Things have been a little quiet around the Nashville Predators lately. Sitting 30th in the league, the Predators are still in no position to be thinking about the playoffs, making them a team that’s expected to sell off assets ahead of the NHL trade deadline in March.
Veteran winger Gustav Nyquist is one of those assets, according to NHL insider Chris Johnston.
Putting together his NHL trade board 3.0, Johnston believes that Nyquist, 34, is the Predators’ top trade asset
“Nyquist has found a nice home in Nashville and might prefer a new contract to getting dealt away as a rental. That will leave the Predators with a decision in a season in which they appear destined to finish well outside the playoffs,” Johnston said for The Athletic. “Nyquist is coming off a 75-point season at age 34 and is one of the best chips they have to play at the deadline. He is a talented playmaker who remains a strong skater and isn’t showing any obvious signs of slowing down.”
Nyquist has one year remaining on his contract at a $3.185 million cap hit, which should make him an attractive option for teams looking for a middle-six scoring boost for their playoff runs.
The longtime Detroit Red Wings standout exploded for a career-high 52 assists and 75 points overall last season, though his scoring has cooled substantially for a Predators team that has badly regressed from last season to this season.
Still, Nyquist has managed a healthy seven goals, 10 assists, and 17 points through 40 games, and he’d be a safe bet to produce at an even higher rate on a better team.
Ironically, some of Nyquist’s former teams, like the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, could make for solid fits. It’s also become widely known that the New Jersey Devils are looking for depth scoring in addition to a third- or fourth-line center.
Additionally, the Predators have over $6 million in cap space, so retaining some cap space to facilitate a trade with a team with a smaller wallet should be no issue.
If the Predators continue to struggle towards the March 7 trade deadline, expect more names to begin popping up on these lists.
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