Predators' Scott Hartnell: Watches from press box Friday

Hartnell served as a healthy scratch for the second time in three games Friday against the Avalanche.

The writing was on the wall for Hartnell, whose ice time had dipped to below the 10-minute mark for three consecutive games earlier in March. The 35-year-old veteran was brought in during the offseason in an attempt to provide some scoring depth for the Preds, but with the emergence of younger players like Kevin Fiala and Colton Sissons this season, along with the recent acquisition of Ryan Hartman, Hartnell now looks to be the odd man out in Nashville. Bench him immediately.