Barry Trotz made one thing crystal clear when he first accepted the post of general manager of the Nashville Predators. He hoped that every player on the squad would play to their best every day and that the team would come out on top. Without a doubt, Trotz delivered on his promise and created the most sensational impression of any team on the first day of free agency. He didn’t simply bring in a star player; he added four huge pieces to a roster that will be expected to compete at a high level in the 2024–25 season.
Jonathan Marchessault, a forward from the Vegas Golden Knights, is one of these new arrivals. On Monday, he inked an AAV contract worth $5.5 million for five years. The Predators will benefit from Marchessault’s explosive play, just as the Golden Knights did with him. In the 2023–24 season, Marchessault played in every one of the Knights’ eighty-two games because to his remarkable ability to remain healthy throughout the entire season. In these games, he scored 42 goals and 69 points.
Marchessault is renowned for his unwavering leadership qualities, whether on or off the ice. The fans in Vegas adored him for his contagious optimism and ability to brighten any gloomy bench with just a single shift or remark. Marcessault is an incredible asset to the Nashville team because of the unparalleled energy he brings to the locker room. For a Predators squad that made tremendous strides in 2023–24, the level of enthusiasm in the dressing room was already remarkable.
In 2023, when the Knights won the Stanley Cup, Marchessault was not only a huge scorer for his struggling club, but he also earned the Conn Smythe trophy. The Predators appeared to be lacking in his ability to perform in high-pressure situations at several points this season, including in their series loss to the Canucks in the first round. So, this ability will be useful and a welcome addition as we enter what appears to be a season with high stakes. Marchessault is also somewhat acquainted with Steven Stamkos, another free agent acquisition that Trotz acquired. They were teammates on the 2015–16 Tampa Bay Lightning. Marchessault went so far as to say that the news that Stamkos had signed with Nashville piqued his interest in the city as well.
