Well, if it wasn’t obvious with Nino Neiderreiter’s trade over the weekend…things sort of exploded on Sunday. It’s rebuild season. This is what Nashville has needed for about two or three seasons now, and it’s worth me writing out some thoughts about what a rebuild looks like for this beloved squad.
What is a rebuild? In my opinion, it’s rebuilding a team around a certain core of players in order to become competitive. The core for this team will be Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros. Even though Saros doesn’t have trade protection, it’d be unwise to trade Saros unless the return is absolutely incredible.
The goal for future GM Barry Trotz will be to acquire young, talented players and draft picks. The Tanner Jeannot trade landed a wild number of picks, including first- and second-round picks. If that’s the return for an undrafted forward, what could an asset like Mattias Ekholm fetch? What about Dante Fabbro? He’s been on the fans’ “trade block” for at least a season now. The right players in the right positions will be crucial.
Players like Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund are still skilled enough that they can help mentor younger players and score goals. We saw a dominant game from Granlund, Duchene, and Josi last night. Cody Glass, a high-and-low forward, seems to have finally found a way to step into the game with the absence of Ryan Johansen. What can Glass do in the last few months of the season? Is Colton Sissons part of the core after all his seasons in Nashville, or will he be expendable?
A rebuild is what most fans have been asking for since 2019. It was pretty clear in the second-round out to the Stars in 2019 that this team would not be making massive postseason runs again. That was the peak of Pekka Rinne, and in my eyes, that was the beginning of the end.
A step back is what’s needed in order for Nashville to get back on track. The question that remains is what direction Nashville’s new management decides to pursue.
What direction are you hoping Nashville takes? What are your thoughts on Nashville’s “2023 Rebuild”? Is this perfect timing, or long overdue? Let us know below.