What started out on paper as a routine Tuesday night game between the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets turned out to be anything but routine. By the end of the night, two respected members of the Predators were on new teams.
The action started pregame when it was announced that Michael McCarron was being held out of the lineup for “roster management purposes.” Soon thereafter, the Athletic’s Michael Russo broke the story that McCarron was being traded to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick.
It was already going to be a tough night for the Predators knowing that McCarron was gone. It became an even tougher night when it was discovered that they were going to lose a second player to a trade eventually.
Unlike McCarron, Cole Smith was in the lineup. He ultimately played one of the shortest shifts in NHL history. That turned out to be his night on the ice.
Recapping an Unusual Night
Let’s set the scene here. When the sheets that had the lines on them were handed out, Smith was originally listed as a scratch. However, on the roster report, he was in the lineup.
Smith was the Predators’ 20th skater. With McCarron being held out, not having Smith would have meant playing the game a man short. As it turned out, that’s how the team played the entire night anyway except for three seconds in the first period.
Smith hit the ice and immediately left giving him official credit for playing in the game. When he left, his teammates gave him stick taps. He proceeded to go to the locker room for the rest of the first period.
Given that set of circumstances and the week we’re in, it pointed to an eventual trade. But then Smith came back to the Predators’ bench at the start of the second period.
Smith never saw the ice again. Throughout the night, it was apparent the players knew something was up. They could be observed giving taps to Smith knowing it was their final game together.
After the game, as first reported by Darren Dreger, Smith was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for a second-round pick. He spent parts of six seasons with the Predators’ organization and was highly respected by everyone.
Brunette’s Postgame
As for the game on the ice, although the Predators held a 2-1 lead after two, they allowed the Blue Jackets to score twice in the third. With the 3-2 loss, the Predators lost both sets of their back-to-back games. They also lost Ryan O’Reilly in the process midway through the third period after taking a stick near his eye.
Given everything that happened, it was no wonder that head coach Andrew Brunette was in a noticeably somber mood postgame. The Hockey Writers was there for Brunette’s postgame scrum. Here is a rundown of what he had to say.
- On Cole Smith playing: “I think it was just a little bit of a roster management thing. Not sure what was going on. We just had to make sure we had enough guys to (play.)”
- On losing McCarron and Smith: “We’re gonna miss two great people, two big parts of our culture. What they bring everyday. They’re wonderful people. They’re kind of like family. Been around them for three years so sad to see them go. At the same time, hoping for the best, other places that have a good opportunity to have a long run, further their career. But we’re gonna miss them. It’s a sad day here today.”
- On Ryan O’Reilly: “We’ll probably get a better update later tonight.”
The Predators did release a statement late on Tuesday night indicating that O’Reilly was expected to be OK.
Statement from the #Preds:
“For those who are concerned about Ryan O’Reilly, we expect that he is going to be OK. He is flying home with the team from Columbus tonight and will be evaluated by our medical team in Nashville. We expect to have an update on his playing status… https://t.co/NTUClpdxbi
— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) March 4, 2026
The Predators do have one last game before Friday’s trade deadline. They will host the Boston Bruins at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday. We will see what other moves they make.
In the end, it was one of the most difficult sets of circumstances the Predators had to deal with in game. That’s the harsh reality of business around the trade deadline.
McCarron and Smith exemplified what it meant to be a Nashville Predator. Both will be missed within their locker room.
