The Nashville Predators may have missed out on Mark Stone but they were active on Trade Deadline Day.
After what was an eerily quiet morning out of 501 Broadway, General Manager David Poile has acquired Mikael Granlund from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Kevin Fiala and Wayne Simmonds from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Ryan Hartman and a fourth round pick in 2020 (if Nashville gets past the first round of these playoffs, the pick flips to a third rounder in the same year).
There was a lot of proverbial smoke around the Predators and Ottawa Senators in relation to Mark Stone. Within minutes of McKenzie’s report of these two deals came the news that Stone was headed to the Vegas Golden Knights. It stands to reason that both Fiala and Hartman were parts of the proposed package going back to Ottawa were the Predators to land Stone. Once the rumor mill started churning that the Sens “had decided” which team’s offer to accept (we know now that meant Vegas), these trades were finalized.
While Fiala’s ceiling may be higher over the course of his career, in the short term, Granlund is an upgrade over Fiala in just about every way. He’s coming into the prime of his career at 26 years old (he’ll be 27 this week), he’s a two-time 65-point player, a two-time 20 goal scorer, he’s not a rental as he’s locked up for another year at $5.75 million AAV and he’s registered at least 30 assists in all six of his full-time NHL seasons. Also, he can slide right into that second line winger spot alongside Craig Smith and Kyle Turris so he doesn’t disrupt the chemistry of the other lines.
Granlund’s 49 points make him Nashville’s third leading scorer. Only Ryan Johansen (53) and Roman Josi (51) have more this season.
With the trade appearing so lopsided, one has to wonder why Granlund became available in the first place. Something to keep an eye on.
As for Simmonds, the jury is still out as to what need he fills for this team. He’s known as a net-front presence and has made his living on the power play but that need was addressed with the acquisition of Brian Boyle from the New Jersey Devils earlier this month. The cost of the trade makes it worth the gamble, however. This was a player who was believed to require a first round pick in return as recently as a couple weeks ago yet Poile was able to get him for a versatile but fringe roster player in Hartman as well as a conditional mid-round pick in a draft two summers from now. That is a low, low cost for a guy who has produced six 20-goal seasons and four 50-point seasons.
Simmonds’s contract does expire this summer but, at 30 years old, that might not be a bad thing for Nashville. He’s not the best skater in the world and, therefore, if he loses a step due to age, it’ll show more on him than it necessarily would on other guys. This “audition” will provide the Preds with an opportunity to gauge whether he’s worth a contract or not. That said, Simmonds does have a previous working relationship with Head Coach Peter Laviolette having been together in Philadelphia and that should bode well as far as how to be utilized in the lineup.
Simmonds’ five power play tallies tie him with Filip Forsberg for second on the team in that category. Boyle has six (all scored while with New Jersey).
Earlier in the day Nashville’s fellow heavyweight opponent, the Winnipeg Jets, went out and got Kevin Hayes from the New York Rangers. The addition of Hayes gives the already scary Jets yet another proven weapon. Poile and the Preds returned serve by flipping the under-achieving Fiala for Granlund and replacing Hartman with Simmonds. Only time will tell whether that’s enough.
Even better news for Nashville is that they were able to hang onto both of their blue chip prospects, Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro. Tolvanen needs some time to develop physically as well as time to adapt to the smaller North American ice surface while Fabbro is a junior at Boston University and is looking to turn pro immediately after the season is over. It was feared that, in order for Poile to make a significant deal, one of those guys would be going the other way. Instead, both guys are kept in the system and the future is intact.
Wild GM Paul Fenton was the Assistant General Manager here in Music City for years until he took the big job in St. Paul last summer. Since that time, he seems to be acquiring players he was familiar from his time in Nashville. Fiala joins former teammates Pontus Aberg, Brad Hunt and Anthony Bitetto.
Hartman, a pending restricted free agent, was signed to a one-year deal worth just $875,000 this past summer in a “prove it” type deal. Allowing him to go elsewhere might speak to how keen they were on re-signing him.
No word on whether Simmonds will be in the lineup tonight against the Edmonton Oilers although it’s highly unlikely Granlund will be as his fiancee is reportedly currently in labor.
