Filip Forsberg
The Nashville Predators are expected to have a fire sale this season at the deadline, but reports say teams aren’t really looking to spend money. There are certain teams looking to add like the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets, but most of the league is looking to cut payroll with arenas likely going with reduced capacity for the playoffs. Also, without the capacity and playoff gate, teams who are close to the playoffs are missing that motivation to try and sneak into the playoff as a final seed.
That could put the Predators in an unenviable spot with Filip Forsberg. He’s 26 years old, and in a normal year he should fetch quite the haul. Unfortunately, it’s not a normal year. The Predators are toiling near the basement of the Central Division, and there’s no help in sight. Roman Josi is now hurt, and things might only get worse before it gets better.
So, this could be an opportunity for the Devils to swoop in. Obviously, the Devils don’t need Forsberg this year. The team just isn’t going to compete for a playoff spot. It’s out of the cards. They are already 11 points out of the final playoff spot, which is currently held by the Boston Bruins. The Devils could literally win 10 games in a row, and they wouldn’t be in a playoff spot.
However, Forsberg has one more year left at $6 million. The Devils could give him an extension this offseason. They could get a preview of what Forsberg brings to the table with Hughes right away. It could bring life to the Devils 19-year-old star. Or, the Devils could just target Forsberg in the offseason. He’s right around the same age as players Tom Fitzgerald has targeted. The Devils have been a frequent pairing with the Preds in the past. Even if its not Ray Shero in the seat, David Poile likely has an affinity for Tom Fitzgerald based on his past with Shero (unless there is something we don’t know). This trade makes sense on a lot of levels, but it all depends on how much it would cost.