Predators Receive Massive Draft Pick Compensation From Lightning in Tanner Jeannot Blockbuster
The Tampa Bay Lightning, searching for a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance, have beefed up their roster ahead of the March 3rd trade deadline by making a giant splash with the Nashville Predators.
After watching the Boston Bruins (Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov) and Toronto Maple Leafs (Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari) make notable acquisitions, the Lightning made one of their own Sunday night, acquiring forward Tanner Jeannot from Nashville. But it came at a hefty cost.
The Predators acquired a massive haul of future assets in exchange for Jeannot, with Lightning GM Julien BriseBois sending defenceman Cal Foote – an impending restricted free agent – and five draft selections, including the club’s 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 2024 second-round pick along with a third, fourth and fifth-rounder in 2023.
Tampa Bay is the first team to surrender a first, second, third, fourth and fifth-round pick in the same deal since trades first started being tracked, according to Cap Friendly.
Much of the hockey community was jaw dropped by the return Nashville received, especially considering it was noticeably more than the San Jose Sharks’ package from the Timo Meier trade with the New Jersey Devils. It even had one professional scout at a loss for words.
The blockbuster trade leaves Tampa Bay with just three draft selections in 2023: one in the sixth and two seventh-rounders, including Anaheim’s pick. They also won’t select earlier than the third round until 2025.
For a franchise in the midst of its competitive window, that’s a price BriseBois was more than willing to accept, and understandably so. After all, there was very little chance any prospects selected at those positions would’ve improved the team’s championship odds.
There’s no question that the Lightning are going all-in this season, hoping to capture their third Stanley Cup since 2020. While significant pieces from their back-to-back championship-winning roster are no longer around, like Barclay Goodrow, Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde, Jeannot should mesh perfectly with the team’s identity.
Jeannot, like Foote, can become an RFA after this season and will possess arbitration rights for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old is in the final season of his two-year, $1.6-million contract, featuring an $800,000 cap hit.
The 6-foot-2, 208-pound forward enjoyed a breakout performance last season, notching career-highs in goals (24), points (41), average ice time (15:59) and games played (81). He finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting, earning 7.85 percent of the overall vote for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
There hasn’t been as much success thus far in 2022-23, as Jeannot owns just five goals and 14 points while averaging 15:05 of ice time across 56 contests with Nashville. But the former undrafted free agent has registered 213 hits and figures to add to his total in Tampa Bay.
Nashville, meanwhile, could explore another potential blockbuster ahead of Friday’s deadline involving star defenceman Mattias Ekholm, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. Dreger also notes that the Edmonton Oilers have recently expressed interest in the 32-year-old.
Ekholm, with five goals and 18 points in 57 games this season, is in the first season of his four-year, $25-million contract and could net a significant return before Barry Trotz officially takes over as the club’s new GM on June 30th.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Stephen Yeargin. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.