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Nashville's General Manager Breaks Down Key Transactions Made Before Friday's Deadline

Zach Gilchriest

@ZachGilchriest Beat Writer & Content Manager

March 09, 2024

Another trade deadline has come and gone.

By the time the window closed on Friday, Predators General Manager Barry Trotz had delivered his vision for Nashville’s immediate postseason dreams and their future - a vision that added much more than it subtracted.

“It was very interesting, from my standpoint,” Trotz said. “I thought our scouts were dialed in on what the plan was, and we've had to pivot on the plan a little bit, probably a couple of weeks ago. We were probably looking at being a seller and then this team [sent a message] loud and clear, and I'm going to try to help them out. So, we had to balance being in a unique situation where we didn't want to hurt our future, we wanted to prop up our team and make it better for hopefully the playoffs.”

Compared to last year’s deadline, which saw four core Predators players traded off in return for increased cap space and a number of draft selections and rentals, this year’s edition was far more additive.

Forwards Yakov Trenin and Denis Gurianov, defensive prospect Graham Sward and a fifth and sixth round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft served as the only subtractions when the clock struck two on Friday, while a number of depth pieces to Nashville’s forward group, an enticing defensive prospect and a future draft pick arrived in their place.

Explore all the pickups made by the Predators at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline below:

The Here & Now

Received from ARI: Jason Zucker (F)

Traded to ARI: 2024 6th Round Pick (DAL)

Cap Hit: $5,300,000

Trotz Thoughts:

“I felt that he's very competitive, he’s got a good hockey IQ, he's driven, he brings a lot of life and he can play any kind of game that you want to. He fits the more skill game. He has lots of skill to play that game, but when it gets dirty and nasty and into the trenches, he can do that as well. So that fits right into our game. So, having the flexibility in our cap space made it easier for us to get him, because with salary, there's always retention. And one thing I found with all of the teams, the teams that have been in it for a couple of years, sometimes they might be tapped out on draft picks, so it's hard for them to acquire stuff. And then at the same time, we're up against a cap a lot of times and so not being up against the cap and having some draft capital means we sort of used that a little bit to our advantage.”

Received from CHI: Anthony Beauvillier (F)

Traded to CHI: 2024 5th Round Pick

Cap Hit: $4,150,000

Trotz Thoughts:

“[He’s got] speed, skill. No matter who we play, if we can get to the playoffs, all those teams have skill and speed. He has that, he has playoff experiences like [Zucker] does. I think that can do nothing but help us. And being familiar with his game, I think I can describe it to [Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette]. I think I can help on the side with [Beauvillier], because I have a relationship and I’ve known him for a number of years and on the Island. We play a little differently than a lot of teams and trying to play that way and getting thrown in the lineup and then being told to play like us, they're going to need an adjustment time. There's no question. So, for our coaches, for myself, for you and the fans, you have to have patience, because we play differently than a lot of teams. And we demand a lot of our players and we push the puck and we stay on pucks, so we’re pretty relentless when it comes to that area. And some teams are more back up and angle and play an easier game, and we aren’t. We like hard people and I think we got a couple people that do that.”

The Future

Received from COL: Jeremy Hanzel (D), 2025 3rd Round Pick

Traded to COL: Yakov Trenin (F), Graham Sward (D)

Cap Hit: $851,667 (Starting 2024-25)

Trotz Thoughts:

“We’ve got a number of forwards that are coming. I think our forward group is good for the next couple of years. We need to get better at center ice, but our forward group is in really good shape. They can fill a lot of the holes that we have coming in the next couple of years. They’re there. The area that we have to restock now is the back end. We started doing that with [2023 first-round pick] Tanner [Molendyk] last year. With Jeremy, we had good reports and our scouts liked him, and Colorado identified him as a good player. They just signed him that day, or the day before. So obviously they thought the same way. We talked to the young man, he got signed and they probably threw a jersey in the mail to him for signing, and all of a sudden he gets a call and I'm talking to him and [Assistant GM] Brian Poile is talking to him. And he's coming here and he's going to have a Predators jersey. So it must have been really weird for him, but at the same time, there's teams that like him and obviously Colorado liked him because they signed him. And we liked him because we got him.”

Received from Waivers (LAK): Jaret Anderson-Dolan (F)

Cap Hit: $775,000

Received from PHI: Wade Allison (F)

Traded to PHI: Denis Gurianov (F)

Cap Hit: $785,000

Though Trotz did not directly touch on Anderson-Dolan or Allison during his press conference on Friday, the pair of forwards will likely provide the GM two more offensive options to pull from.

Anderson-Dolan joined the Predators for practice on Friday at Bridgestone Arena and departed with the team for their back-to-back set in Columbus and Minnesota this weekend. It is unclear if he will join the lineup for either game.

A member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ 2023-24 roster, Allison was loaned to the Milwaukee Admirals following Friday’s trade.

The Signings

Signed Cole Smith (F): Two-Year, $2 Million

Signed Michael McCarron (F): Two-Year, $1.8 Million

Signed Tommy Novak (F): Three-Year, $10.5 Million

Signed Dante Fabbro (D): One-Year, $2.5 Million

Signed Mark Jankowski (F): Two-Year, $1.6 Million

Trotz Thoughts:

“This whole trade deadline didn't really start today… For us the trade deadline was getting Smith and McCarron signed up. You know, obviously we acquired Zucker, we acquired Beauvillier, Anderson-Dolan, Allison. We traded Trenin, we got a third in 2026 and a prospect in Jeremy Hanzel. That's sort of what we accomplished on our side. And then we moved out Trenin and Gurianov and only used a fifth and sixth. So I think we accomplished what we wanted to.”

Lionel Messi’s legendary left leg was kicked in the calf area by an opposing player, causing his left ankle to twist during Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw against Nashville SC in their Concacaf Champions Cup match Thursday night.

Messi suffered the injury in the 77th minute when he contested a pass from Nashville’s Lukas MacNaughton, whose right leg landed onto Messi’s after his kick.

It was a scary scene as Messi was writhing in pain for several minutes, and tended to by trainers while lying on the pitch.

Messi was seen smiling and appeared to be walking fine after the sequence, hydrating with a bottle of water and speaking to a Nashville player as he walked on the sideline before he re-entered and finished the match. Messi also received some treatment earlier in the match with a trainer massaging the back of his right leg above the knee.

“Leo finished the game. He’s tired. He’s fatigued. That’s why he was getting massages. But he is fine,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said after the game, in which Messi scored in the 52nd minute, and Luis Suárez scored a header in extra time.

Still, it’s a sequence that could see Messi sidelined for Inter Miami’s upcoming match Sunday at home against CF Montreal.

The match is a perfect candidate for Messi to rest, considering his workload amid a seven-game stretch with both Inter Miami and Argentina this month.

After the Montreal game, Inter Miami will face Nashville SC again on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions Cup Round-of-16 matchup.

Inter Miami also had a road match against D.C. United on March 16.

Messi was also selected by Argentina to play in two Copa America warmups – March 22 vs. El Salvador in Philadelphia and March 26 vs. Costa Rica in Los Angeles – which puts him in the mix for seven matches in 21 days.

Messi’s Argentine commitments could cause him to miss Inter Miami matches on the road against New York Red Bulls on March 23, and home against New York City FC on March 30.

CNN —

Inter Miami had to come from two goals behind to salvage a 2-2 draw away to Nashville in the first-leg, round of 16 CONCACAF Champions Cup tie, with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez coming to the rescue.

Two goals from Canadian forward Jacob Shaffelburg opened up a healthy 2-0 lead for Nashville, but the team was unable to hold on for the win in the face of a second-half surge from Inter Miami.

Messi halved the deficit in the 52nd minute with a trademark finish from the edge of the area, taking two touches to control the ball before curling an effort delicately into the bottom corner.

Inter Miami thought it had found the equalizer just four minutes later when Diego Gómez turned the ball into the net, but the Paraguayan was met by the linesman’s offside flag as he wheeled away to celebrate.

There was a concerning moment in the second half as Messi went down clutching his leg following a heavy challenge from Lukas MacNaughton as the defender made a clearance, but the Argentine eventually got back to his feet after lengthy treatment.

With just eight minutes remaining, Nashville looked to have put the game beyond Inter Miami when Shaquell Moore coolly slotted the ball home, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside in the build-up.

The home side must have thought it had done enough to secure the win, but Suárez appeared unmarked inside the penalty area to head home Sergio Busquets’ cross with just two minutes of the additional seven remaining to stun Geodis Park into silence.

Mark Zaleski/AP

“Knowing that we have 90 more minutes to play at home, I think that we did well,” Miami head coach Gerardo Martino said after the match, per the club.

“We were calm, we were patient, and we did it simply by playing. It leaves us in a good place for the second round of 90 minutes left to play at home.”

The CONCACAF Champions Cup is the Champions League equivalent for clubs playing in North America, Central America and Caribbean. Winning the tournament earns a spot at the 2025 Club World Cup.

Miami welcomes Nashville to Chase Stadium for the second leg on March 13.

NASHVILLE – We're now on the doorstep of free agency in the NFL.

Across the league, including the Titans, new players will be added, while others will depart.

There's a lot to discuss leading up to the coming week.

Here's the link to submit questions: CLICK HERE.

Dan Hanson from Fargo, North Dakota Question: Hey Jim, longtime fan from up in the frozen tundra. I was just curious if you have noticed any changes over the last year plus since Ran took over with the strength & conditioning program and the training staff? We all know the NFL can be a brutal sport but it has seemed like the Titans have dealt with substantially more injuries than most other NFL teams for a few years now. It looks like an exciting off season with plenty of opportunities to improve the roster...but at the end of the day we still need to figure out how to keep guys on the field.

Jim: Good to hear from you, Dan. Well, there will be changes. Frank Piraino, who took over as the team's strength and conditioning coach in 2019, left to take a job with the Giants. The Titans are now in the process of finding his replacement. The interview process is under way. From there, we'll see what kind of changes take place. I agree the team has dealt with way too many injuries over the years, but I can't explain why. I know folks above my pay grade are looking for answers.

Chris LaFromboise from Bottineau, North Dakota Question: In regards to Derrick Henry, can the franchise tag be used or is that not an option because it would be injustice to him and/or the team? I have been to Nissan Stadium a couple times and have enjoyed it but look forward to the new stadium. Titan Up!! Thanks for all your dedication.

Jim: Back-to-back from North Dakota to start things off! Hey Chris. The deadline for the franchise tag passed this week, and it wasn't used. I just don't think the team thought it would be a good idea for either side.

Ben Mead from Cherry Valley, New York Question: Hey Jim. First off I want to say thank you for picking my question last week. appreciate your response regarding the targeting of a TE in the draft. Specifically Brock Bowers. That being said I feel that after reading my question and your response I realized i never really finished my thought. I also feel that 7 is too high for him. (I also reserve the right to change my mind in 6 weeks). I was actually dreaming of a scenario where Tennessee trades back to acquire more picks to fill the endless roster holes while still grabbing someone who could be a huge difference maker at a lower price. Thank you for taking time to answer all these questions, you do such an amazing job. "Jim's Mail Bag" is a great opportunity for fans feel connected!

Jim: Appreciate it, Ben. God to hear from you, Ben. Now that's not a bad thought. I actually like the idea of moving back a little bit and getting more picks – but a lot depends on what happens on picks 1-6, and who is left on the board. I wouldn't want to take too big of a risk, and miss out on a player the team covets. And again, while I really like Bowers, right now help on the o-line and at receiver are the biggest needs in my mind.

Mark Combs from Chesnee, South Carolina Question: Just for the record, I really really want Alt at 7 and I really want Henry back. However, my question regards quarterbacks. I really like Levis. Honestly, I feel like I've forgotten more than I know, but at one time O'Donnell was better than McNair until he wasn't. McNair was average until he was great. Locker was on his way to his greatest game ever, finally making the leap, until that dirty hit dislocated his hip. Mariota made some incredible plays. I watched some youtube highlights and he looked amazing, the 87 yard run against the Jags, game winning TD passes, the 158.3 debut. I guess they're called highlights because they don't show the lowlights with them. Levis made me saying ,"Holy ...!" with his first long TD he threw to Hopkins against the Falcons. Effortless throw, flick of the wrist, amazing, followed by three more TDs. What makes a quarterback go from promising to bust or promising to great? Do we even know? (omitted Pastorini and Moon because Pastorini was my childhood fave and Moon was the best ever.)

Jim: Hey Mark. I like Joe Alt myself. As I listened to him in Indianapolis at the combine, he sounds like a pro. And, his tape is also impressive. I talked to a guy in Indy who has covered Alt, and he raved about him. I must admit, I really like Fashanu as well. … As for the QBs, a lot is about skill-set, and tools. But QBs also need help around them, whether that's coaching or an offensive line or skill players. It took a while for McNair to develop, but he blossomed at a time when things came together around him. The Titans need to put Levis in a better position to succeed, and then we'll really find out what he is made of.

Aaron Ratan from Van Buren, Arkansas Question: Is Treylon Burks starting next year and how is he doing in training camp?

Jim: Hey Aaron. A lot of this is going to be determined by Treylon … and what happens between now and then. Training camp doesn't start until late July. I actually did a story on Treylon this week. CLICK HERE to read it.

HENRY LONG FROM BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE Question: JIM, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US INFORMED. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN AT-HOME DRAFTER FOR THE TITANS, BUT HAVE DECIDED TO LET THE TITANS STAFF DO IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE ALL THE INFOMATION AND THEY NOW HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE A REASONING VOICE DURING THE DRAFT. I WILL JUST GO BACK TO GOLF. THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL GOLFERS ACTUALLY FALL DOWN DURING THEIR GOLF SWING, AND I RECALL A GOLF PRO SAYING "UNTIL YOU LEARN TO SWING IN BALANCE, YOU CAN HAVE NO EXPECTATION FOR YOUR GAME". I BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE IN FOOTBALL AND FOR THE TITANS. UNTIL YOU HAVE A TOP OFFENSIVE LINE ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU CAN HAVE NO EXPECTATION FOR YOUR OFFENSE IN NEITHER RUNNING NOR PASSING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A QUARTERBACK THROW AN ACCURATE 40 YARD PASS TO THE BEST RECEIVER IN THE LEAGUE WHILE HE IS LYING ON HIS BACK. DO YOU BELIEVE THE TITANS STAFF PLACE THIS AS THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY EVEN ABOVE ALL THEIR OTHER NEEDS? I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS IN THE PAST NOR NOW.

Jim: Oh man, I hear ya loud and clear, Henry, ALL CAPS! And I can assure you everyone around here knows help is need on the OFFENSIVE LINE.

Steven Tilton from Safford, Arizona Question: Hi Jim, hope all is well with you all in TN. Understanding that numbers are very fluid this time of year, and that there is a great deal of negotiating to happen with Free Agency and the Draft, do you know a ballpark number of how much it takes an NFL team to sign draft picks each year? With over $70 million in cap space, I guess my question is how much of that would the Titans need to 'reserve' so they can sign their draft picks vs spending in Free Agency or other things.

Jim: Hey Steven. The "rookie pool", of course, is the amount of money allocated to a team post-draft to sign their newly selected players. Teams usually find out about a week or so after the NFL Draft, and it's based off each draft slot and its monetary value. We'll have to wait and find out exactly how many picks the Titans end up with (remember, draft trades could impact things). A year ago, the rookie pool for the Titans was $8.9 million.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Blue Jackets are have started to put together wins, capturing three of the last four games, but they also are aware that what they’ve done doesn’t mean a ton yet.

The team is playing for each other, but what they’ve accomplished is part of the deal for a team that is trying to play its best hockey down the stretch.

“There’s definitely this feeling among the team that we can do this for each other,” Olivier said. “I think what you guys are seeing on the ice is showing that. That comes with being a young team and getting experience. Everyone is getting a little more mature out there, and it’s starting to show and we’re starting to get results here. We’re on the right track.”

The Blue Jackets used that mojo to beat Edmonton by a 4-2 score on Thursday night, and head coach Pascal Vincent understands that his team is building something.

“I think we played a solid 60 minutes tonight,” Vincent said. “We’re seeing a team that is getting more confident. There’s no perfect systems, but when they start playing for each other, executing the system, all five guys on the ice at once, it becomes a good team.

“I was impressed with the fact that we went out there on a mission to win a hockey game, and we finished the game.”

Olivier was a big part of the Jackets win and says the Blue Jackets understand what it takes to build a winner.

“I think the results always help,” Olivier said. “This has always been a tight group since I’ve been here. It’s 100 percent that these games definitely help us with confidence. Our group is tight, but winning always helpers. You can cure any problem with winning.”

Head coach: Andrew Brunette (First season)

Team stats: Goals per game: 3.19 (14th) | Scoring defense: 3.06 (16th) | PP: 20.2 percent (18th) | PK: 76.8 percent (24th)

The narrative: Coming off a disappointing 2022-23 season in which the squad missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, the Predators have had a bounce-back campaign under their first-year coach. Eight points clear of Calgary, Seattle and St. Louis, the Preds are firmly in a playoff spot heading into this one, but the next quest will be to win a round in the postseason for the first time since 2017-18.

Team leaders: Filip Forsberg continues to be one of the most underrated players in the game, as the longtime Preds wing leads the team with 67 points on 33 goals (10th in the NHL) and 34 assists. Roman Josi remains one of the top play-driving defensemen in the league, as his 15 goals are second among NHL blueliners and his 62 points are fourth. Former CBJ forward Gustav Nyquist is third on the squad in his first year in Nashville with a 17-39-56 line, while Ryan O’Reilly adds 23 goals among 55 points.

What's new: The additions of veterans Nyquist and O’Reilly have given the Preds a different look this season, and such young talents as Luke Evangelista and Philip Tomasino have added a spark as well. Stop us if you’ve heard this before – it feels like every team faces the CBJ on a hot streak – but Nashville comes to town as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having gone 9-0-1 in its last 10 games while outscoring teams 44-19. The Preds have scored at least four goals in nine of those games and allowed two or less in eight as well.

Trending: This will be the first matchup between the teams this season, one of the latest starts to a season series this year for the CBJ. The squads have split the games each of the past two seasons, and Columbus is 4-1-1 in the last six home games against the Preds.

Former CBJ: Nyquist is the only current former Jacket on the roster, but Liam Foudy has three assists in 12 games with the squad this season. In addition, Columbus-area native Kiefer Sherwood has a 7-9-16 line in 50 games with Nashville this season.

Projected Lineup (subject to change)

Johnny Gaudreau – Boone Jenner – Trey Fix-Wolansky Yegor Chinakhov – Dmitri Voronkov – Kirill Marchenko Alexandre Texier – Cole Sillinger – Alex Nylander Sean Kuraly – Mathieu Olivier Zach Werenski – Adam Boqvist Ivan Provorov – Damon Severson Jake Bean – Erik Gudbranson Daniil Tarasov Elvis Merzlikins

Scratches: Adam Fantilli (calf laceration, out eight weeks as of Jan. 31), Injured reserve: Kent Johnson (torn labrum in left shoulder, out for season), Justin Danforth (illness)

Roster Report: Fix-Wolansky was called up and will fit into the lineup but where he falls will up to the Jackets at morning skate.

The CBJ top line has been streaking, with Johnny Gaudreau scoring 16 points (3-13-16) in the last 16 games, Boone Jenner posting 6-5-11 in 13 games since the All-Star break, and Jack Roslovic notching 4-9-13 in the last 12 contests. ... Blue Jackets goalies Daniil Tarasov and Elvis Merzlikins have combined to post a .925 save percentage in their last eight games, stopping 247 of 267 shots against. ... Cole Sillinger has points in five of the last six games (3-2-5) is one of three CBJ players all-time to have at least 30 goals before their 21st birthday (Rick Nash, 58; Pierre-Luc Dubois, 47). ... Alexander Texier has seven points in his last seven games (1-6-7) and has notched a new career-high for points (23). ... Gaudreau has four multipoint games in the last 13 contests (3-10-13). He now has 30 points in the last 33 games (6-24-30) and 20 points in the last 21 (3-17-20). ... The team’s rookie stat line of 30-37-67 is first in the NHL in goals and third in points.

March 9, 2001: Deron Quint notches the second hat trick in CBJ history and first for a defenseman, scoring three goals in a 7-6 OT win at Florida. David Vyborny, Geoff Sanderson, Bruce Gardiner also score in regulation and Robert Kron tallies a shorthanded goal 43 seconds into extra time to give the Blue Jackets the win.

March 9, 2004: On a busy day of trades, Columbus sends original Jacket Geoff Sanderson to Vancouver for a third-round pick and acquires Ohio native Bryan Holzinger in a trade from Pittsburgh for Lasse Pirjeta.

March 9, 2013: Sergei Bobrovsky notches his first hat trick in CBJ colors, stopping 30 shots against as the Blue Jackets post a 3-0 win vs. Detroit at Nationwide Arena. Meanwhile, Vinny Prospal gets a 10-minute misconduct in the third period for pointing at the scoreboard during a discussion with Wings forward Justin Abdelkader.