The Predators claimed William Trudeau off waivers from the Rangers on Saturday. He still hasn't played an NHL game.
Elliotte Friedman reported the move, one of two waiver claims he announced within a minute of each other.
The 23-year-old defenseman from Varennes, Quebec, carries an $850,000 cap hit this season and is headed for restricted free agency next summer.
The Canadiens drafted him 113th overall in 2021.
He then spent four seasons with the AHL's Laval Rocket, piling up 260 games at that level.
His best offensive year there was his first, with 27 points in 2022-23.
So why would the Predators spend a claim on a defenseman with no NHL games on his resume?
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William Trudeau gets a fresh opportunity with the Predators
The answer starts before he turned pro. He put up 44 points in 68 games for Charlottetown in 2021-22.
He also finished that season at plus-30, a number that jumps off the page for a junior blueliner.
Then he added 11 points in 14 playoff games that spring.
He's since logged 15 AHL playoff games, including eight in 2024-25.
This is a smart, cheap claim. A 23-year-old left shot with four pro seasons behind him costs Nashville nothing but a roster spot and a modest cap hit.
It's like picking up a used car with low mileage and a full service record. It isn't flashy, but you know exactly what's under the hood.
The big money on that blue line still belongs to Roman Josi at $9,059,000.
For the Rangers, it's a depth defenseman gone for nothing. He didn't dress last night when Mike Sullivan's group rolled past the Islanders 6-1.
The Rangers open the regular season Tuesday in Boston.
Andrew Brunette's Predators, 1-2-0 this preseason, host Carolina today before opening at home against Minnesota on October 1.
That gives Trudeau less than a week to show a new coaching staff what four years in the AHL built. The claim got him in the door, and staying there is a different job.
Did the Rangers make a mistake letting William Trudeau go to the Predators for nothing?
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