A Feb. 26 deal resulted in 23-year-old Ryan Hartman’s movement to Nashville, and while reactions were mixed at the time with regards to the price to acquire him, the reasoning behind the trade wasn’t — he was supposed to add depth now and grow into a greater role later.
In 21 games after joining the Predators, Hartman didn’t fill the scoresheet all that much, netting three goals and providing three assists after tallying 25 points with Chicago (eight goals, 17 assists) prior to the trade.
Hartman scored twice and added one assist in nine playoff games, including what ended up being the game-winning goal in Game 2 against Colorado.