Why did the Predators trade for Erik Gudbranson? Will Philip Tomasino play? Mailbag

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.

Why did the Predators trade for Erik Gudbranson? Was it going to bother David Poile to sit this one out? — Jacob S. 

First, Poile has never been one to sit idle on deadline day.

#Preds David Poile has averaged one trade per Deadline Day during his tenure as an NHL GM. pic.twitter.com/6pUNWBetDr

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 12, 2021

Poile has an affinity for big depth defensemen that is hard to explain. In the past two seasons, he has employed Ben Harpur, Korbinian Holzer, Luca Sbisa, Jarred Tinordi and now Gudbranson, all of whom are limited in their abilities.

Erik Gudbranson (to Nashville, inexplicably) is an extremely poor defender. pic.twitter.com/s7qanvAzl9

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 12, 2021

The injury-ravaged Predators have dressed 14 defensemen this season, so Gudbranson, who is on his fifth team since the start of the 2018-19 season, can provide insurance. The best-case scenario would be for Gudbranson, 29, to occupy the role that Holzer did after being acquired at the deadline last season, but I expect him to get some run on the third pair and penalty kill.

What else do you need to see before you start buying the Predators? — George S.

They’re vibin’, George. Haven’t you heard?

The Predators deserve praise for what they have accomplished over the past month. It has been astonishing and provides some hope that their future might not be as bleak as we thought. No one thought such a turnaround was possible, and if you say you did, then you are lying. (I have the receipts.)

For me to truly start believing in the Predators, they must make the playoffs, which, as Poile said Monday, is still not a certainty. This run will have been for naught otherwise.

Let me save you the trouble:

Next week, the Predators play the Chicago Blackhawks three times. Their season could hinge on that series.

Between the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, which is the most advantageous potential first-round matchup?  — Taylor C. 

It is certainly not the Hurricanes, who showed their might and improved to 5-0 against the Predators this season in a 4-1 win Thursday.

“They’re an in-your-face team,” said Predators forward Erik Haula, who played 41 games for the Hurricanes last season. “They put a lot of pressure on you. They turn the puck quick and go right at you, so puck management is key against them.”

The Panthers would be my choice, especially if Sergei Bobrovsky starts in goal over Chris Driedger, but they are far from pushovers. Although the Lightning have recently been struggling, they will probably figure it out in time for the playoffs, when a fresh Nikita Kucherov returns to an already loaded lineup.

What was the media’s take on selling assets ahead of the 2017 trade deadline? There are a lot of similarities between both seasons, and selling then would have prevented the greatest accomplishment in team history. — Barron F. 

The major difference between the 2016-17 and 2020-21 teams that fans seem to be forgetting is that the 2016-17 team was on an upswing. Those Predators were entering their championship window after reaching the second round the previous year, while these Predators have been declining.

That is why I clamored for the Predators to sell at the deadline. Also, there were no obvious assets to sell four years ago. Viktor Arvidsson, Mike Fisher and Ryan Johansen were the notable players on expiring contracts that season.

To what extent has the condensed schedule contributed to the Predators’ injuries? —John L.

Predators coach John Hynes answered this exact question earlier this week.

“We don’t have a lot of soft-tissue (injuries), pulls, hip flexors, those types of things that you may get from playing regularly and playing so intense regularly with limited practice time,” Hynes said. “For us, they’ve been more longer-term things that are really uncontrollable. … It’s a little bit more difficult to say because of the (types) of injuries that we’ve had. They’re either breaks or other situations that (are) kind of clear-cut and defined.”

What do you think Juuse Saros’ next contract looks like? — Derek R.

Saros’ three-year, $4.5 million contract expires this summer. He will be a restricted free agent and one year away from attaining unrestricted status.

Here are two recent contracts that could serve as templates for Saros’ next deal:

Player	Contract	Statistics At Signing
Philipp Grubauer	Three years, $10 million	2.29 GAA, .923 Sv% in 101 games (79 starts)
Joonas Korpisalo	Two years, $5.6 million	2.80 GAA, .908 Sv% in 127 games (116 starts)

Saros, who has a 1.52 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage in 13 starts since returning from injury March 18, picked the right time to play out of his mind.

A contract similar to Philipp Grubauer’s would make sense. Saros, who turns 26 next week, would receive a well-earned raise, and the Predators would buy out two years of unrestricted free agency.

What is Connor Ingram’s future with the team? It seems like he missed an opportunity to get into a few games when Juuse Saros was injured earlier in the season. — Chris P. 

If you recall, Ingram, 24, entered into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in January. He rejoined the organization earlier this month, starting for the Chicago Wolves on April 9.

Ingram, who is signed through 2023, began the season at No. 3 on the Predators’ goaltending depth chart behind Saros and Pekka Rinne. He should be in the mix for future opportunities with the team.

With Philip Tomasino now on the taxi squad, do you see him getting into some games? If so, where in the lineup would he play? — Jakub H. 

Hynes said Thursday that “there’s been some talk about possibly getting (Tomasino) in the lineup, but it’s not guaranteed.”

Tomasino has 20 points in 18 games with the Wolves, third among AHL rookies at the start of play Thursday.

“We think Philip’s played very well in Chicago,” Hynes said. “I think when you look at the track record of guys that are playing well in Chicago when they’ve come in here, I think he was the second-leading scorer there besides Tanner Jeannot. But it’s not just the scoring. I think that’s a big part of his game, but the way that he’s playing, we feel like he’s got some good seasoning down there.”

Tomasino has been playing right wing with the Wolves, so I would put him there on one of the top two lines.

What are your lines and pairs if all players are healthy? — Christopher S. 

This is the question, right?

There seems to be a lot of anxiety among Predators fans about team chemistry being disrupted by players returning from injury. It also seems to center around one player in particular.

“I definitely am a firm believer in chemistry,” Predators forward Rem Pitlick said. “When people can work together and feel off each other, it’s kind of hard to put that into words, but I really believe in chemistry. But the same time, things aren’t always perfect. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of good hockey players on this team. Chemistry can happen fast when everyone has a lot of skill sets. I think that just makes the whole meshing process easier when things of that nature happen when people come back in.”

Hynes is not going to hold out Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg or Eeli Tolvanen when they are ready to play. But those and other injured players will have to raise their play in order to keep up with their teammates.

This is the lineup I would roll with if everyone was available. Skewer me in the comments section, if you must. 

Does Mikael Granlund have a future with the Predators? — Jake F. 

It is too soon to tell whether Granlund will re-sign with the Predators. Negotiations have not taken place. Poile, though, made it known Monday that he is interested in keeping Granlund past this season.

“I would have to say that where we stand in terms of our relationship, his performance with our team, our happiness with him, his happiness with us, without exactly asking him, I would say it’s probably at an all-time high,” Poile said. “I would certainly love to engage in a conversation with Mikael and his agent after the year to see if that’s a possibility.”

Granlund took a pay cut this season, agreeing to a $3.75 million contract after averaging $5.75 million in salary on his previous contract. The flat cap had a hand in that, but I suspect that agent Todd Diamond will try to recoup some of that lost salary as he negotiates Granlund’s next deal. Granlund’s play this season gives him plenty of leverage.

Saros, Pitlick, Tolvanen, Jeremy Davies, Dante Fabbro and Mathieu Olivier are among the Predators players who need new contracts this summer. Poile will also need to save money to eventually re-sign Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm, whom he said are priorities.

There isn’t enough cap space for all of these players. Tough decisions are on the horizon.

(Photo of Gudbranson: Richard A. Whittaker / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)