October 24, 2024 | 10:40am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
PREDATORS GM WOULD LIKE TO ADD AT CENTRE
Predators GM Barry Trotz
The Nashville Predators picked up their first win of the 2024-25 regular-season on Tuesday with a 4-0 shutout win against the Boston Bruins at home.
Since 1995, no team has made the playoffs after losing their first five games of the season, and the Predators are now tasked with that challenge, sitting 1-5-0.
With just over $4.31 million in current salary cap space, as per PuckPedia, the Predators have some flexibility to add to their roster and GM Barry Trotz would like to acquire a centre, but as he explained Tuesday prior to their victory in an interview on 102.5 The Game, deals simply aren’t available at this point in time.
“It’s easy to say you need more in the room, but you can’t do it in the salary cap world,” Trotz said. “You’re limited to what we can bring in from the minors right now. I’ve been on the phones, working the phones; nobody’s trading right now. Maybe I would try to find another centreman or something like that. No one’s giving their centremen away. No one’s even trading right now, no one’s in a position (to do that), they’re still trying to find out what they can do (on the ice).”
Trotz admitted that as a team “we haven’t been good enough” and things haven’t “come together as quick as we would like,” but if fans are hoping to land outside help, it doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the foreseeable future.
Zachary L’Heureux, the club’s 2021 first-round pick, made his NHL debut on Tuesday and is expected to remain in the lineup, but Trotz warned fans to manage expectations as he adjusts to life in the NHL.
The Predators take on the Blackhawks Friday in Chicago and return home Saturday for a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They have an opportunity to steer the ship back in the right direction going into next week, but it will depend on which players step up over the next two games.
Nashville isn’t the only club in the market for help up the middle, as on Tuesday, TFP reported the Calgary Flames were also looking for a young, top-two centreman, while the Chicago Blackhawks are also keeping an eye on who might be available this season.