Category: NHL News

Ryan Suter heads Home: Signs with Minnesota Wild

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You won’t see these three together any longer.

Three days after Free Agency began on July 1st, Ryan Suter has finally made his decision as to where he will sign long term with. That team? Well, if you honestly believe after all that hubbub that he’d go, “Eh, I’ll just stay here in Nashville”, we’ll you were a bit naive.

Ryan Suter has signed a 13-year, $98 milllion contract with the Minnesota Wild. The defenseman told Predators’ GM David Poile that “family reasons” edged him over to the Wild, even though Nashville was just $8 million shy of the Wild’s overall pay amount. Poile was expressed his betrayal by saying, “the disappointing part is that wasn’t what we talked about all year long” [about him staying in Nashville].

Unlike the Jordin Tootoo debacle, Suter actually has a reason to go to Minnesota; it’s closer to home and it’s the closest team to his family in Wisconsin. You can’t hate the guy for taking the chance to return go closer to home, though you do have to roll your eyes at the fact he wanted to play for a “contending” [for the Cup] team.

However, the Minnesota Wild could possibly take a stab at the Cup this coming season, as Zach Parise, too signed a 13-year contract with the team, just moments after Suter’s announcement. As you recall from last season, the Wild were leading the Western Conference for a majority of the season, then suddenly dropped off the face of the hockey world. Could the pairing of Parise and Suter override the partnership that Suter and Weber had? Only time will tell. Who knows, these two could be oil and water with each other.

Now the question remains as to what Nashville will do. Of course, their first priority now is to claw at Shea Weber to keep him around, even without his best pal, Ryan. GM David Poile will probably make an outrageous offer to Weber, but what else does Nashville have to lose?

As long as Nashville is able to get Shea Weber on board without Ryan Suter, the Predators should be just fine without defenseman, Ryan Suter. However, Poile better be kissing Weber’s feet and cutting his steak at this point.

Good luck in Minnesota, Suter!

The Tootoo Whistles Silenced: Jordin Tootoo takes Deal from Detroit

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Tootoo heads North to Nashville’s rival.

Welp, weren’t we all thrown for a loop? One move we did not see coming came from Jordin Tootoo himself. Tootoo chose to accept the Detroit Red Wings’ three-year, $1.9 million contract after turning down Nashville’s almost identical offer.

When Tootoo decided to turn down the Predators’ offer, it was clear he was letting everyone know his distaste in being benched late in the past season. Of course, as a free agent, Toots was given free range to dip his feet in other franchises’ waters, but when TSN announced Jordin Tootoo’s decision, all of Nashville went silent, as jaws hit the floor.

Detroit. He chose Detroit.
Not Vancouver, not Anaheim, not Chicago (granted, we aren’t sure if these teams even offered him anything, but he admitted three other teams made him offers). Detroit.

His decision to head North to Nashville’s rival “big brother” can be seen in many, many different lights. Either Nashville’s “sizable” three-year contract was bogus or Jordin Tootoo just made it very, very clear to Nashville and its fans he was an unhappy camper by giving them a big middle finger.

It’s hard for us to believe that, after everything Nashville has done for Toots (along with vise versa for what he’s done for Nashville), the enforcer would up and leave to, of all the teams, the Predators’ biggest rival just because he was benched for the later half of the season.

“It’s definitely a great opportunity to put on that Red Wings jersey and play for an Original Six team,” Tootoo stated on a conference call with the Red Wings. This whole sentence feels like, in essence, a knife digging deeper into the backs of the Predators and its fans. Playing for an Original Six team is truly a great feeling for an NHL player but, again, it comes down to which team he ultimately signed with and its history with Nashville.

Although we ultimately have to thank Jordin Tootoo for all that he did for the city of Nashville, we can’t help but refer back to his final ‘Tootoo on 2’ video. The whole “only wanting to hold the Cup in Nashville” and “Nashville is my home”; was that all a lie just to warm our little hearts?

In the end, Toots has signed the papers and is on his way to Detroit, wiping his hands of Nashville for good. Toots, of all people, should know, Predators fans don’t take players leaving on bad terms easily (ask Dan Hamhuis). If he had chosen to go to any other team, Predators fans should be more than happy to cheer for the enforcer when he returned to play against Nashville. However, since he will be wearing red and white, Toots better prepare for the Tootoo whistles to be chucked at him. Nashville and Detroit open the 2012-13 in Motor City on October 12th at 6:30PM.

Good luck in Detroit, Jordin… but don’t expect fans to welcome you back with open arms.

(Photo courtesy of Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Predators stay Busy while Suter Watch Continues

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McGrattan, Gaustad, Mason, and Gill all quipped for Nashville next season.

The Predators made some key moves before and on July 1st, the day that Free Agency went into effect. Though many eyes are watching the Suter and/or Parise situation, the Predators weren’t going to hold off until #20 finally came to a decision.

On Friday, just two days before his chance at Free Agency, Nashville signed the Goliath himself, Hal Gill to a two-year, $4 million contract, sealing himself to Predators gold for the 2012-13 season. With the size, strength (and surprisingly a bit of speed – when he gets moving), Gill will continue to shine alongside Roman Josi for two more years.

Fairly late last night, Nashville released the news of the signing of another trade deadliner – Paul Gaustad. Obviously, Poile recognized his expertise in Face Offs and Penalty Kills, signing Goose to a four-year, $12 million contract. Wowza. There is much debate about wether Nashville overpaid for Gaustad, but his last contract was for $9.2 million; of course he wasn’t going to go for anything less. Plus, Gaustad’s consistency rules him as a green flag for Nashville; something they’ll really need if Suter bails.

The Predators decided, for their first ever July 1st signing, to chose goalie (and former Predator) Chris Mason to a one-year, $1.25 million contract as a backup for Pekka Rinne. Though many were lead to believe Milwaukee’s Jeremy Smith was going to jump over to Nashville and cover Rinne, Poile did not lie when he said he wanted a veteran goalie to take the backup position. However, one-year contracts can mean many a thing; Wether Nashville brought Mason back aboard to help get Smith ready to take over or what, we don’t think Mason will be with Nashville very long. The Predators have never had a veteran backup before, so it will prove interesting to see how Mason will do behind the Finnish phenom.

And, as of a few moments ago, Brian McGrattan posted an excited tweet about returning to Nashville (to counteract a previous disheartening announcement from Jordin Tootoo…). The Predators confirmed that they did, in fact, sign enforcer Brian McGrattan to a one-year, $600,000 contract to wear the gold once again in the 2012-13 season. With Tootoo’s signing with Detroit (we’ll have a whole separate post about that one), it seems like Big Ern will be the new favorite of the Predators. After being picked up in October of last year, Preds fans fell in love with the big guy, thanks to his beloved antics, wild fights, and heartbreaking struggles off the ice. Like we said, McGrattan will be replacing Toots very quickly as everyone’s favorite tough guy.

As of 8:30, that is all Nashville has locked in for certain, but Ryan Suter watch is still having some of us bite our nails until the bitter end. As we mentioned earlier, Jordin Tootoo split for Detroit, leaving a bunch of bewildered, speechless fans in his wake. Like we said, we’ll have a complete post dedicated to his “unjustified” decision momentarily. Besides Tootoo, Nashville said au revoir to veteran Francis Bouillon, as the Montreal Canadiens took him back for a one-year, $1.25 million contract. Bouillon is a bit of a hometown hero in Montreal, so returning to Canada is a welcoming sign for the Cube. He was a class act in Nashville and we wish him all the best with the Habs.

It’s getting late, but the night’s not over; anything is bound to happen now that the free agents are on the loose. Stay tuned for more information with the Predators as it comes through the media.

Avalanche sign Shane O’Brien to Three-Year Contract

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Shane O’Brien’s finally settling down!

Congratulations are in order to former Nashville Predators defenseman, Shane O’Brien as the Colorado Avalanche sign the 28-year-old to a three-year, $6 Million contract. O’Brien is set to make $1.8 Million his first year under the contract, $2 Million in the 2nd year, then finally $2.2 Million in the third.

When word of Jordin Tootoo’s need to be free of Nashville was announced, it was tossed around as to wether Nashville would make a run for the defenseman once again. However, Shane O’Brien didn’t wait until July 1st to hit UFA, snatching up Colorado’s offer as they dealt it.

Signing this three-year contract more than likely comes as a relief to O’Brien, as the brutal enforcer hasn’t had time to set roots in any teams he has been with so far. Those teams? The Anaheim Ducks (1 year), the Tampa Bay Lightning (3 years), the Vancouver Canucks (1 year), and the Nashville Predators (1 year). Okay, so he spent some time in Tampa Bay, but bouncing around the league eventually takes its toll.

We were personally sad when the Predators did not offer O’Brien a contract last summer, but after posting three goals and 20 points this past season, it seems he’s found a fit in Denver.

Shane was well liked for his short time in Nashville and, as such, we wish him the best of luck the next three years with the Avalanche. The Predators host the first meeting between Colorado on October 16th in the 2012-13 season.

No Love for Hillen: Predators extend Qualifying Offers

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Poile: “Hey, did we forget anybody?” Trotz: “Nope.”

Poor, poor Jack Hillen! The Predators extending Qualifying Offers out to their Restricted Free Agents this afternoon, but the team left the 26-year-old defenseman off the list.

To add insult to injury, we weren’t surprised when Hillen was not extended an offer. Jack Hillen did well with the Predators for the one season he’s been with the team, but his skills did not shine through and make an impression. In fact, we were surprised he wasn’t traded before the deadline in the Spring.

Jack Hillen wasn’t the only one to not get an offer, technically. Milwaukee Admirals Zach Stortini and Brodie Dupont also will hit the unrestricted market on July 1st.

In case you forgot who the RFAs for Nashville are, here they are in all their glory:
Sergei Kostitsyn
Colin Wilson
Jonathon Blum
Alexander Radulov
Teemu Laakso
Jack Maclellan
Jeremy Smith
Atte Engren
Ryan Thang
Shea Weber

You’re probably wondering why Radulov, Laakso, and Thang are still on this list and why would Nashville extend offer to these three. Well, extending an offer does not mean the Predators and said player have reached a deal. Nashville simply offered base-line agreements, meaning any team that wishes to snag the rights to said players will have to counter-match what the Predators offered. In a nutshell, Nashville will take whatever they can wether the player stays or not.  So, although we know the Predators have parted ways with Radulov, they still, if possible, want to get vital draft picks, for instance, for his rights.

So, needless to say, the team and the players still need to eventually reach an agreement and work out a contract, but Nashville has taken the first step in offering these players a chance to wear gold once again in Smashville… except for Jack Hillen.

(Photo courtesy of Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Hitting the Market: Jordin Tootoo declines Offer from Preds

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Is this Jordin Tootoo’s Swan Song in Nashville?

The city of Nashville hosted its Sportsfest at the Nashville Convention Center yesterday, bring some of the greatest names in sports to speak. But for Predators fans, the conference involving Brent Peterson and Pete Weber peaked the most interest.

Peterson made some interesting comments including the possibility of bringing back Hal Gill, the “60/40 chance” of Ryan Suter re-signing with the team, and his thoughts on Erik Karlsson winning the Norris Trophy over Shea Weber (not favoring Karlsson, of course). However, one particular subject perked just about every ear in the convention center, hockey fan or not.

When asked about Jordin Tootoo, Brent Peterson stated that the Predators offered the popular enforcer a “sizable” three-year contract, but declined and is expected to hit the market on July 1st. After his tear-jerking speech from his ‘Tootoo on 2’ finale, stating that Nashville is his home and he wants to bring the Stanley Cup to the city, many fans couldn’t fathom as to why he would turn down a decent offer to stay.

Perhaps Tootoo has been getting some ideas from Ryan Suter. However, besides being teammates, that’s where their similarities stop. Ryan Suter has value on the market and teams are willing to drop what he wants for his rights. Not that no one would want Toots, but if he is thinking he can get more from another team, he might be gravely mistaken. Sure, some team will pay him well, possibly more than what Nashville offered him, but will this new team be as tolerant to his behavior as Nashville has?

We aren’t saying Toots will make another run for rehab, but what if he does? Will this new team stand behind him through thick and thin like Nashville has? Welp, there’s only one way to find out and that’s exactly the road he’s heading down.

Don’t panic, Tootoo fans; Until Jordin officially signs with another team, don’t count it all as lost. Unlike Ryan Suter, we think Tootoo will return this upcoming season in Predators gold. Though “sizable” to us means a good deal, in all honesty, it could mean anything so Toots could be holding out for a better deal.

We can only hope what he said in that final ‘Tootoo on 2’ was the truth and that he wants to bring the Stanley Cup home to Nashville.

Predators nab Nine Picks in 2012 NHL Draft

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2012 NHL Draft

Though once thought a complete loss for the Predators, David Poile was able to work his magic at the last minute and seal Nashville with a few key draft picks in both the second and third rounds. Thanks to his maneuverability, the Predators picked up nine potential players yesterday in the 2012 NHL Draft. Here is a quick rundown of who Nashville nabbed and what they could bring in the future:

Pontus Aberg

Pontus Åberg – Predators first draft pick (37th overall)
Thanks to Poile’s slick trade move with Tampa Bay, the Nashville Predators were able to snag this young forward who is said to be the ninth best skater in the draft. Per scouting reports, Aberg has killer shooting accuracy, tremendous puck handling skills, and tends to pass the puck well (Trotz will like that). However, reports on consistency issues have been brought up, bring certain current players to mind (SK74). But, keep in mind, Aberg is tied to Swedish team Djugarden through the 2013-14 season, so the 19-year-old has plenty of time to outgrow any issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colton Sissons

Colton Sissons – Predators second draft pick (50th overall)
With their second pick in the draft, the Predators stepped away with another forward, this time Canadian Colton Sissons. Scouting reports have nothing but praise for this young Center, acknowledging his strong skating and defensive style, along with unique offensive characteristics. As the captain for the Kelowna Rockets, the trait of leadership shines with this kid, proving he’ll fit in just fine when he’s eventually called to Nashville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Vesey

 

 

 

Jimmy Vesey – Predators third draft pick (66th overall)
The Predators chose an Ivy League bounder with their third pick, nabbing Left Winger and Boston native, Jimmy Vesey. Vesey is slated to play for Harvard this upcoming season, but don’t let his brains fool you; the kid broke the EJHL single-season scoring record (48-43-91), winning league MVP, and taking home the Bruins’ John Carlton Award for combining exceptional hockey skills with academic excellence. In his recent draft interview, Vesey stated that he looks up to Mike Fisher and has a thing for Country music. Sounds like, once makes his move to the NHL, Vesey will do just fine here.

 

Brendan Leipsic

Brendan Leipsic – Predators fourth draft pick (89th overall)
The Predators did a little trading with the New York Rangers to get their fourth pick, trading their 3rd Round pick in next year’s draft for a Canadian Left Winger, Brendan Leipsic. Currently on the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks roster, Leipsic is known for three attributes: speed, skating, and energy. However, similar to Aberg, Leipsic is prone to a bit of inconsistency at times. But, with his aggressive style and physical nature, Leipsic is bound to be a top forward at some point in his career.

 

 

 

 

Zach Stepan

Zachary Stepan – Predators fifth draft pick (112th overall)
Does his last name sound familiar? If you’re a fan of the New York Rangers, perhaps it does. Cousin to Derek Stepan, Zachary is blazing his own trail, even stating that he has been following the Predators for about two years now, impressed with how far the franchise has come. Stepan has trained under the Shattuck-St. Mary’s program, the same one that brought up Sidney Crosby. Speed, strength, and control keep this kid flying high on the radar, despite his small frame. His aggressiveness towards bigger players reminds us of a one, Francis Bouillon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mikko Vainonen

Mikko Vainonen – Predators sixth draft pick (118th overall)
With a name like Mikko, you must have guessed Nashville’s sixth draft pick hails from Finland. As Nashville’s first defenseman pick of the draft, Vainonen brings a lot to the table as defenseman go. At over 200 lbs, slow and steady is not an option for this Finn; Speed and his excellent stickwork make this kid a force to be reckoned with. However, as far as scouting reports go, most do not see this 18-year-old as more than just a puck pusher, but (being the age he is) he will have plenty of time to grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simon Fernholm

Simon Fernholm – Predators seventh draft pick (164th overall)
Yet another Swede to add to the Predators potential roster is defenseman, Simon Fernholm. At 187 lbs, the young Swede will need some time to grow into his defenseman position, but again, time will help build his character as an NHLer.

 

 

 

 

 

Max Görtz

Max Görtz – Predators eighth draft pick (172nd overall)
…And the Predators pick up another Swede with their eighth pick, Right Winger Maz Gortz from Swedish team, Färjestad. Gortz is a large forward, with a good release and solid technical skills. He will stay with Färjestad at least another season.

 

 

 

 

Marek Mazanec

Marek Mazanec – Predators ninth draft pick (179th overall)
With the parting of Anders Lindback, the Predators chose, with their final pick of the draft, a goalie from the Czech Republic by the name of Marek Mazanec. At 6’4″, we’re pretty positive this Czech goalie is well on his way to fitting in just fine amongst the organization’s goalies.

 

 

 

 

You won’t have to wait too long to see how these nine draft picks match with one another, as the Predators Prospect Camp starts this week at Centennial Sportsplex. All in all, we would conclude that Nashville had a very successful draft day and that maybe, just maybe, David Poile should get a little pat on the back.

2012 NHL Awards not so Nice to Nashville

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Mike Fisher brings home the only award back to Nashville.

Yet another disappointing NHL Awards for Nashville Predators fans.
Okay, so we can’t call it a complete loss; Mike Fisher did win the NHL Foundation Award thanks to his charitable work within the Nashville community. The NHL even donated $25,000 to Room in the Inn, a local non-profit that serves the homeless of Nashville. As residents of the city of Nashville, we are proud to have someone like Mike Fisher in our community and to us, this is the greatest award the Predators could have received…

HOWEVER, as proud as we are and excited for Mike Fisher, we still are a tad bit bitter.

Pekka Rinne fell short to Claude Giroux for the NHL13 cover, which completely baffles anyone involved with hockey (we’re pretty sure even EA Sports was confused by the announcement). However, according to EA Sports, it was decided “by less than a one percent margin, in what was the closest matchup of the entire campaign.” Hmm… as much as we were stunned by the announcement (I mean, jaws hit the floor), we can always cover the NHL13 box with this awesome photo:

Fan-made NHL13 Cover. Just print this out and tape over Giroux.

  • Surely, with the performance Shea Weber made this past season would edge him over Erik Karlsson and Zdeno Chara for the Norris Trophy, right? WRONG. Offensively, Karlsson deserved the trophy, but did anyone note Weber’s penalty kill moments? Not the NHL, obviously. Weber came in second to Erik Karlsson by just 12 points.
  • David Poile came in third between Doug Armstrong and Dale Tallon. Armstrong, who won GM of the Year, possibly won due to the fact he took over for the fired Ken Hitchcock, who enviably won the Jack Adams Trophy. We are exactly sure, but even after being praised for his Trade Deadline moves, Poile had no chance for the GM of the Year.
  • Second time Pekka has been robbed of the Vezina, Henrik Ludqvist (who was so happy he dropped the F Bomb) stole the spotlight from the deserving Finn. Okay, so we didn’t have too much faith he’d win this one, but the bitterness of the video game cover still stings. Lundqvist did lead his team to the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, so no surprise that the Swede was given the Vezina.

Yes, we’re a bit bitter with the losses, but hey, Mike Fisher snuck by and nabbed an award, and an award to be proud of at that. Congratulations, Mike Fisher!

Friday begins the 2012 NHL Draft, in which Nashville gets two 2nd Round picks and the Predators Prospect Camp starts next Tuesday at Centennial Sportsplex. We’ll keep you updated on the trades and signings as they come in. And yes, Chris Mueller was signed to a one-year, $550,000 contract this morning.


Thanks to Gene Vestal for the video. Sums up all Preds fans thoughts exactly.

(Mike Fisher photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Predators Sign Brandon Yip to One-Year Contract

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Yip looks so intense, whereas the Red Wings look… out of it?

Just four days after announcing the trade of goalie Anders Lindback, the Predators have switched gears and have set up a contract with one of the players.

Brandon Yip, placed on waivers by the Colorado Avalanche and picked up by Nashville in January, has been signed to a one-year (one way), $750,000 contract for the upcoming 2012-13 season. Colorado initially placed the young Right Wing on waivers due to an ailing injury, but Yip shined with Nashville in the four months he was with the Predators.

Brandon didn’t shy away from leadership, leading us to believe that is one of the key reasons as to why David Poile signed the 27-year-old. That, and he doesn’t (hasn’t) defy Barry Trotz and didn’t cost too much to add on for another year. However, Yip’s determination proved reliable for the Predators during the regular season and in the post season, giving Poile even more reason to sign him on.

So that leads to who will be next? July 1st is around the corner and Poile and the crew have a lot of thinking to do. Did we think Yip would be the first to be signed on? No, but he will be key to Nashville’s success for next season. With Yip on board, will Poile bite his tongue and (do the right thing) and sign his college buddy Colin Wilson to a contract?

Preds on the Line as of June 19th

Again, who will be next? David Poile will hope it to be Ryan Suter, but we highly doubt that.

(Photo credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Image)

Lindback and K. Wilson Traded to Tampa Bay

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Anders and his gummy bears will be truly missed in Nashville.

Welp, the first of the trades began today as backup goalie Anders Lindback and center Kyle Wilson were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for two 2nd-Round picks in this year’s draft (which starts next Friday), a 3rd-Round pick in next year’s draft, and the rights to goalie Sebastien Caron.

After losing key draft picks for Paul Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn (one of which is for certain not returning next season), General Manager David Poile needed to make some drastic changes in order to make up for the trade deadline backfire. With the Lindback trade, Poile has jumped back to the front of the pack.

Along with the trade, Poile also informed us all that Ryan Suter will indeed test out the Free Agency waters (like we didn’t see that one coming). Poile stated that Suter will, however, see what other teams will offer him, then see if Nashville will counteract with an offer of their own.

As for who will replace Anders, it will more than likely be Jeremy Smith, the starting goalie in Milwaukee. Also in his press conference, Poile announced that Magnus Hellberg would be coming over from Sweden this upcoming season, meaning he will more than likely take Smith’s goaltending position with the Admirals.

Anders Lindback proved that he was ready to step into the spotlight this past season, so (even though we will miss him dearly) this trade works well in Lindback’s favor for sure. Being the starting goalie along with players such as Stamkos and St. Louis? Yes, we think Anders will do just fine.

We wish Anders well in Tampa Bay and will always welcome him back to Nashville.

 

How the Predators are shaping up as of June 15th, 2012:

Who’s gone (will go) & who’s still here as of June 15th

 

Photo courtesy of: Christian Petersen/Getty Images