Welcome back!

It's bad when Trenin and Olivier have looked better than most of the other forwards this year... although I do like both of those players, they just shouldn't be your best.

I wouldn't mind sitting Haula for a game or two -- haven't particularly liked his game.

Forsberg - Duchene - Kunin
Granlund - Johansen - Arvidsson
Cousins - Sissons - Tolvanen
Olivier/Trenin - Richardson - Grimaldi

Maybe roll those lines for a couple of games and see what happens -- I don't mind either set of lines you are suggesting either. It's clear that NSH needs to make some changes as they just can't seem to finish -- they're just not clicking right now. Maybe that has more to do with no training camp? Hopefully they start playing better as a team as the season progresses. But this is probably a good season to miss the playoffs too considering how many tradeable assets we have on this team...

I'd love to see Tolvanen get some games - see if he clicks with anyone. I just don't know how likely it is, unless multiple guys get sidelined with injuries. Grimaldi still can't get into the lineup for whatever reason, and with Jarnkrok getting closer to returning (apparently he's practicing with the team again) that just makes it harder for anyone else to crack the lineup.

I agree with @villenash that this would be a good season to be bad. The next two drafts are supposed to be quite strong, so it would be a good time to stockpile picks. Add in that a poor season can't really harm attendance or TV ratings this season (I'm not in the US, but from what I understand you can't legally watch Preds games in NSH right now due to a rights dispute) and it feels like putting off the impending rebuild would be foolish. My worry is that NSH is looking like a fringe playoff team in a couple months, and Poile overpays for bottom of the lineup gritty "character" guys again.

I haven't seen anything out of Haula, I was struggling to keep him in the lineup. It will be interesting to see how patient Hynes is during a shortened season.

I really dont follow the Preds much, so I could be way off base here. But they seem like a team that is kind of in a state of flux right now. Is a rebuild/retool being considered? Any talk of moving out some vets and going a bit younger? Obviously Josi, Ellis, Tolvanen, shouldnt be moved, but what about guys like Forsberg, Arvidsson, Sissions, etc? How much would Nashville retain on Duchene or Johansen? Thanks!

Every indication from Poile so far seems to be they still see themselves in a competitive window. He talked earlier in the off-season about giving the prospects a chance, but later filled up the roster with a lot more UFA's than anyone following the team expected. There's a bit of a glut of forwards right now, and aside from the 4th line there isn't space to work any of the young guys into the lineup. Pretty much the same story on the back end. Realistically though, a rebuild/retool is inevitable. Aside from the fact that for whatever reason(s) this team has been underperforming for some time now, it's also one of the oldest squads in the league. So an injection of youth has to come sooner or later.

Josi has a NMC (the only one one the team, aside from Rinne), so he would be the least likely to be moved. Ellis isn't completely out of the question, in a rebuild scenario. NSH currently would need to protect four defensemen in the expansion draft. Ekholm seems the most likely to get traded, but Ellis could be moved in the right deal. Tolvanen wouldn't have a ton of value right now in a trade, but possibly could go for a similar prospect in a change of scenery type move, or as a secondary piece in a larger trade. Aside from Josi and Saros, I really don't think any of the roster players would be unavailable if they tear it down.

Some retention (maybe $1-1.5M) could be had on either of Duchene or Johansen, if the rest of the trade was advantageous enough to NSH. Even that might be pushing it though. I can't recall Poile retaining on a contract before. If he really wants to get either of those contracts off the books, letting the Kraken have one of them would probably be his best play.

Okay thanks for the breakdown. What would a deal look like involving Ellis? He'd look great in Edmonton's Blueline 😁

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/2209912

Think you can beat this recent offer?

Hmm I don't think the Oilers could give that amount of assets 😅

Just give us Drai, and we'll call it even