The road to a repeat officially began today. With free agency opening in earnest on July 1, the Nashville Predators took the first step in keeping six key players. Now, the door is open for their return. Or compensation if they leave.
On Monday, the Predators extended qualifying offers to Pontus Aberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Frederick Gaudreau, Ryan Johansen, Austin Watson, and Marek Mazanec. While this does not guarantee the players will stay with the Predators, it does provide the team a chance to match any offer they receive.