If you were not convinced of the Nashville Predators intentions despite being signaled at many times in the past, you definitely are now. They are prioritizing getting younger and rebuilding for the future, and Alexis Lafreniere is a player who fits that bill.
The Predators just bought out Matt Duchene, which even for the fans who saw a massive overhaul coming, was a major shock. They just opened another spot in their roster, and the in-house replacements include maybe three total guys from Milwaukee and probable reserves.
Even for a rebuild, those are not adequate options, and when you add that the Nashville Predators are now over $2M under the cap, they have to make a roster addition of some sort.