Nashville general manager David Poile was rumored to be in on a bunch of different talks for some high-profile players for today’s trade deadline; however, as the deadline passed, the Preds made just one move, acquiring forward Ryan Hartman from the Chicago Blackhawks. In return, Nashville sent Chicago a first and a fourth round pick along with forward prospect Victor Ejdsell.
Trade: #Preds acquire winger Ryan Hartman from #Blackhawks. https://t.co/hYQiR1DGcg
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 26, 2018
Hartman is a 23-year-old left winger who will come in and could play right away. Poile mentioned a jam in the top nine, hinting that Hartman will start with the bottom six for now, but he has high upside. Through 57 games this season, he has eight goals and 17 assists. Another positive is that Hartman will be a RFA at season’s end. This means Nashville will have priority on resigning him.
The one downside is that he seems to take too many unnecessary penalties. He currently ranks 26th in the league in penalty minutes, and now that puts four players from Nashville in the top 30. Nashville already has an issue with taking too many penalties, so bringing in a guy known for doing just that is somewhat perplexing.
All-in-all, this was an O.K. trade. Nashville got some quality depth and a young, NHL-ready winger with high upside. On the other hand, Nashville gave up quite a bit to get him. Now, after trading away the first round pick, Nashville will not pick until the third round of the draft this year. It is a heavy price to pay, but it shows how invested Poile is in this team right now. He wants to win it all, and this trade proves he is willing to sacrifice in the future for a Stanley Cup now.
