams that are going to be up against it (the cap), so we want to take advantage of that. But I want to set it up beforehand.”
It sounds like Trotz doesn’t want to fire head coach Andrew Brunette and believes this season will help make him a better coach.
Michael Gallagher: As Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is exploring ways to help set up next year’s team, Dylan Cozens isn’t the only target.
There are potentially two or three other deals that could be on the table that could happen after the holiday roster freeze.
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is available and could be traded at some point.
NHL Rumors: Players on Expiring Deals Know the Importance of January 1st
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s new and we’re just getting started. Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league.