Dreger links Brady Skjei and Nicolas Hague to Predators move

Brady Skjei and Nicolas Hague are the names being floated as the Predators look to get younger on the blue line, according to Darren Dreger.

The timing is awkward. Nashville beat Tampa Bay 5-4 in a shootout Saturday night, and Skjei logged 20:23 with an assist in that game.

Dreger said the names he's hearing right now are veteran defencemen, Hague and Skjei. He was careful about the framing, saying the Predators' front office isn't trying to push these players out, but is trying to get a little bit younger.

That distinction matters, but it doesn't change the market. Skjei carries a $7,000,000 cap hit through 2030-2031, and as we reported Saturday, teams balking at Brady Skjei's contract has already been a theme in Nashville's early calls.

The production hasn't helped his case. Skjei has no goals and four assists in 14 games this season, and he sits at a -7 rating.

Hague is a different kind of piece. He's 27, 6'6 and 245 pounds, with a $5,500,000 cap hit that runs through 2028-2029.

Predators youth movement could cost two veteran defencemen

Dreger noted that the Predators are looking to get younger and that Skjei and Hague are the veteran defencemen coming up in conversations.

-

Hague's numbers aren't flattering either. He has one assist and a -7 rating through 13 games, plus 17 penalty minutes, the kind of line that gives a buyer pause.

Moving both would be a questionable plan for a team that has allowed 47 goals in 14 games and sits at 5-4-5. You can get younger, but you can't just subtract two regulars from a defence that is already leaking and expect the results to improve.

Nashville's next test comes Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Whether Skjei and Hague are in the lineup, and whether any call turns into a deal, is the question hanging over the Predators' blue line.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Bob Stauffer says Oilers will trade for a forward with size