Nečas, Kakko or Zegras? There’s some interesting names being speculated in Nashville

SPECULATION – The last two survivors are fighting it out in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The others are already on vacation and making plans for the upcoming season. The free-agent market doesn’t open until July 1, but major moves are being negotiated now. Nashville is also negotiating, and they’re probably eyeing an elite forward. There are several possibilities.

The Predators are back in the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. Despite a solid performance, they fell out in the first round of the playoffs, falling to the Vancouver Canucks 2-4. Nashville has gone through a huge rebuild in the last year and a half.

Now Predators general manager Barry Trotz is continuing that rebuild. A few days ago, Trotz traded experienced defenseman Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay for a draft choice. But also because of that, the Predators now have a $26 million cushion under the salary cap.

That, of course, unties Nashville’s hands heading into July 1. Speculation is that the Predators will want to target one top forward. The website tennessean.com has identified three possible names that could be on Barry Trotz’s radar.

Martin Nečas

It’s no secret that Czech forward Martin Nečas will be up for grabs starting July 1. His continuation with Carolina doesn’t seem like a realistic thing at this point. The 25-year-old forward’s contract expires at the end of this season, which is also why the Hurricanes couldn’t prevent him from traveling to the World Championships in Prague despite minor injuries.

In the last two seasons, Nečas has recorded 52 goals and 72 assists for the Hurricanes. There has been speculation that Nashville is interested in the player for about two weeks now. The catch is that Nečas will be a restricted free agent this summer, making him eligible for arbitration.

But the Predators could resolve this by offering a shorter contract with a higher annual value, thus avoiding arbitration. Such a $6.5 million contract would virtually replace McDonagh’s contract, which Nashville sent away a few days ago.

Kaapo Kakko

Another intriguing name that the Predators could show interest in, according to tennessean.com, is the young and extremely talented forward Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers. In an extremely competitive roster, he hasn’t been able to make as much of an impact as expected.

Still, he is a very skilled forward and the number two pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. In 300 games in the NHL, he has only scored 0.31 points per game, but has a 14.4 percent completion rate over the last two seasons. Thus, if given enough room on paper on a weaker roster, he could finally reach his full potential.

Trevor Zegras

Another young and extremely skilled forward the Predators might be interested in? Why not. According to the latest reports from Ducks GM Pat Verbeek, Zegras won’t be available this summer, but some sources are reportedly talking about a mutual parting of ways.

If Zegras is looking for a new address, he’ll be looking towards the future. And there is definitely a future in Nashville, as recent moves suggest, as the Predators’ roster has rejuvenated considerably. They weren’t counted on to make the playoffs as much this year either, yet the Predators were able to make it through.

Plus, there is one link that could draw the club and players together. Assistant head coach Dan Hinote has already coached Zegras as an assistant in the U.S. National Team Development Program. 154 points in 211 NHL games would certainly come in handy for Nashville.

Source: The Tennessean