Nashville Predators GM David Poile signaled to the NHL world that he meant business this season when he shipped blossoming blueliner Seth Jones to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for No. 1 center Ryan Johansen. In true "we're going for it all" fashion, it seems Poile may not be done dealing.
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun spoke with Poile this week and the veteran NHL personnel man confirmed that he's still chasing trades and considering deals. LeBrun expanded on that Wednesday.
LeBrun: David Poile "wants to add more, he's going to be aggressive, and God bless him, I say, because we love it." #Preds
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) January 20, 2016
LeBrun thinks #Preds would be willing to dangle one or two players coming up through pipeline "to get better now." Win-now mode. — Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) January 20, 2016
LeBrun: "Certainly, what I heard in David Poile's voice yesterday was a guy that was far from done" trading/adding. #Preds
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) January 20, 2016
It's interesting that LeBrun believes Poile may be willing to dangle some of his top prospects to get it done. Poile has built the Predators into the team they are through shrewd drafting and keeping hold of his young assets. Because of this, he has the ability to trade a player like Jones without completely destroying the depth on his defense.
But maybe Poile feels like that's where he is at this point. He's drafted and developed long enough that he can take a stab at moving pieces that won't affect the NHL club for a few more years for players that will have an impact now.
There's no knowing for sure at this point what Poile is willing to consider, say trading a player like Vladislav Kamenev as part of a package for Eric Staal. But it sure sounds like he's ready to go all in on a season that certainly hasn't shaped up the way he and head coach Peter Laviolette had hoped.
Maybe nothing major will come this season. Or maybe, it's just a matter of time before Poile makes an even bigger splash.
"We have to get more production, more consistency, so that would be the first place I would look," Poile said of adding a forward, per LeBrun. "But I'm just open to ideas and anything that might come along. You know how hard it is to make a trade but for whatever reason it seems to open up more at the trade deadline."
