The first domino has officially fallen for the Nashville Predators this offseason. In what could be described by many as a much anticipated move, they traded Ryan Johansen to the Colorado Avalanche the Saturday before the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
The full terms of the trade are below, and unfortunately, it is a less than stellar return for the Predators.
#preds have traded Ryan Johansen to #Avs and retained 50 percent of his salary in exchange for rights to Alex Galchenyuk.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 24, 2023
Nashville Predators no longer had roster space for Ryan Johansen
Although it looks bad on the surface, it is not hard to admit that the Predators did not have much leverage here.