The Nashville Predators have made a trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators that sees pieces flying between the three organizations. The Predators will be receiving Kyle Turris. The Senators will be receiving Matt Duchene. And the Avalanche will be receiving Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev, and a second round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from Nashville and Shane Bowers, Andrew Hammond, and a first and third round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The Predators have quickly signed Turris to a six-year contract extension worth $36 million.
Press Release via Nashville Predators:
Nashville, Tenn. (November 5, 2017) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Sunday that the club has acquired forward Kyle Turris from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Samuel Girard, forward Vladislav Kamenev and a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Additionally, the team announced that Turris has signed a six-year, $36 million contract that will keep him in Nashville through the 2022-23 season.
“Kyle is one of the best two-way centers in the National Hockey League,” Poile said. “He should be a great fit in our locker room and will bolster our lineup and give us the depth that’s necessary during the regular season and the playoffs. He is someone who can play in all situations and will help us tremendously on both ends of the ice. He will give our coaching staff a number of options in terms of offensive production and defensive responsibilities.”
Turris, 28 (8/14/89), has nine points (3g-6a) in 11 games with the Ottawa Senators this season. He led the Senators in goals last season, scoring a career-high 27, while adding 28 assists for 55 points. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound center has tallied at least 55 points in three of his last four seasons and had a career-best 64 points (24g-40a) in 2014-15. Over the course of his seven seasons in Ottawa, Turris led the team in goals with 117 and was second to only Erik Karlsson in points (274) and power-play points (73). He had 10 points (4g-6a) in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs and helped lead Ottawa to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2007. Turris has 13 goals and 14 assists in 46 career postseason games and his 24 playoff points with Ottawa ranks second among all Senators since 2010-11.
A native of New Westminster, B.C., Turris was selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2007 NHL Draft and is the highest-ever drafted Canadian Tier II Junior A player. Prior to his one season at the University of Wisconsin, where he led the Badgers in points with 35 (11g-24a), Turris won the British Columbia Hock-ey League’s championship in 2006 with the Burnaby Express. He finished second in the BCHL in scoring with 121 points (66g-55a) as a 17-year-old in 2006-07 and was named the Coastal Conference’s Most Valuable Player. Turris is a three-time gold medal winner at the international level and most notably won the 2008 World Junior Championship as a member of Team Canada, where he led his team in points with eight (4g-4a) in seven games.
I’ll leave the NHL news to our great media friends in the Nashville circles. Let’s focus on the prospect side of things here in Milwaukee.
This is a move that is a solid punch to the gut for the Admirals. Kamenev has been evolving and was setting himself up for a third pro-season in North America in which he could have been knocking on Nashville’s door for playing time. He made his NHL debut last season for the Predators and played twice but has mainly been active in the AHL. He played 137 games with the Admirals and produced 96 points (39 goals, 57 assists). He was a center from the moment he arrived from Russia and progressed well in his sophomore season. Pontus Åberg was the only member of the Admirals with more points in 2016-17.
His absence, combined with a current injury to team captain and fellow center Trevor Smith, now leaves a big gap for the Admirals offense which has been sputtering after a quick start. Admirals head coach Dean Evason described Kamenev’s effort in the Admirals 3-1 victory on Friday night as the Russian’s best peformance of his career that he had seen up until this point. That production and upward trending ability is now gone and it is being replaced through this trade with no assets arriving in Milwaukee. This is a trade that is a win if you’re in Nashville, as you don’t exactly lose pieces that could impact now, but a move that is a massive step backwards in Milwaukee. It’s one of those cruel reminders to Admirals fans that you’re the AHL affiliate: easy come, easy go. …to think that Kamenev could potentially join the man and close friend that was teaching him so much about center duties in Milwaukee but now in San Antonio, Félix Girard, only bodes well for Colorado.
What is your reaction to this trade by the Nashville Predators? Who gets the best of this trade? Are you surprised the Predators didn’t offer what they did in order to outright acquire Matt Duchene for themselves?
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Not sure if it’s a good move. Trading 2 talented young future stars for an aging veteran. It’s the Leipsic trade all over again. Mortgaging the future for a short term possible gain, hurts the Admirals now and for several years. Maybe I should give it a chance, but I think it is another poor trade by Nashville.
Not going to lie, I’m bummed. I’m not a Preds fan (I am an Ads fan from back before the Ads/Preds affiliation, so my NHL loyalty was already set in stone by the time they joined forces and is resisting change) so my happiness for Nashville is limited. Bah. Life is hard in an AHL town.
This trade is why I’ve never been a fan of Nashville. Absolutely a trash deal. Colorado has to be laughing at how badly they robbed both teams in this one, good on them for taking advantage of poor decisions of others. Most trades Nashville makes are let’s make a run now trades and how many cups do they have? Yeah I thought so. Now I get the emotional run they had last yr and how exciting it had to be but on the same note they barely made the playoffs, with that said this deal doesn’t make them instant favorites. Turris has been the supposed center piece of two organizations now and hasn’t stuck with either. While his numbers last yr in OTT are good this NHL press release from NSH calling him a top two way center in the league is a bit of a reach. He’s not Crosby or Seguin so keep it down a bit. He’s a great second line compliment player. That you gave up way too much for. I get Kammy hasn’t made the leap yet but he’s on his way showing legit hard work and natural skills. And Girard was someone I was so excited to see develop, he has maturity and poise of a six yr vet. He will be a top flight defensemen and with the way the game is being played his quickness and skill would only have given Nashville a leathal young gun who in my opinion would make a guy like Subban expendable in two yrs in a deal that could net you a huge return. I hope this blows up in their face, sorry if that’s a bitter way to look at it and I get the whole that’s why we’re here line but from just an intelligent hockey organization view this deal is the equivalent of trading Aaron Rodgers Aaron Jones and a second Rd pick for Dez Bryant. Not very smart.
Aging veteran? Turris is 28, not 38. I think it is a good deal for Nashville. Yes, it does hurt the Admirals by losing Kam.
I think the trade is fine for the Preds. It obviously sucks to lose Kamenev as an Admirals fan but you have to give to get and Nashville isn’t in the business of making the Admirals a Calder Cup team. In fact, we should feel very fortunate that Nashville cares as much as they do about the minor league teams and development of prospects.
As far as comparing this to the Leipsic trade. That’s absolutely ridiculous to me. Franson and Santorelli were NHL scrubs that Poile way overpaid for. Turris is at minimum a solid 2nd line center that’s signed to a reasonable deal through his prime.
I get the solely based Admiral fans dismay, take solace in the fact that Bonino will soon be back for the Preds and someone will have to be sent down to Milwaukee. I don’t think it will be Freddy G but I do think Aberg or Salamaki would clear waivers. As one of many Ads/Preds fans I don’t know how you can bash this trade on the Nashville end however. Turris replaces Fishers spot that no one else on the roster can, it gives them a major upgrade instantly. As far as win now trades, yeah hes only gotten Forsberg, Johanson, and Subban, boy did he get took! As for Kamenev he may or may not have a long NHL career but he looked lost in his 2 games last year and they may have just as solid a prospect in Pettersen. Girard has looked solid but the prospect at D look so deep that the Admirals have to scratch solid prospects. I’ll take a solid #2 center for prospects all day long with as full as the cupboard is and as for dredging up Leipsic, his NHL stats and a dollar probably won’t buy you a cup of coffee.
Don’t forget either, I think it’s pretty certain that Girard was never coming back to Milwaukee unless it was a short stint after an injury.
“Another poor trade by Nashville”? I wonder what other trades you put in that category.
This is a good move by the Preds — they need a number two center now, and Kamenev wasn’t ready for that jump. There are other good defensive prospects in the pipeline, and Nashville’s Big Four are under contract for a while. Girard was heading back to the QMJHL after his nine game stint, anyway.
I think the parent club is aiming to win now, while Peks still has his legs.
From a Milwaukee standpoint it’s a blow, but that’s life in the AHL. Freddy Gaudreau is waiver exempt; with the addition of Turris in the middle, he may be back in an ads sweater soon.
I’ll stand by my comment about the Leipsic trade & add in the Felix trade from last season as examples of poor trades. I am still torn on the trade last summer for. P.K., he has been good, nothing more. Last trade I really liked brought Forsberg & Jarnkrok. It feels like the Predators are taken advantage of when it comes to trades. Just my opinion, nothing more.
Mark: the Leipsic trade was a bad one in the sense they gave not just a solid prospect but also first Rd pick which is absolutely foolish for two guys they didn’t have any interest in keeping after the season.