Remember the great times the Nashville Predators had over the summer when they set free agency on fire by having one of the most fun and aggressive signing periods we've seen in some time?

It was great entertainment thinking of how they were going to muscle their way into the race to win the Western Conference and challenge for the Stanley Cup.

Boy, did things take a turn quickly in Music City, though.

The Predators are 7-12-6 with 20 points in the standings and the only teams keeping them out of last place in the NHL are the Montréal Canadiens (19 points) and Chicago Blackhawks (18). It's a nightmare for Nashville and it's not as if it hasn't made moves to address some of its own issues.

The Predators traded goalie Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose before the season started and dealt defenseman Dante Fabbro to Columbus, forward Philip Tomasino to Pittsburgh and swapped backup goalies with Colorado—Scott Wedgewood for Justus Annunen—in the past few weeks.

For all the moves they've made, it sure feels like there are more to come...at least there should be as long as the losing persists and there are contenders who could use the help. That's what we're here to suss out and look for some deals to help this situation out.

Gustav Nyquist to the Tampa Bay Lightning

When you look at some of the rosters of teams in or close to the NHL playoff picture right now, you start looking to see areas some of them could address when the time is right.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of those teams that stand out right now because, even though they're playing solid hockey, their depth on the wing looks like it could use a little help and Predators UFA-to-be Gustav Nyquist is an ideal candidate.

The Lightning are doing some of the things they've done in past great seasons by having younger players they've developed in the American Hockey League play roles at a bargain price.

When it comes time to getting serious about either making the playoffs or climbing the standings higher, making a run at Nyquist would give them a veteran who can play well and keep scoring goals.

The 35-year-old had 23 goals a year ago for the Predators and while the numbers don't pop this year, no one's are in Nashville right now.

Although the Lightning are holding it together for now, they will need veteran reassurance of some kind to keep up with Toronto, Florida and Boston while fending off Buffalo, Detroit and Ottawa in the Atlantic Division.

Predators Trade a 2025 1st-Round Pick for Help Now

Part of what made it easier for the Nashville Predators to trade some of their key players, young or otherwise, was getting a juicy return for them.

Trading Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose was tough to do, but the Sharks gave up a 2025 first-round pick as part of the deal. Same goes for the (infamous) trade with Tampa Bay in 2023 in which the Predators sent Tanner Jeannot to the Lightning for a package of five draft picks that also included a 2025 first-rounder.

With three first-round picks already set in place for the upcoming draft, using one of them to acquire a veteran to balance out the lineup and give Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Jonathan Marchessault some help would be useful.

This idea has its flaws, admittedly, but the Predators acquired top picks and prospects in past deals because they're in position to rebuild on the fly and their prospect pool needs help.

However, when you spend to add Stamkos, Marchessault and Brady Skjei in an offseason because they'd just made the playoffs plus the fact that they've already dealt a pile of young players this season, trading a first-round pick for someone who can help right now and (ideally) for a couple more years makes sense.

Nashville general manager Barry Trotz hasn't been shy about making moves, but if he wants this group to get back into the playoff race ASAP, the time to be bold is now.

Make a Play for Anaheim's Trevor Zegras

Although the Predators have traded a few young players, they have a roster that's rather senior up and down it and could stand to have an injection of young, exciting talent.

This is where making a run at Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras makes some sense.

His name has been all over trade rumors and speculation for the past year-plus and, at 23 years old with a hard drive full of highlights, he should have everyone's interest if he's available. He may not be available right up front but getting Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on the phone to kick around ideas of what it would take to get him would be a fascinating conversation.

Anaheim wouldn't be excited to move a young star player, but the Predators have a handful of their own young prospects (Reid Schaefer, Joakim Kemell, David Edstrom and Tanner Molendyk) and three first-round picks in 2025 to sweeten the pot not to mention veteran players who might be useful for the Ducks as they try to grow up through their rebuild.

Zegras, 23, would offer youth and an injection of excitement to the roster plus a ton of skill and playmaking ability for an offensively starved team.

Call the Vegas Golden Knights

We know we always get the Vegas Golden Knights involved in our pieces talking about trades and we see you rolling your eyes from here. But stay with us here, there are some things that could work out.

Vegas is loaded up on defense with its top four of Alex Pietrangelo, Noah Hanifin, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. They also have Zach Whitecloud who would be in the top four for a lot of teams across the NHL and one of them happens to be the Nashville Predators.

Although the Preds need help up front, they need help on the blue line as well and Whitecloud, who is signed for three more years beyond this one with a $2.75 million cap hit, would be an attractive player for any team in need of defense help. But the Golden Knights have Mark Stone banged up and have had a few other guys pop in and out with other ailments.

Injuries happen, though, and Vegas doesn't like to sit tight and weather them, particularly when the trade deadline approaches. This is where adding a veteran such as Gustav Nyquist or a physical player like Cole Smith or Michael McCarron or a net-hound like Tommy Novak would be interesting to see in a potential deal to add a defenseman.

We're just spit-balling here, though, so don't yell at us too loudly.

Ottawa Senators Center Josh Norris

The most awkward part about the Nashville Predators' struggles and all the trades they've made is how they're not totally in a position to scrap parts off to contenders.

They need help up the middle, and the Ottawa Senators are also reportedly looking to make a deal to shake things up themselves. One name believed to be available is forward Josh Norris and given his ability to score, he's a guy Nashville should strongly consider.

Three years ago, the 25-year-old scored 35 goals for Ottawa and was poised to be one of its offensive leaders for years to come. Shoulder injuries have impacted his career ever since, but he's been healthy again this season and has nine goals and six assists in 24 games. He would be an automatic fit in Nashville's top-six forward group and may spark an offense that's been dormant all year.

There's a sizable financial catch, though.

Norris is signed through 2029-2030 and has a $7.95 million cap hit, and that kind of commitment in a trade is not easy to make. There'd also be a question about who would go to Ottawa in return. Yes, the Predators have picks and prospects, but a player (or two) worth big money would have to go the other way.

The Senators have needs on defense and that's an area where Nashville is thin itself. Of course, the Predators do have a sizable amount of cap space to work with, but Norris' injury history would give anyone pause.

How desperate would each side be to make a deal to rattle their rooms?