The Nashville Predators are apparently close to being sold, according to Eben Novy-Williams. The new owner is reportedly former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam. The Predators were previously owned by a local ownership group known as Predators Holdings LLC.
Nashville Predators Sale Close
BREAKING: The Nashville Predators are nearing a sale of the @NHL franchise, according to people familiar with the talks
Buyer/price is unknown. @Sportico values the team at $680 million, ranked No. 26 in the NHL. More from me, @soshnick and @kbadenhausen https://t.co/4OtW98aTHC
— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) June 17, 2022
The valuation of the sale has not been released yet. Although, the Predators were valued at $680 million.
The Predators, who are coming off of a first-round sweep to the Colorado Avalanche, look to be changing hands for the second time in franchise history. The last time the team was sold was in 2007.
The Predators have been consistent for the last little while. The Preds have consistently made the playoffs since the 2014-2015 season. Although, they did lose the 2020 Qualifiers to the Arizona Coyotes.
What Does This Mean?
This shouldn’t be concerning at all for Predators fans. This is just a simple change of hands, with no concerns about relocation. In fact, Nashville is one of the NHL’s better-performing markets, starting the trend of southern hockey being successful, instead of being regarded as a failure.
The NHL has also been against relocation ever since the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011. The Arizona Coyotes have been on the verge of collapse for a while now, but the NHL refuses to give up on a project. It’s highly doubtful the NHL and the board of directors will approve the sale only for Predators to relocate while the Coyotes continue to bleed money year after year.
While it is not known how the new sale will impact the Preds, new owners bring change. Once the sale becomes final, eyes will be on the Preds to see what moves the new owner will make.
