The Montreal Canadiens were mentioned in the Anthony Mantha chatter, but the interest never got serious enough to turn into a real push. Marco D’Amico reported that while there was some talk about Montreal, the Canadiens did not make a legit offer.
In Nashville, the roster math is already forcing decisions. Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean noted that new Predators GM Chris MacFarland has been active this offseason, adding seven players through free agency and trades with the Avalanche and Stars.
That leaves Nashville with 26 players under contract, and the team has to get down to 23 before the start of the season. MacFarland said on the first day of free agency that the Predators might need to move out players they normally wouldn’t consider if it helps them improve elsewhere.
Daugherty pointed to three possible trade candidates. Ilya Lyubushkin could draw interest because of his physical style, especially after the Dallas Stars trade that brought in Mavrik Bourque was tied to salary removal.
A team could come calling and maybe send back a late-round pick. Jonathan Marchessault is another name to watch, but his $5.5 million cap hit makes him a tougher sell, especially with his underlying numbers trending down over the past five seasons and MacFarland’s reputation as a data-driven executive.
Joakim Kemell rounds out the list; the 22-year-old former first-round pick still hasn’t developed the offense expected of him, and his return might be something like a third-round pick or a player with similar value.
On the Flyers side, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff said in a mailbag that Jamie Drysdale could land in the range of three or four years at $6.5 million.
And in Detroit, Dylan Larkin’s situation remains tied to the bigger picture. Di Marco wrote that Steve Yzerman’s departure as Red Wings GM could affect whether Larkin would reconsider his trade request. The issue, as Di Marco framed it, is that Detroit hasn’t really made any changes this offseason that would make them a better playoff contender.
In Other News...
Predators Schedule Just Put Nashville's Playoff Push Under Immediate Pressure
The NHLs finalized 2026-27 schedule gives Nashville an early read on just how unforgiving the path back to the postseason could be, especially with the league shifting into a new 84-game format and putting more emphasis on divisional play. For the Predators, that means a heavier dose of familiar Central Division opponents and a slate that starts with immediate stakes, including home games against Minnesota and Dallas that should say plenty about where the group stands right away.
There is also no real easing into the grind after that, because the calendar quickly turns toward a demanding late-October and early-November stretch at home against Washington, Tampa Bay and Carolina. That kind of run will test the depth Nashville added this offseason and put pressure on the roster to show progress early, even before the season settles into its longer rhythm. [Read more 🡒]