Who would have thought that the Nashville Predators would be a hotbed of players when NHL Free Agency opens on Monday, July 1st?
We've always known that players love to play in Nashville; However, no one expected the free agents to go there and make the Predators a Stanley Cup contender overnight. That happened when Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei each signed minutes on July 1st.
Ever since Barry Trotz took over as general manager, he has been reshaping the team in his own image. Traded Ryan Johansen and acquired Matt Duchene. That was the first start. Bringing in Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Schenn was next. Trotz wanted good guys on his team—or, as he likes to call them, “character” guys.
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That trend continued this year when he brought two Stanley Cup winners to the organization. First, it was Steven Stamkos, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then it was Jonathan Marchessault, the Original Golden Misfit and the Vegas Golden Knights. Marchessault won the Stanley Cup in 2023 with Vegas and was the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP.
In a matter of minutes, Trotz added 82 goals to the list. To be honest, not many thought that Stamkos would become a member of the Nashville Predators. Many believed that Nyazi would find a way to keep his captain. But when Stamkos became a free agent, the Predators jumped to the top of the list. Even before the Detroit Red Wings with Steve Yzerman's connection.
But as Stamkos told the media after signing with the Predators, something special is happening in Music City.
“I think that was probably the beginning of them coming together as a team, especially since they have a new coach and a new management perspective, and that was very interesting to me,” Stamkos told the media. “Seeing the way they performed, and seeing how close they are to the playoffs… Then adding the players who did today, increases the level of talent that is present in this team, increases the leadership that has been brought. And I've seen Trotzy talk about bringing in serial winners and guys who have done that, and there are a few of those guys on the team now. So, I'm very happy about that.”
But he wasn't the only big signing. No, no. Marchessault joined the group in Nashville. It was similar to what we saw in the NBA, where major teams and players decide which teams they want to play together. It was like Ryan Suter and Zach Parise with the Minnesota Wild. It was very close.
Marchessault called Stamkos and told him he was coming to Nashville, and they signed together. Adding these players shows the cultural change happening at the Predators. There is a belief that this is a winning organization, making Nashville a destination.
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Not long after that, the Predators signed Brady Skjei to fill the void left in their defense after Trotz traded Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay. Skjei is another guaranteed winner going to multiple Eastern Conference Finals with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In addition, Trotz was able to lock up goaltender Juuse Saros and defenseman Alexandre Carrier to contract extensions, and signed Scott Wedgewood as Saros' backup. For the first time on the first day of free agency, the Nashville Predators took the stage.
“Today was a great day for our team and organization, but also for the players,” said Trotz. to the media when he was available in the press, “I mean, when you start getting texts from your players saying, 'I'm happy,' I think that means a lot… It's a statement for the entire NHL that these players are coming to Nashville. These players see what we are doing with our franchise. We have a lot to offer and we are very determined to win.”
Trotz hopes that one day, there will be a parade down Broadway with the Stanley Cup. Well, the Nashville Predators are off to a great start. Although they did not win the trophy on July 1, they can play for it again if things go well.
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