Another team legend is heading to Nashville as Jonathan Marchessault signed a five-year deal worth $27.5 million ($5.5M AAV) to join the Predators. The 33-year-old will join Steven Stamkos as one of two massive offseason acquisitions for the Predators. The centre completed his seventh season in Vegas in 2023-24 and had 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games played.
Arguably the biggest fish of the free agent market is off the board early on Monday as Steven Stamkos has signed a four-year deal worth $32.0 million ($8.0M AAV) with Nashville after 16 successful seasons in Tampa Bay. The 34-year-old brings a full trophy collection to the Predators as he's a two-time Cup winner, two-time Rocket Richard Winner and a two-time all-star. In 79 games played in 2023-24, he had 40 goals and 81 points alongside 262 SOG.
Nashville's massive first day of Free Agency continued Monday as Brady Skjei joined Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in joining the Predators after he signed a seven-year deal worth $49.0 million ($7.0M AAV). The 30-year-old spent his first nine NHL seasons between New York and Carolina and had a career year in 2023-24 with 13 goals, 47 points, 40 PIMs and a +15 plus/minus in 80 games played.
Saros is entering the final year of a four-year deal that carries a $5.0M AAV cap-hit. When he can officially sign this contract extension on Monday, he'll have the sixth-highest AAV among goalies for the 2025-26 season, but likely the seventh or eighth after Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman get their new deals. The 28-year-old is coming off one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, going 35-24-5 with a 2.86 GAA and .906 SV%. While it was the third-straight season he's won 30-plus games, Saros was 36th out of 54 qualified goalies in GSAx/60 (-0.050). With the massive new deal, the Predators are obviously banking that 2024 was just a one-off.
Gibson was the Red Wings' 2023 2nd-round pick (42nd overall) but has been traded to Nashville for Jesse Kiiskinen and a 2024 2nd-round pick. The 19-year-old defenseman has spent the last three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) and had 12 goals and 44 points in 68 games in 2023-24.
With Egor Afanasyev looking for a way out of Nashville if he didn't get more ice time next season, San Jose jumped all over the rumours and acquired the 23-year-old towering left-winger in a one-for-one trade for right-winger Ozzy Wieblatt. Wiesblatt was San Jose's 2020 first-round pick (31st overall) and spent the 2023-24 season with both San Jose (AHL) and Milwaukee (AHL). In his second AHL season since making the jump from the WHL, he had only four goals and 17 points combined in 50 games played.
Smith will not be available for the Predators' do-or-die Game 6 vs. the Canucks. He'll either be replaced by Juuso Pärssinen or Luke Schenn, if the Predators go with seven defensemen.
Saros stopped 19 of 20 shots in the Predators' Game 5 win in Vancouver. Through five games, Saros is 2-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .879 SV%. The Predators have done an outstanding job in front of Saros, allowing just 18.2 shots against per game and the lowest xGA/60 (2.27) in the postseason.
Saros stopped 19 of 20 shots in the Predators' Game 5 win in Vancouver. Through five games, Saros is 2-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .879 SV%. The Predators have done an outstanding job in front of Saros, allowing just 18.2 shots against per game and the lowest xGA/60 (2.27) in the postseason.
Schenn missed Game 5 due to illness but practiced in full on Thursday and is considered day-to-day ahead of their matchup on Friday. The 34-year-old veteran has appeared in four games so far with Nashville in the playoffs but is without a point, and has four SOG while averaging 15:03 TOI.
With Nashville in need of some reinforcements with Luke Schenn still fighting an illness, Kevin Gravel has been recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Thursday. The 32-year-old last appeared in the NHL in 2022-23 and played in 23 games with Nashville, picking up an assist, 20 SOG and a -10 plus/minus.
Tyson Barrie will make his playoff debut in Schenn's place. It's unknown at this time if Schenn is dealing with an undisclosed injury or if he is simply a healthy scratch.
The Predators will unsurprisingly turn to Saros with their season on the line on Tuesday as they look to claw back from a 3-1 series deficit. Saros had another disappointing performance in Game 4 on Sunday, allowing four goals on just 21 shots as the Canucks came back to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory in overtime. Saros' SV% on the series sits uncharacteristically low at .859, and he will no doubt need to do a lot better than that if the Predators are going to have any chance of getting back in this series.
Stastney logged 6:36 TOI before leaving Game 3 with an upper-body injury. If Stastney can't go in Game 4, the Predators have Tyson Barrie or Dante Fabbro ready to go into the lineup.
Nashville will turn back to Saros for Game 3 on Friday at home after he impressed in Game 2 by stopping 17 of 18 shots (.944 SV%) in a road victory to even the series. The 29-year-old had yet another strong regular season this year with his 35-24-5 record, 2.86 GAA and .906 SV%. He will look to take a series lead on Friday as Nashville hosts Vancouver, who will look to get back to their scoring ways after finishing the regular season fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.4).
