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Preds Hypothetical Cinema: Panarin, Duchene and Stone

By Cliff McArdle Feb 15, 2019 | 9:26 AM

Alright so, hear me out…

When it comes to the NHL Trade Deadline on February 25, there are three big fish: Artemi Panarin of the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as Matt Duchene and Mark Stone of the Ottawa Senators. Each of the three offer unique qualities to their suitors and each of the three would upgrade a team’s roster overnight.

Numerous insiders have either confirmed Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile has contacted Columbus and/or surmised that Stone or Duchene would be a great fit in Music City. Ever since, fans have used their various social media channels to float trade ideas for how the Preds could hook one of three fish.

But what about all three?

While sitting in I-65 traffic Tuesday morning, I started to wonder if it was possible for Nashville to acquire Panarin, Duchene and Stone. I quickly realized there was no way. Right now, the Preds are a team thin on organizational depth, especially of the “elite” variety. Blue chip prospect Eeli Tolvanen comes to mind, of course, and so does Boston University stud defenseman Dante Fabbro. That’s about it. Futhermore, they’ve already spent their 2019 second round draft pick in the Brian Boyle trade earlier this month. So I abandoned the idea about three seconds after I thought of it.

But wait a minute. What if Poile got creative? He’s found ways to make crazy things happen before. Why should I immediately assume it can’t be done? After all, Ottawa and Columbus are in completely different places and, therefore, have a different shopping list. For example, Ottawa is one of the worst teams in the League and needs warm bodies to play in its lineup and, even more so, salaries to help them reach the cap floor next season. Columbus is firmly in a playoff spot and desperately wants to advance out of the first round for the first time in their 19-year history. They need good players who can impact their lineup in these playoffs, not prospects that may or may not develop in a couple years.

In addition, I just wrote a piece about how there’s more to a trade than just who’s coming and going and how there’s a domino effect that impacts other lines, even the ones the new players aren’t on. More on that later.

I’ve also been on what seems like a crusade against people who want to ship Nashville center Kyle Turris back to Ottawa so the Preds can add Duchene or Stone. Poile needs to do what he needs to do, yes, but he has far more integrity than to ship a player back to an organization he wasn’t going to sign with originally.

With all that in mind, here’s what I came up with. Again, hear me out…

Nashville can’t even approach Ottawa unless a first round pick is involved so obviously that’s included. Kevin Fiala’s lack of production and frequent turnovers are wearing on Predators’ fans. He might need a change of scenery in order to realize his potential. He’s a pending restricted free agent and Ottawa could be a place he could cash in on that raise he’s about to get coming out of his entry-level contract. Craig Smith has one more year left on his deal and would give the Sens some proven consistency in the trade. You know what you’re going to get out of the former Wisconsin Badger; 25 goals and 45 points per season. Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Alexandre Carrier is included just to beef up the deal a little but, let’s face it, he could probably play on a bad Ottawa team right now. Finally there’s Fabbro, Nashville’s 2016 first round pick who, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, wants to turn pro as soon as his Boston University season comes to a close next month.

Columbus could use the services of Turris, a center who’s locked up for five years after this one. They’re not going to let Panarin go without an elite prospect in return so that’s where Tolvanen fits in and, of course, a first round pick is standard procedure this time of year. But Poile doesn’t have a first round pick to offer if the Ottawa trade goes through. So why not the first in 2020? Columbus is in a good spot and, therefore, can afford to wait.

I threw out these two seemingly separate trade scenarios on Tuesday afternoon (because I didn’t know if I was crazy or not) and asked you to weigh in. But I didn’t ask for what you would do. I itemized each trade package and then gave you the options of “Ottawa/Columbus would reject,” “Nashville would reject” and “Fair trade.” You essentially had to remove your gold (or red or blue) colored glasses and weigh the options as an NHL general manager would do.

 

Of those who voted, 33 percent said the NSH/OTT trade was a fair one while only 26 percent voted the NSH/CBJ trade was reasonable. Even more startling was that an overwhelming 66 percent said Nashville — not Columbus — would reject the trade scenario in which Kyle Turris, Eeli Tolvanen and a first round pick two summers from now would head to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Panarin.

I’m absolutely positive that a lot of the “Nashville would reject” answers stemmed from the fact all three are more than likely rentals. Each one is a pending unrestricted free agent and, for a team like Nashville and a GM like Poile, they don’t operate around temporary services. The price Ottawa and Columbus would be getting probably seems a little too rich for the Preds in exchange for three players that probably won’t be here longer than four months. That’s a tough pill to swallow.

But hopefully you see what I’ve done here.

With the addition of Panarin, Duchene and Stone, Nashville’s lineup is upgraded, yes, but the pieces going the other way have cleared out an entire line so those three guys can step right in without effecting the rest of the lineup. The third line of Colton Sissons, Nick Bonino and Calle Jarnkrok who have played really well together this season can remain intact and the fourth line of Ryan Hartman, Brian Boyle and Rocco Grimaldi can stick together as well.

If all that wasn’t enough, the Predators have just keep Panarin, Duchene and Stone away from the Winnipeg Jets who have been heavily rumored to be in talks with Ottawa.

Regardless of the results, this was a fun experiment. Some of your replies are below.
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