Nashville Predators trade Trenin, Sward to Colorado Avalanche for Hanzel, third-round pick

The Nashville Predators have sent forward Yakov Trenin and prospect Graham Sward to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jeremy Hanzel and Colorado’s third-round pick in 2025.

It’s Nashville’s third transaction of the day after acquiring Anthony Beauvillier from Chicago and claiming Jordan Anderson-Dolan off waivers from Los Angeles. Trenin, 27, has played his entire NHL career with the Predators since getting selected 55th overall in 2015. Known for his defensive play, Trenin has 10 goals and 14 points in 60 games this year, putting him on pace for 18 points. That’s a step down from the 24 points he scored in each of the pat two seasons, his only two full years in the NHL.

Trenin is set to become a UFA this summer and currently holds a cap hit of $1.7 million.

Sward, 20, is one of the CHL’s premier offensive defensemen. He has 15 goals and 73 points in 58 games with the Wenatchee Wild, the best numbers of his career. Currently unsigned to a deal, Sward was taken 146th overall in 2022 after finishing his third season with the Spokane Chiefs. The Winnipeg Ice acquired him – now the Wenatchee Wild – early in the 2022-23 WHL season.

Hanzel signed his entry-level contract earlier on Thursday. He was an overage selection by the Avalanche at last year’s NHL Draft, going 187th overall. Hanzel played one preseason game with Colorado this year before starting his final year of junior hockey. Currently in his fourth WHL season, Hanzel recently set a career-high of 50 points in 58 games, just beating out his 13-goal, 48-point run a year ago. Hanzel has spent his entire major junior career with the Seattle Thunderbirds after originally going undrafted in the WHL.

The Predators have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, including two first-rounders. The team has nine picks in the first four rounds in 2024. Colorado, only has their first and fourth rounders this year.

The Avalanche are second in the Central Division with 74 points, just two behind the Dallas Stars. They are 5-4-1 over the past 10 games but are coming off a monster 7-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. The Avs will return to action against Minnesota on Friday before getting the weekend off ahead of a meeting in Calgary on Tuesday.

The Predators are in the midst of a playoff push and can use as much help at forward as they can get. They currently sit in fourth place in the Central Division (and in the second wild card spot in the Western Conference) with a 35–25–3 record and 73 points in 63 games this season.