Welcome to the 2022-23 Nashville Predators Report Card Series. In this series, we are in hockey book Look at each Predators player from last season, detail how their campaign went, and assign a letter score that reflects their overall performance. This edition will focus on defenseman Mikael Granlund.
Granlund’s tenure in Nashville ends
With the 2021-22 season exceeding all expectations, Granlund was one of many players to experience amazing runs with the Predators. Although he didn’t achieve career-high numbers like a few of his teammates, he still scored his best point total since arriving in Nashville via trade, with 64 points in 80 games. The 2022-23 season was not as rewarding as Granlund was limited to 58 games due to an out-of-town trade and, as a result, production dropped to 36 points while a member of the squad.
What made things even more difficult was the number of injuries to other key players, which resulted in a constant line shuffle and a swirl of new teammates throughout the season. It was an insurmountable task to ask the Finnish center to produce chemistry with names he had little experience with, and at times seemed lost on the ice when the puck was on his stick. His second guess resulted in missed chances and turnovers, and with the trade deadline approaching, it was time to move on from his services.
Commercial Benefits of Granlund Predators
After four seasons in Nashville, two of which he served as an alternate captain, Granlund has been acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins In exchange for a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. No contracts back and no cap kept means the Predators got $5 million, which they’ll get for another season. The team has three forwards already making at least $8 million per season, and with high-profile free agents looking for new contracts, getting rid of some boundaries was a necessity.
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The pick that goes back to the Predators is a second-round pick in the middle of the pack that allows it Newly appointed general manager Barry Trotz for picks in the 46th and 47th positions. In such a deep draft, full of top talent and raw talent, loading the most picks in the first two rounds is a big win for the team. It also allows the team to pack second-round picks in favor of moving up in the draft.
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At the end of Granlund, he will play one year in Pittsburgh, where he will have plenty of opportunities to show his best traits along with some class talent. Whether the Penguins choose to start him at the third-line position behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin or give him a shot on the wing alongside one of them, Granlund is in a great position to raise his stock before the end of his run. current contract.
Final grade for Mikael Granlund: C-
His efforts in the 2021-22 season likely called an A or a B+ at worst, and his follow-up the following year was nowhere near brilliant. While his strengths remain as a great passer and center who can pile on his assists as a setup man, he’s taken a step back compared to his contributions one year earlier. This is not to say that all the faults fall on Granlund, who spent the season as one of the healthiest players in the organization but had to play with several team mates until his departure.
If Granlund can continue to stay healthy and play a consistent streak in Pittsburgh, one can expect his production to ramp up again. The chance of him playing Crosby or Malkin in the top six could lift him to career heights, but a lot will depend on how competitive the Penguins are under Kyle Dubas’ system. The worst case scenario is that he will become an acquisition for the second year in a row, but Granlund is hoping for a big season as his upcoming contract will hit him hard.