On Wednesday (Feb 6) the Predators made two big trades. The first trade was a 2020 7th round pick in exchange for Cody Cody McCleod who was released by the team last season. The other trade was for Brian Boyle. The predators traded a 2nd round pick for forward Brian Boyle.
Cody McCleod was released by the Preds on January 24th of last year. This move came back to bite the Predators as they lacked size in the second round match up against the Jets in the playoffs. Cody McCleod was acquired by the Preds midway through 2016-2017 season in exchange for a prospect and he was released about a year later (then picked up by the Rangers). McCleod came in and made an immediate impact. He played a big role as an enforcer through the season and played very well during the 2017 Stanely Cup run. McCleod scored a great (maybe unintentional) goal in the second round of the playoffs which can be found here. Overall this trade was very good for the Preds as Cody McCleod is familiar with the offensive system and the Preds needed a big player who can stand up for other players.
The trade for Brian Boyle came just hours earlier. Brian Boyle is 6'7 and he is 34 years old. Boyle is extremely good in front of goal and is great on both the penalty kill and the power play. Boyle is a prime replacement for Austin Watson. It is still unclear where Boyle will fit in with the Preds current attacking lines, but he will certainly make an impact going forward this season and he will add great attacking depth to the team. Although a 2nd round pick is a bit of a steep price tag in most cases, Boyle will help out the Preds a lot and very well could be worth even more then a 2nd round pick.
It is unclear as of now where both McCleod and Boyle will play among the Preds current attacking lines but they will certainly make an impact. McCleod was a great trade because he is an underrated player who has experience with the Preds, it was also good because of the low price tag the Preds acquired him for. Boyle was also a great trade for the Preds. The Predators have lacked someone who can get in front of the net, especially on the powerplay. With the loss of Austin Watson, Boyle will be very important as he is a big body and a great player. The Preds became a much better team after these trade. But can this put them over the top? Will these trades help the Predators beat the Jets in the postseason?
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