NHL rumors: The 2 Predators players who are ‘prime candidates’ to be traded

The Nashville Predators are in a difficult spot ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline. Only four points out of a wildcard berth in the Western Conference, there’s a realistic path to the postseason for the club — but they don’t project as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

For that reason, GM Barry Trotz, who is planning to step down, could sell a couple of pieces if the right offers present themselves.

As The Fourth Period reported on Tuesday, there are two veteran forwards most likely to be shipped out of Tennessee between now and next Friday.

“Forwards Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault have generated interest from several clubs this season and both could be on the move by deadline day,” wrote TFP. “Trotz is navigating Nashville’s trade deadline as the club searches for a new GM – he announced earlier this month that he would be retiring after the club finds a new GM – and is open to making changes to his roster.

“Haula appears to be a prime candidate to be moved, as a result of his expiring contract, but moving Marchessault would generate a larger return for the Predators and there is a belief that he would be willing to waive his NMC for the right opportunity.”

Haula and Marchessault are just a couple of Nashville players on the block, potentially joining a few other veterans in Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly. That’s not to mention the laundry list of other skaters on expiring contracts, including Michael Bunting, Cole Smith, Tyson Jost, Michael McCarron and Nick Blankenburg.

Haula is in the final season of a three-year, $9.45 million contract. He was excellent for Finland in the Olympics, managing six points in six games. He owns a six-team no-trade list.

As for former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Marchessault, he owns a full no-movement clause and still has three more years left on his contract at a $5.5 million cap hit. He would need to sign off on any deal that would potentially ship him out of town.

Predators need to improve team play after Olympic break

It truly is a difficult position for the front office to navigate, as the Predators have been up-and-down in 2025-26. After starting the season 6-12-4, Stamkos’ resurgence helped the team improve to 23-20-4 in the middle of January.

But it was a challenging three-week stretch before the 2026 Winter Olympics; the Preds lost seven of 10 games, putting them back in the murky middle of the Western Conference.

While there’s a path to this group staying competitive to the bitter end, there are a ton of valuable trade chips on the roster that could recoup significant draft capital for the future.

TFP’s David Pagnotta reported during the Olympic break that “the Predators had been working on one or two trades prior to the trade freeze and those discussions are expected to pick up now that the season has resumed, though it’s unclear if Haula or Marchessault were part of those talks.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the team fares over their final five contests before the March 6 deadline — and which veterans could be getting a change of scenery between now and then.

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