If Nashville Predators Move A Big Contract, There's One Clear Choice

Jonathan Marchessault, Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators aren't close to the salary cap and only have to sign Luke Evangelista, but gain a great deal more cap space next summer. This is a team that many thought would be competitive last season after a massive offseason and everything fell flat.

A new addition like Jonathan Marchessault didn't have a bad season, but he scored 21 fewer goals and 13 fewer points than the season prior with the Vegas Golden Knights. It's tough to have a strong season while the entire team as a whole is struggling, and the Predators had such a tough time scoring last season too.

The Predators have seven contracts with an AAV of $5.5 million or more that all have at least three more years left as well. This is mainly the core. It's most of the players that should do the heavy lifting for the team and they just didn't last season. While it appears like they are going to give it one more go with relatively the same lineup, things could change in a hurry if the first half of the season doesn't go well.

There are going to be six players who will be UFAs next summer on the roster and four RFAs. That's a lot of trade bait if things go south in a hurry again. Not only that, but the core has to be altered. According to Nick Kypreos, if the Predators have a chance to move one of their expensive, long-term contracts, Marchessault would be the most likely.

He is a proven playoff performer, having won the Conn Smythe when the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. He has two-way capabilities, and despite his size, is physical. The 34-year-old has four years left on his deal at $5.5 million AAV and still has a good deal of value. Marchessault is easily still a top-6 winger who is good on the power play and even though the team did poorly, he had an expected goals for % of 57, which is strong. Goals will go in and he has never had trouble scoring at least 20 goals and 50 points.

Marchessault has a full no-move clause, but if the Predators have another start and season like they had, he should have no problem accepting a trade to a number of teams.