Predators Projected to Make Stunning Move With Marchessault

Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault

The Nashville Predators haven't yet decided on a new general manager, but that hasn't stopped the speculation around the future of the team's roster.

One of the more disgruntled charges around the team after another non-playoff finish was veteran Jonathan Marchessault. Eric Dougherty of The Tennessean has projected that the Predators' new GM, whoemever that might be, could decide to make a stunning move with the former Conn Smythe trophy winner. He sees a buyout coming.

The tension between the Predators and Jonathan Marchessault hasn't boiled over, but there's water in the pot and the stove is on... There are signs that Marchessault isn't happy in Nashville (from a hockey perspective — he loves the city) and that Nashville isn't happy with his production.
The nuclear option is a buyout.

Marchessault still has three years to run at a $5.5 million cap hit. Although a trade would be ideal to get him to a new situation, there might not be many takers for a 35-year-old 12-goal scorer, which is what Marchessault was this season, in 62 games.

Dougherty outlines the buyout cost, per PuckPedia, as lowering the cap hit for next season by $1.3M, and for the following two seasons by $2.3M, with only a nominal amount remaining for three more years.

As he says, "Adding dead money to the books isn't pleasant," but sometimes you need to cut your losses. And a new GM will certainly want to put his mark on the team.

Marchessault followed up his playoff MVP performance in 2023 with a 42-goal season in his final year in Vegas, then signed as a free agent in Nashville. His goal scoring was cut in half in his first season with the Preds, at 21, then dropped even more precipitously this past year to 12.