NHL Trade Rumors: Will Nashville Trade Ryan Suter, and What Could It Cost?

The Nashville Predators entered this season in a precarious situation.

The Predators were faced with the daunting task of inking their three best players to new contracts at the same time. Pekka Rinne, Ryan Suter and All-Star Shea Weber's contracts all were set to expire this summer.

After The Hockey News released an issue with the title Slashville, it rubbed Predators management the wrong way. The Predators swiftly re-upped Rinne to a long-term contract. With that deal done, Predators Chairman Tom Ciggaran stated that money would not be an issue when it came to taking care of Suter and Weber.

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“The Hockey News had a cover article called ‘Slashville’ where it talked about us not being able to afford to sign these three players, and I’m looking forward to writing them a little letter telling them they were wrong,” Ciggaran said. “The money is there, and we have every intent to sign these players.”

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However sometimes things change given the circumstances. Shea Weber currently is sidelined with a concussion and there is no timetable for his return. If he is out long-term, the Predators are presented with an interesting situation.

Does Ryan Suter become ever-more valuable to the club this season and in the future, or does he then command some more trade value if the Predators decide to roll the dice with Weber?

An interesting thought is with the divisions set to realign next season, the Predators might deal Suter to a current Western Conference rival.

Suter is a rising star in the league, and is emerging as one of the NHL's better two-way defenders. 

The 26-year-old currently carries a cap hit of $3.5 million. He is due for a huge payday considering what his partner, Weber, already makes. He likely will earn an average cap hit of $5.5 to $6.0 million dollars next season.

This would be cheaper than re-signing Weber, who already makes $7.5 million dollars. However, if the Predators decide to trade Suter, he could command a hefty return.

What could it take for a team to acquire Suter from the Predators?

( A combination of any/all of these subcategories)

1) A Scoring Forward

To acquire Ryan Suter, the Predators will be looking for some offense and a capable defenseman in return. The Predators are a strong defensive team and have an all-world goaltender in Pekka Rinne.

They do however lack in the scoring department.

The Predators are a team that ranks 19th overall in the league with a 2.60 goals-per-game average.

Suter is an All-Star defenseman so asking for an All-Star young forward would be fair. A 25- to 30-goal scorer who will put up 70 points or more is something that would benefit the Predators. 

2) Above-Average Forward and Prospect/Draft Pick 

Teams could also package a combination of a solid forward and a prospect. For example, a team like the Philadelphia Flyers could inquire about Suter, but a fair asking price could include James van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn and a draft pick or two.

Would the Flyers make this trade?

Probably not, but there are teams like the Red Wings that have the assets to make a deal of this capacity. 

3) Defenseman

Trading away a key defender like Suter really could put a huge hole in Nashville's lineup. Jonathan Blum is a young defenseman who the Predators hope eventually can step into the role Suter has now.

However for the time being, the Predators would want another capable defender in return.

For example, if the Rangers inquired about Suter, players like Michael Sauer, Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi would enter the conversation more often than not.

It isn't a trade the Rangers would make but there are definitely teams like the Detroit Red Wings who may be looking into the future.

With Nicklas Lidstrom nearing the end of his career, the Wings may be big players when it comes to signing or trading for a big-name defenseman.

Nashville has an important decision if they decide between keeping Weber and Suter rather than trying to keep both.

Both are young and extremely talented. Ryan Suter is a player who is going to get paid a hefty ransom after this season.

The only question on the minds of most fans is who is going to be the team that signs his checks? 

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: