General Manager David Poile made the smart decision by letting Hamhuis walk. If he re-signed Hamhuis, that left less money to re-sign Weber and Suter over the next two years. So Poile traded his rights just days before he became an unrestricted free agent to the Philadelphia Flyers for fellow defenseman Ryan Parent. The Flyers, however, couldn’t come to terms with Hamhuis either so they dealt him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third round pick. But negotiations were unsuccessful there as well and he became a free agent. Hamhuis would eventually sign a six-year, $27 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Those same Canucks are now in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Parent, by the way, was dealt to Vancouver with Jonas Andersson for Shane O’Brien who became a staple on the Predators blueline throughout the 2010-11 season. Parent and Andersson played a grand total of eight games for the Canucks and neither are on their playoff roster.

And then there’s the other team still standing. The Boston Bruins.

Rarely is there a player who played less than 75 games wearing your jersey that leaves a lasting impression. Rich Peverley, claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, is one of those rare players. Peverley never really got a shot with Nashville but went on to score 90 points over the next season and a half with his new club. Furthermore, his 55 points in 2009-10 would’ve led the Preds in scoring. So…. yeah.

The lasting impression reference is in regards to the Predators organization letting someone with talent go for nothing in return. Ryan Jones (claimed off waivers by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010) was considered “the next Rich Peverley” and, after scoring 18 goals last season, inked a new two-year deal yesterday. And, when the Preds choose not to re-sign center Cal O’Reilly in the off-season, he’ll almost certainly become “the next Rich Peverley.”

The undrafted center was traded earlier this year to the Bruins in exchange for Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart. While Wheeler went onto tally 17 points in 23 games with Atlanta, Peverley is now exactly where Wheeler would like to be: playing for Lord Stanley.

So which former Nashville Predator are you rooting for in this year’s Stanley Cup Final? Rich Peverley who had such a promising future before Nashville let him go for nothing? Or Dan Hamhuis who was home grown and played six solid years at 501 Broadway?

WEIGH IN WITH YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

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#12 :: PATRIC HORNQVIST PICKS DAN HAMHUIS’ POCKET
It was March and the Predators were in desperation mode. They were falling back in the Western Conference playoff pack and they needed a strong road trip through Western Canada in order to give themselves a legitimate chance down the stretch. They had lost to the lowly Edmonton Oilers a couple days prior and really needed a strong effort against the league’s other extreme, the eventual President’s Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks. While clinging to a one goal lead late in the game, Nashville was reeling from constant Vancouver pressure when, all of a sudden, former Predator defenseman Dan Hamhuis gets his pocket picked by Patric Hornqvist. “Horn Dog” beat Roberto Luongo with a nice move with just 2:21 remaining giving Nashville a much-needed victory.

On Wednesday night, the guy who’s in the commercials prevailed.

The fourth place Nashville Predators visited the first place Vancouver Canucks for the final game before the All-Star break and dropped a tough one, 2-1. The Preds’ only All-Star, Shea Weber, scored their only goal in the defeat.

Pekka Rinne gave his team every chance to win turning aside 33 shots but still took the loss, dropping to 17-13-4 on the year.

His counterpart, Roberto Luongo, made 26 saves in the victory and improved to an impressive 23-8-7.

After two hard-fought yet scoreless periods, Weber put the Predators on the board first. Sergei Kostitsyn found himself in front of Luongo with an excellent scoring chance. Unfortunately, the Cancuks goaltender made the save but, after making another save off the rebound, Vancouver was scrambling. Weber wristed a shot from the slot past Luongo who was face down on the ice and Keith Ballard who was trying to play goal.

The Canucks answered with a goal of their own after a mad scramble, this time in the Predators end. A puck popped up in the air and Weber swatted it out of mid-air in an attempt to clear. Former Pred Dan Hamhuis held the puck in by one-timing a shot toward the net where Alex Burrows knocked it down and then banged it past Rinne to tie the game  midway through the final period.

The Canucks then scored the eventual game-winner when Joel Ward just needed to clear the puck. Instead, he tried to make a cute move inside his own zone, fell down giving the puck right to Daniel Sedin who passed it over to Lee Sweatt who scored his first career NHL goal in his first career NHL game.

Those kinds of plays are absolutely infuriating. It’s hockey 101 and yet a professional thinks he’s better than the basics. Even if it’s just in that one moment. Any time you’re that close to your own blueline while being pressured, you have to get the puck into the neutral zone first. Period. There’s no excuse. The Predators had played a solid game to that point and Rinne had been outstanding. One mistake like that literally cost them two points on this night.

Now maybe I just wanted this win more than others. Maybe I just wanted to beat the best team in the Western Conference to show that we should be conisdered one of the best too. Or maybe I’m sick of hearing all of the “Weber wants out of Nashville” crap that comes out of Vancouver. So maybe I’m biased. But this one stings a little bit more. It certainly stings more than the Calgary loss on Monday night.

Whatever the reason, the Predators are now going into the All-Star break with a two game slide. They’ll try to start a brand new winning streak at home (finally) against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, February 1.

Be sure to come out and welcome home the boys. Puck drops at 7:05pm.

LEFTOVER THOUGHTS:
* Weber’s goal gave him 30 points on the season. He’s the first Predators to 30 points this year.
* Ward had a chance to redeem himself with 30 seconds left but Luongo kicked his left leg out and got a toe on it. His best save of the night came at the most important time for his team.
* The Detroit Red Wings won their final game before the break which means Nashville is now six points behind them for the division lead.
* This was Hamhuis’ first time facing the team that drafted him, the Nashville Predators. He came away with an assist, a plus-1 rating and a season-high five shots on goal.
* Colin Wilson, who was perfect in the face-off dot against Calgary suffered tonight. He went 0-for-3.
* After the game, the Predators reassigned both Matt Halischuk and Chris Mueller, who had developed some serious chemistry with JP Dumont while in Nashville, to the Milwaukee Admirals.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
1) Roberto Luongo (VAN)
2) Pekka Rinne (NSH)
3) Lee Sweatt (VAN)

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

October 16, 2010 – Preds vs. Washington Capitals
Casual fans won’t have to wait long to pack Bridgestone Arena this season as the best player in the National Hockey League (and maybe of this generation) will be in town. Alexander Ovechkin will bring his dynamic play and infectious personality into Nashville on this Saturday in mid-October. Just the third home game of the season and the fourth game overall, the Preds will get an early measuring stick as they face off against the Eastern Conference’s best. Ovechkin and company will have their creative tanks full as the season will barely be under way but the goalie situation in Washington should be shaky as they see if Semyon Varlamov is, in fact, able to be their go-to goalie this year.

October 21, 2010 – Preds vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
It’s no secret the Predators draw bigger crowds once football season is over. It’s just the curse of having an ice hockey team in football country. So, it’s great to see one of the faces of the league in town on a weeknight. Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins will waddle into Nashville on a Thursday night and almost certainly give Bridgestone Arena its third sell out of the season (assuming opening night and the Caps game are also sold out). If that’s the case, the Preds will have 17,112 in three of their first five games of the season. Nobody in Music City is going to complain about that. As far as the game goes, this might be the last year the Pens are considered an elite club. According to capgeek.com Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Chris Kunitz and Matt Cooke are the only forwards locked up past July 1, 2011. Not a good sign as four of those five players make over $3.5 million a year. Doesn’t leave much room to sign talented supporting cast members. Either way, it should be quite a treat to have the Pens in Nashville for the first time in a while and it should be considered a gift from the National Hockey League that the game is on a week day.

October 24, 2010 – Preds at Tampa Bay Lightning
Fan favorite Dan Ellis moved on this summer. He moved onto the Montreal Canadians via trade but then signed with the Lightning (a/k/a the Fighting Stevie Y’s) once the free agency period came. Tampa Bay is arguably the best destination for Ellis as he has a legitimate shot at being the starter, which is what he wanted all along. Well, on this Sunday night, the Predators players will get to see their old teammate wearing his new sweater for the first time. It’s just too bad Predators fans won’t be able to see him in person until at least next year. Ellis and Pekka Rinne will be on the opposite ends of the same sheet of ice for the first time in their careers. Considering both guys should be extra-motivated to show-up the other, this game should be a lot of fun to watch.

November 13, 2010 – Preds vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The first time Predators fans will boo the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions (and the team that knocked them out of the playoffs) will be on Saturday night, November 13. It should be a packed house as many a Preds fan will want to let out the frustration that’s been festering since April 26. Will Martin Erat make ammends for his selfish mistake that cost his team a 3-2 series lead? Will Joel Ward make ammends for his poor defensive positioning on Marian Hossa‘s overtime game-winning goal in Game 5? Will the Nashville power play make ammends and bury goals on every opportunity? Even if all that happens, it won’t go back in time and fix the first round series but it’ll at least give the fans an excuse to vent.

December 6, 2010 – Preds at Atlanta Thrashers
The closest geographical rival to the Nashville Predators is the Thrashers and this is the first of their two game series this season. Former Predator Rich Peverley, who never really got a fair shake in Music City, has scored 90 points in 121 games since being picked picked up on waivers by Atlanta. Those 90 points, by the way, are the most by any Thrashers player not named Ilya Kovalchuk over that same span. And, speaking of former Preds, Chris Mason will be minding the nets in his new home of Hotlanta as well. Even though the game is on a Monday night, the hope is that Pred Nation will make the trek to Georgia and make it a virtual home game, like it did last season. Tickets are easy to find (on craigslist especially) and they typically go pretty cheap. Or, if you’re not comfortable doing that, you can always – and we do mean always – walk up to the box office and buy tickets before the game. It’s a three and a half hour drive from Nashville. And, with Atlanta being on Eastern time, it’s an hour ahead so it’s realistic to make the trip there and back without having to stay in a hotel. So, Pred Nation, ask for the day off work now and let’s do this.

January 15 and 16, 2011 – Preds and Chicago Blackhawks
The first home-and-home series of the season for Nashville is with division rival Chicago on this weekend. The two teams will jockey for Central Division positioning Saturday in Music City and then Sunday in the Windy City. This has the potential to be an eight-point swing as, if one team wins both games, they’ll not only have captured four points but they’ll have taken away four points from the losing team. With Chicago projected to challenge for first place in the Central once again this season and with Nashville projected to challenge for second place, bookmark this weekend as a two-game series that could turn the tides of the entire division.

January 26, 2011 – Preds at Vancouver Canucks
The first time Shea Weber will be able to unload a thundering body check on former Pred Dan Hamhuis will be on this Wednesday night in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. Don’t be surprised if the two blueliners treat it as a warm-hearted reunion however as the fans inside Rogers Arena won’t care in the slightest that Hamhuis came from the Nashville organziation. Don’t put it past Weber to blast Hamhuis on this night, but rest assured an extra effort won’t be made to do so. Either way, you’ll want to take a nap on Wednesday afternoon so you can stay up for this late tilt as face-off is at 9:00pm Central.

February 7, 2011 – Preds vs. Edmonton Oilers
Ryan Jones’ homecoming. He played just a game and a half after being claimed off waivers by Edmonton before going down with a knee injury. He eventually returned for the final six games of the year and looks to be a top nine forward for the Oilers this season. It’ll be nice to see Jonsey with a permenant roster spot somewhere and it’ll be nice to see him in Nashville once again.

February 17, 2011 – Preds vs. Vancouver Canucks
Now here’s the game all the Hamhuis-haters want to see. His first visit to Nashville since signing with Vancouver back on July 1, 2010. Truth be told, Hamhuis wasn’t nearly as bad as Predators fans accused him of being. Well, okay, he was when paired with Kevin Klein. But, in all honesty, Hamhuis is a solid defenseman and provided quite a few great moments while wearing a Preds sweater. He may shine in Vancouver but he also may be exactly the same player we remember: a solid blueliner who’s overrated by the rest of the league because they don’t watch him on an every day basis. Canucks fans will slowly but surely learn this fact and Predators fans will be on the edge of their seats, anxiously awaiting someone like Weber or Jordin Tootoo to put him through the boards at any given opportunity. Think Bridgestone Arena is loud normally? Just wait until that happens.

Dan Hamhuis, who started the month of June in Nashville, has been a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks over the past couple of weeks. Hammer finally signed with the Canucks today in a six year deal worth $4.5 million per year. In other words, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter money. (Which leads to the question, what will the Predators have to pay Weber to keep him next summer? But, that’s another topic for another day.) Of all the defensemen that were signed on July 1, only Sergei Gonchar got more money per year than Hamhuis. The 36-year old Russian will get $5.5 million a season.

Pred Nation’s favorite back-up Dan Ellis found the best possible new home for his career. The Twitterer inked a two year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he’ll reportedly compete for the starting job with Mike Smith. But really, Ellis should be the starter going into camp as Smith hasn’t exactly been stellar, posting a sub-par .900 save percentage and a pretty weak 3.09 goals against average last season.

It’ll be just like old times in the Tampa Bay crease. Smith and Ellis were teammates on the Iowa Stars back in 2005-06 and both were originally drafted by the Dallas Stars organization. Ellis was a second rounder in 2000 while Smith was a fifth rounder a year later.

Even former Predator goaltender Chris Mason was part of the free agent frenzy as he signed with the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday. Atlanta is a good fit for Mason as he’ll be relied on to either split time with goalie-in-waiting Ondrej Pavelec or start the season as their starter until Pavelec is ready to take over.

Nashville did announce the signings of Swedish winger Jonas Andersson and defensive prospect Teemu Laakso but there’s still no word on Patric Hornqvist or Cody Franson putting pen to paper. Andersson’s contract is a one-way deal while Laakso’s allows him to be sent to the AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

And once again they’ve unloaded an impending free agent for something in return.

The Predators have announced that they’ve sent defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for former Predators draft pick Ryan Parent.

The conditional pick, by the way, is a seventh round choice in 2011 if the Flyers are unable to sign Hamhuis.

Back in 2007, just days before the Entry Draft, General Manager David Poile was able to send the negotiating rights of impending free agents Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen to Philadelphia in exchange for a first round pick. That pick (Jonathan Blum) just might be the one replacing Hamhuis after a similiar trade three years later.

The most curious part of this trade isn’t even the re-acquisition of Parent (who becomes an RFA on July 1, by the way), but more so that there’s no 2010 draft choice involved. The Preds, who don’t have a second or a fourth round pick in this years draft, are looking to add a selection or two in the opening few rounds and, it was thought, Hamhuis’ exclusive negotiating rights would demand just that.

But I guess not.

Just two days ago Nashville announced the re-signing of Francis Bouillon and we suggested that that transaction was the latest domino to fall regarding Hamhuis’ future in Music City. We don’t say that to toot our own horns, but rather to amend what we said about the Preds having the undisputed best defense corps in the NHL. With the acquisition of Hamhuis, the Flyers would appear to own that monikor now. With Chris Pronger, Timonen, 2006 Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Carle and now Hamhuis, the Flyers top four are stacked. That’s not even factoring in Braydon Coburn if they can get him re-signed.

So where does this move leave the Predators? After all, the main goal in dealing Hamhuis was to get at least a draft pick in return. Since they didn’t, at this point, it’s status-quo as far as this year’s draft choices. Nashville will pick 18th overall in the first round, then wait until the third round (at 78th overall) to pick again and then have to wait 48 more picks to choose again in the 5th round before they return to the norm of picking at least once every round.

As far as the blueline for the 2010-11 season goes, it appears the pairings will be Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, per usual, Bouillon and Cody Franson or Kevin Klein on the next line and then a total crap shoot.

Parent has only 102 games of NHL experience and, based on this blog by Broadstreet Hockey, the Flyers faithful are glad to see him go. Not exactly a good sign. Then comes the young guys. Is Blum ready? How about 2009 first round pick and two-time Memorial Cup Champion Ryan Ellis? Will his shot on the powerplay be too tempting for the Preds to ignore? And what about Teemu Laakso? Or German Olympian Alexander Sulzer? Or even recently signed Swiss-phenom Roman Josi? Where do they all fit and will they all be content playing in Milwuakee as opposed to fighting for a roster spot in Nashville?

Also, unless they part with someone else (*ah-hem* *Klein* *ah-hem*), it doesn’t appear as though Denis Grebeshkov, who was a beast in the six games he wore a Preds sweater, will be back.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding Nashville’s bottom defensive pairing and only time will tell how it’s going to shape out.

One thing is certain, however: “Operation #split28″ has come to an end.

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To read what Hamhuis had to say about the trade, read the article on philadelphiaflyers.com.

Don’t wait until the third period to start shooting the puck and when in doubt, don’t.

The Chicago Blackhawks evened the best-of-seven series with the Nashville Predators last night with a 2-0 victory at United Center in a game that has Preds fans scratching their heads. Not because Nashville didn’t play well, but because their secret to success in Game 1 wasn’t used in Game 2.

In Game 1, where did their two non-empty net goals come from? Putting the puck on net. The first goal was a partial-dump toward the net that ended up tying the game on a fluky bounce and the second goal was a shot off a rebound while Hawks goalie Antti Niemi was scrambling. Well, on this night, Niemi was barely tested until the third stanza.

The Predators fired only 12 shots on goal through the first two periods. Meanwhile, during that same amount of time, Chicago forced Pekka Rinne to stop 26 of their own.

We’ve said it before with this team, you can’t win unless you shoot. Especially after a text book example the game before of why you just pucks on net, even if it’s as a last resort.

Now, despite all of that, there was a bright spot for the Preds during the second period. The game was scoreless when Dustin Boyd found himself unmolested in front of the Blackhawks crease. He made a move past Niemi, looked up to see a wide open net, took that split second to settle the puck and then shot. Niemi slid across to make what should be remembered as the game-saving stop. His huge right pad shut the door and Boyd was denied the first goal of the game. If that goes in, and Nashville takes the 1-0 lead, chances are the Blackhawk faithful sit back in their seats and say “Oh no” while essentially hitting the panic button. Instead, it stays out and Chicago bags a goal of their own on the power play a little later.

Then the daggar came.

Dan Hamhuis, in one of his worst decisions to date given the opponent, the personnel on the ice and the situation (down 1-0 in a playoff game), pinched trying to keep the puck in. With the stutter step, you could tell that Hamhuis was thinking about dropping back to be safe but, instead, he went ahead and tried to keep the puck in the zone. Patrick Sharp was able to spring Patrick Kane as a result and both he and Sharp left Hamhuis in the dust. It was a 3-on-1 the other way with Kevin Klein being the “1.” Kane froze Klein and put the ever important second goal behind Rinne. The rest of the game was just formality.

Also, when given a power play in the final 2:28 of regulation, Nashville pulled Rinne to make the man-advantage a two-man-advantage. But, with six skaters versus Chicago’s four, the Preds still couldn’t create any time or space and the Blackhawks had little trouble killing it off. Now how does an NHL team have a 6-on-4 power play for a full two minutes yet still not have any space to get set up? That, more than anything, is disgusting and should be the focus of a lot of off-ice conversations between now and Game 3 at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night.

All that being said, is the sky falling? Absolutely not. In the past three days, the Predators have managed to win a playoff road game for the first time in their franchise history, they’ve beaten a team that with one more point would’ve been the top team in the West, and they’re even ahead in the series if you consider aggregate scoring.

But, if Nashville is going to perform like this for the rest of the series, they’ll be booking tee times next Saturday night. And that’s the concern for Pred Nation at this hour.

GAME NOTES:
* Patrick Hornqvist, who, if you remember, was only supposed to miss the end of Game 1 with an “equipment issue,” was a late scratch with an upper body injury.
* Boyd played in his first post season game as a member of the Predators.
* Rinne was outstanding once again, stopping every shot that he had half a chance on. Including this amazing save on Marian Hossa.
* After taking only two penalties in Game 1, the Preds took seven penalties on Sunday night, including three in the second period alone.
* Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter led all Preds skaters with six shots on goal.
* Fellow defenseman Francis Bouillon led all Preds skaters with six hits.
* Look for Denis Grebeshkov to join the blueliners in Game 3 for the first time since getting injured on March 7.
* After tallying two goals on four shots and registering a plus-2 rating on Friday, JP Dumont finished with a minus-1 and failed to record a single shot in Game 3.
* Kane has had a hand in every Blackhawks goal through the first two games. He scored Chicago’s only goal in Game 1, then assisted on the first goal and scored the insurance tally in Game 2.
* Despite making 31 mostly tough saves, Rinne was not voted one of the three stars of the game.
* Mark your calendars! Puck drops at a special 8pm start time on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The Nashville Predators have decided not to trade Hamhuis at the NHL trade deadline, in favor of keeping him and boasting what might be the best blueline in the league headed into the stretch run and ultimately, the postseason.

On Monday afternoon, General Manager David Poile sent a second round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Grebeshkov, opening the door to trade Hamhuis without forcing the Preds to recall a Jonathan Blum, a Teemu Laakso or even giving a full-time job to Alexander Sulzer, thereby handing a pivotal defensive role to a prospect who’s not ready for NHL duty.

Now, it appears rookie Cody Franson will be the odd-man out as Nashville sports an amazing defense with names like Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Hamhuis, Kevin Klein, Grebeshkov and Francis Bouillon.

The problem in Music City has never been the blueline, however. The problem is offense. Nashville needs a scoring winger in order to compete in the playoffs. Otherwise, they’re marching into the postseason with the “same ‘ol same ‘ol” mentality.

The Tennessean’s John Glennon tweeted earlier that the Preds may have made a trade so those details will come shortly.

Hamhuis’s name has been talked about in trade rumors for months now due to his impending free agency on July 1. The 27 year old is considered a highly coveted player for a team in need of a top-3 defenseman. And, quite honestly, he might even be a top-2 defenseman with a change of scenery. Hamhuis has been much-maligned the past couple season here in Nashville and it hasn’t exactly motivated him to play better.

His talent has also been lost in the shuffle in Tennessee. Weber and Suter are the faces of the Predators blueline and Hamhuis has been in the shadow of those two all-world talents. As a result, he’s almost exclusively been paired with Klein and, together, they’ve been awful at times. Seperated they were much better but, because the coaching staff has refused to split them up, Hammer and Klein continue to suffer.

Dan Hamhuis has been on the trade block for some time now due to his impending restricted free agent status come July 1 and it’s no secret that, in order to move Hammer, the Preds must get a defenseman in return. Bringing in Grebeshkov paves the way for Hamhuis to be traded without being forced to bring up a rookie blueliner with little to no NHL experience.

Grebeshkov has 19 points in 47 games this season, good for 11th on the Predators. Hamhuis, by contrast, has only 16 in 10 more contests. And he’s done that on an Edmonton club that is literally the worst team in the league. Putting all that together suggests it’s a slight offensive upgrade for Nashville’s blueline.

The 26 year old Russian is similar to Hamhuis on paper. They’re both former 1st round draft picks (2002 and 2001, respectively), they’re both around the same age (26 and 27), they both put up similar numbers (roughly 30 pts/yr) and they’re both subject to free agency on July 1. The catch here is that Grebeshkov is a restricted free agent wheras Hamhuis is an unrestricted one. That’s a big win for the Preds.

General Manager David Poile has been busy the last few days. First he signed goaltender Pekka Rinne to a two year extension, he’s now put his team in position to trade Hamhuis and, if all that wasn’t enough, the player he got to fill the void of the soon-to-be-departed blueliner, is a restricted free agent so he’s not a rental player unless they want him to be.

Grebeshkov makes $3.15 million against the cap this season, only a portion of which the Preds will be on the hook for.

Interesting note: If Nashville and Edmonton had pulled the trigger on this deal before the Olympics, it would have given the Predators seven Olympians (eight if you count Alexander Radulov, whom the Preds still own the NHL rights to).

Props to Twitter user @SLakePreds for the initial scoop.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jimmy Jeong of the Canadian Press

• The Dan Hamhuis Question – He’s in the last year of his contract. The team is definitely making a harder playoff push than last year and Hammer is clearly the weak link on defense. While not ancient, at 28, he is the oldest D-man on the team that cannot be dissolved into chicken broth. In addition, he’s been with the system longer than any of the other D-men. He should have this figured out by now, but with Suter and Weber progressing to arguably the best defensive pairing in the league, Hammer’s errors have become glaring. It’s pretty clear that the Preds will not offer him another contract, as this is the third year in a row that his name has come up in trade rumors. This time, however, with his contract lingering, it’s pretty clear they are more serious about getting something for him. Just don’t get too excited about it. As with last year when Koistinen was on the trading block, part of executing a trade requires a team wanting what you are offering. It’s not XBOX 360 here…the trade has to be fair to both sides for the other team to take it…which is why Hammer isn’t getting traded for Zach Parise, Martin Brodeur, 2 first rounders and a block of tickets in the Prudential Center. Hammer is going to go to a team that needs a 2nd-3rd pair defenseman. We’re going to either get someone old, a role player in a contract year or a draft pick for him.
• The Dan Ellis Question – Forget what Eklund keeps posting. David Poile would either be blatantly insane or clearly pushing for his release if he traded Ellis to the Red Wings while we’re in a playoff run. Especially when he’s the hot goalie. Yeah, Pekka was just re-signed to a two year contract and yes, this most likely means that Ellis will be pulling goaltending duty for someone else next year. However, unlike Hammer, Ellis is quite possibly the most valuable player on the team right now. Pekka was signed for the future, but there’s still right now to worry about. Statistically, Ellis has been the better goalie this year. There is absolutely no legitimate reason to trade him…especially to a division rival. It will have to take a very, very good offer to get rid of our hot goalie in the midst of a playoff push.
• Will Horn Dog Break the Franchise Goals Mark? – Back in September, who saw Patric Hornqvist having 23 goals at the 3/4 mark of the season? Put your hand down, Patric’s Mom. The franchise record of 33 (set by Captain Arnott last year) is well within reach.Who saw Horn Dog making an assault on the franchise record books and becoming a fan favorite (seriously…listen to the cheers he gets during player intros)? At this point in the year, he has scored a goal every 2.61 games. In order to break Arnott’s record, he would need to score every other game. However, he had not registered a goal in the 5 games prior to the break.
• Which Tootoo will finish the year? – Granted, Toots missed half of the season after his foot got Webered, but it’s clear that the 2009-10 version of Toots has abandoned the pest persona. He has 20 PIMs this year…and only 10 of those were from his only two fights of the season…both against the Panthers…and one of those fights he was clearly instigated into. He’s on pace to surpass 20 points for the first time in his career (and would have been near 40 had he played the whole season). As the playoff push wears on, will he continue to earn his new paycheck? Or will he go back to “what he knows”?
• Everyone else had to play in the Olympics, too – I’ve heard people lamenting the extra games that Suter, Weber, Hornqvist, Erat, Goc and Sulzer had to play during the Olympics and how it would hurt us down the stretch. Apparently, some people are forgetting that the best players on all of the other teams also had to play in the Olympics. If it hurts our guys, it hurts their guys, too. One might expect Suter and Weber to be a little spent coming back onto the Bridgestone Arena ice, but at the same time, they could come back entirely re-energized due to the medals around their necks.
• Detroit – That’s right. Watch Detroit. 19 points out of the division lead. And we’re ahead of them. If the season ended today, Detroit would not make the playoffs for the first time since Patric Hornqvist was 3, the North Stars were in Minnesota and Chris Chelios was a “wily veteran” and not a “crochety old dude” (1989-90).  It the 11 years we’ve been here, I’ve learned pretty quickly to never underestimate the Red Wings. Don’t be surprised to see that 19 point gap between Chicago and Detroit close significantly…and more importantly, don’t be surprised to see an epic Preds/Wings stretch run.
• Did you know Horn Dog was a New Year’s baby? - Alright, this has absolutely nothing to do with something you need to watch, but when making the above reference to his age, I discovered his birthday was January 1, 1987. Oddly, he shares a birthday with Gilbert “Somebody Creme” Brule and Devin Setoguchi. It was also the day that the future capital of Nunavut changed it’s name from Frobisher Bay to Iqaluit…but I digress…
• Will the national media continue their newfound love affair with Shea Weber? – We all knew Shea had the hardest shot this side of Zdeno Chara, but a large portion of the major hockey media seemed to have forgotten last year’s hardest shot competition. Against Germany, Shea reminded them by literally ripping one through the net…and all of a sudden, they wouldn’t shut up about Shea for the remainder of the tournament. Just wait til the day he shoots it through the net and the glass. It was a noticeable turn from the all-Crosby-all-the-time coverage that NBC is known for…and it was clear that the play of Shea and Suter reminded NBC (and the world) that, yes, Nashville has a hockey team. It was made even clearer when Eddie Olcyzk was naming cities in the US that were having viewing parties for the game and mentioned the Nashville viewing party second.
• There’s a second round in the playoffs? – Okay, this is putting the cart waaaaaaaay ahead of the horse…but should we actually make the playoffs, it’d be nice for Nashville fans to discover that yes, David Legwand, there is a second round to the playoffs.

The guys are joined by filmmaker Tommy Haines, who makes his second appearance on The 303:30. This time, he talks about his film Forgotten Miracle, the story of the 1960 US hockey team that won gold 50 years to the day of tomorrow’s gold medal showdown between the US and Canada.

Jeremy and Codey would like to thank Thom Abraham of WNSR 560AM in Nashville for his support, involvement and passion for this event. He believed in what we were trying to do with this party and has been on board every step of the way. Huge thanks to Thom.

As always, the podcast is available via iTunes for subscription. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe, rate and review.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Take It Personal (Gang Starr), Players Holiday (T.W.D.Y.), Straight to the Bank (50-cent), Galvanize (Chemical Brothers), Real American (Derringer)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

Translation: Rookie center Colin Wilson and AHL veteran defenseman Nolan Yonkman have been recalled from the Predators minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Wilson makes sense. Marcel Goc is out and Wilson can fill the void there. Not to mention he’s been a tear lately at the AHL level, prompting Preds fans to ask for his recall by the gross. Yonkman, however, is a completely different story and one that should raise some questions. Namely about Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis.

The Predators official statement says that defenseman Cody Franson has been put on injured reserve but they’re already functioning with six blueliners in Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Hamhuis, Kevin Klein, Francis Bouillon and Alexander Sulzer. Yonkman makes seven healthy defensemen on the NHL roster around a time where trades need to be made before the final playoff push.

The future of the Nashville blueline rests on the shoulders of Jonathon Blum, Teemu Laakso and Ryan Ellis, so one would natually assume that one of those three would be recalled. Blum may have 25 points for the Admirals so far this season but he still needs to get bigger and faster. Laakso, who actually spent seven games with the Preds last season, has only played in 18 games this year for Milwaukee and is nowhere close to ready for prime time NHL minutes. Ellis is still with his junior team, the Windsor Spitfires, and isn’t available for call-up until their season is over.

Milwaukee Admirals captain Nolan Yonkman while playing for the Washington Capitals back in 2006.

Enter Yonkman.

He has three NHL seasons under his belt—- let me rephrase: he has 50 NHL games under his belt. He’s played most of his professional career at the AHL level where he’s logged 384 games, including being the Admirals team captain. If this was a band-aid move, the Preds would be more likely to call up a guy like Blum or even Robert Dietrich, both of whom have a more offensive upside than Yonkman. But that’s not the case. Nashville is going for experience with this transaction, which leads to the only logical conclusion: a trade has been made or is really close.

Enter Hamhuis.

The 27-year old defensemen already has 458 NHL games on his resume and is considered to be a top 2 blueliner on most teams around the league. Of course, he’s also about to become a UFA on July 1 and, therefore, has become the focus of trade gossip over the past few weeks. When at his best, Hamhuis provides a stable, veteran, physical presence in his own end. Yonkman is the best defenseman in the Nashville system that fits that mold.

A mold Nashville would only need to fill were Hamhuis to be out of their lineup for any reason.

The official Nashville Predators twitter account mentioned that Hamhuis’ wife is about to deliver a child and, because the team is on the road during questionable weather conditions, Yonkman has been called up as a precaution. While that’s a logical scenario, one would still wonder why Blum or Dietrich wasn’t recalled instead. Especially if it’s “just a precaution” and they don’t expect to the recalled defenseman to actually play.

The trade deadline of March 3 is fast approaching but, as we’ve seen over the past two weeks, teams are motivated to get deals done before the Olympic Roster Freeze takes effect on February 12. General Manager David Poile knows that the Preds need scoring. He also knows Hamhuis won’t be back next season and thus is forced to deal him in order to get something in return.

If and when Yonkman plays in a game, it will be the first time he’s worn a Predators sweater in an NHL game.

Of course, he also has a two-game point scoring streak on the line as well. (He had three assists in his last two NHL games that took place back in April of 2006).

But things are rarely as they seem so what does the extension really mean for the Preds? Is this another example of the “we believe in our own” mentality the front office is known for? Is this a set-up move so they can trade somebody at the deadline? Is this the first step in a sign-and-trade deal?

The consensus is that the signing is a preemptive strike to solidify the blueline due to fellow defenseman Dan Hamhuis‘ impending free agency come July 1.

The Smithers, British Columbia native stands to get a substantial raise during free agency this summer. The $2.5 million he’s making this season ($2 million cap hit) will more than likely be doubled by an over-zealous team trying to anchor their blueline. The Predators will not pay that kind of money to keep Hamhuis in Music City, especially when the glaring need is an offensive winger.

Enter the “set-up move” scenario.

Hamhuis, considered by most outside of Nashville to be a top-2 calibur defenseman, is one of the most sought after blueliners deemed “available” at the March 3 trade deadline. Scott Niedermayer of the Anaheim Ducks, Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames and Jack Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings are the only three defensemen ranked higher than Hamhuis on HockeyBuzz.com’s Top 50 Tradeable Players blog.

While HockeyBuzz.com is a rumor site, there are no rumors being reported on that list. Just conjecture about who the Top 50 available players are come deadline day. And, if you’ve kept up with the NHL for any length of time this season you know that, with the exception of a handful, that list is pretty accurate.

Maybe not in precise order, but pretty accurate.

Hamhuis is a 27-year old defenseman who has six full NHL seasons under his belt. He averages 27 points a season, rarely misses a game, isn’t afraid to play physical and is reliable on special teams. There are plenty of clubs who would mortgage their future for a guy like Hammer who’s just now entering the prime of his career and appears eager for a change of scenery, not to mention the ice time that comes with being on a top-defensive pairing.

So locking up Klein helps make Hamhuis expendable. He can now be part of a package deal to bring in a sniper. He could be used to get high picks in next years Entry Draft. Poile could even afford to wait until the last minute to trade him, knowing that, if they don’t make a deal, they’ll have a key part of their defensive corps for the stretch run and into the post season.

Without the Klein signing – thus the likleyhood they lose both Hamhuis and Klein on July 1 – Nashville feels like their bottom two defense pairings will be decimated next season. Sure you’ve got Olympians Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the top d-line, but after that what do you have? Second-year guys Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer are hardly ready for 20:00 of ice time at the NHL level, top candidates Jonathan Blum and Ryan Ellis have never seen NHL ice period and current Predator Francis Bouillon is a pending free agent himself.

Way too many question marks for a guy like Poile.

Whatever the case, the Preds could go into the playoff stretch knowing that, even though they lost a guy they’d like to keep, they’ve got the remainder of the blueline nailed down for the foreseeable future.

But while that scenario is the likely one, this signing could also be the first step in a sign-and-trade move. Klein, 25, is an affordable player who has yet to hit the prime of his career. He’s averaging just over 20:00 of ice time this year, a full 7:00 more per game than last season. A very attractive combination for any team trying to bolster their lineup for a playoff run and, now that he won’t be a free agent this summer, for a team trying to avoid a rental player situation.

While the sign-and-trade scenario seems the least likely, it can’t be ruled out. With the way sports is today, serviceable players become a hot commodity around the deadline for any team who’s payroll is a little on the expensive side. Klein would be a top four defenseman on 24 of the 30 NHL clubs and, if those 24 teams can get a guarantee he’ll be there in the years to come – let alone for a low price – they’d jump at the chance.

Whatever the case, Klein has been signed to a three year deal worth $1.3 million/season. Whether he wears a Nashville sweater until 2013 isn’t as much the story as what the signing really means for the Preds.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

The Good News

Patric Hornqvist has redeemed himself from last year’s disappointing start.  “Horn Dog,” as he’s known in 303, has amassed more points than Legwand, Erat, Sullivan, Smithson, and Ward… combined.  It’s exciting to see that we have a young talent that’s starting to shine in Nashville, and I can only hope this production continues.  Away from the puck, Hornqvist is always crashing the net.  Keeping the goalie on his heels is going to pay off, although it will also cause Hornqvist to become a target as he gets anywhere near the crease.  As excited as I am about Hornqvist, I’m not running to the pro shop to buy a #27 jersey just yet (sorry Jeremy).

Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Cody Franson have shown that they are willing to put offensive production on their shoulders, and try their best to carry this team.  Weber/Suter are currently breaking even on plus/minus, and both players currently have six points.  Cody Franson, since his call-up, has shown that he’s NHL-ready with some great play on both sides of the ice.

The Bad News

We’re 3-6-1, including a 1-3 record at home.  Seats are going to remain empty, when you can’t win at home.

Jason Arnott is still out of the lineup.  Say what you will, but we need him in the lineup.

The “Not Even Worth It With a Bag On Her Head” Ugly News

Only one team in the NHL has scored less goals than the Nashville Predators, and that’s the winless Toronto Maple Leafs.  I’m sure Boston’s foaming at the mouth for the #1 draft pick.

The Nashville Predators are 5 points out of the playoffs, only ahead of the Craig Leipold-owned Minnesota Wild.

David Legwand and Martin Erat, where do we begin?  These players have a plus-minus of -8, as well as only 1 point each.  The argument can be made that this duo (along with Santorelli at -5) were part of a ‘shutdown’ line, but it’s hard to justify such an expense on the books when they’re not producing.

Speaking of not producing, how about the dismal play of Kevin Klein and Dan Hamhuis?  Kevin Klein, in ten games of action, currently holds a -8 plus/minus, and the ridicule of everyone in Nashville.  Dan Hamhuis (currently out of the lineup) is boasting a -7 in only six games played.  Nashville is a team that’s always had defensive depth to rely on, the track record of these two players doesn’t hold true to that claim.

Our dismal power play (or as Brandon Felder refers to it, the “man advantage.”)  Nashville is currently 30th (that’s dead last) in the NHL with an 8.3% success rate.  Nashville has had 36 opportunities to put the puck in the net on the man advantage, and only managed to do so three times.  This statistic is consistent with Nashville, and begs the question of when something will be done to change it.

Conclusion

Nashville’s woes are evident, and I’m glad we’ve only seen four games at home during this stretch.  There are building blocks that the team can improve on, but they’re very small.  Leadership needs to step up and get pissed about the performance on the ice (aka, J.P. Dumont’s five-point night in Ottawa), and our depth players have to contribute.  The 09-10 season is still very young, but a repeat of last year’s polar opposites [before and after All-Star break] simply will not be acceptable.

Let’s Go Predators…. I’m serious, let’s GO already.

After a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Edmonton, followed by a 6-0 embarrassment in Dallas and then a 13-shot performance against Chicago this past Thursday, the struggling Predators go into the home of, arguably, the most talented team in the NHL. They’ll not only try to win, but a lot of fans would accept a loss given the game was competitive.

At this point, fans just need to see something worth rallying around. And a solid performance against a good team like Washington might be all it takes to regain the confidence.

As always, the podcast is available via iTunes for subscription. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe via iTunes and please feel free to rate and review while there.

The next 303:30 will be next week, Saturday, October 24, 2009 and our very special guest will be John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting. You don’t want to miss it.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Player’s Holiday (T.W.D.Y.), Shake Me Like a Monkey (Dave Matthews Band), Back to the Hotel (N2Deep), What’s the Difference? (Dr. Dre), Bang Bang (Dr. Dre)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

It means they didn’t have to think about the embarrassing loss in Dallas too long.

Despite looking like a completely different hockey team than the past two games, the Predators fell to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Thursday night.

13,103 fans inside the Sommet Center witnessed a much better hockey club than the one they saw in the same building on Monday against Edmonton or the one they saw on TV on Wednesday when they “played” Dallas.

With the three goals relented against Chicago, the Predators have now allowed 15 goals in their last three games. And while there’s plenty of blame to go around, defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Klein seem to be the focal point of the collapse.

Of the 15 goals allowed, either Hamhuis or Klein have been on the ice for 10 of them. And both players have been on the ice together for seven.

For contrast, Francis Bouillon has only been on the ice for two of the 15 opposition’s goals this week and rookie Teemu Laakso has only been present for three.

The Predators really need to get it together. The defensive pairing of Hamhuis and Klein is standing out like a sore thumb, the coaching staff is scratching the few players that are hustling and leaving it all out there on every shift and the offense is sputtering.

Martin Erat became the first non-top liner to score for the Preds this season when he was credited with a goal during the second period. The puck actually went off Niklas Hjalmarsson‘s skate, went between the legs of Cristobal Huet and in the net. On a soccer score sheet it would read as an “own goal” so, for all intents and purposes, the top line of Jason Arnott, JP Dumont, Patric Hornqvist and Steve Sullivan are still the only forwards to score for Nashville.

Head Coach Barry Trotz opted for some interesting line combinations against Chicago. Dumont returned to the lineup so, in no surprise to anybody, the top line was reunited while Hornqvist was sent to the 2nd line, skating with David Legwand and Cal O’Reilly. Erat was moved down to the 3rd line in order to skate with Joel Ward and rookie Colin Wilson while Jerred Smithson centered the 4th line with Marcel Goc and Ryan Jones.

The workhorse Ben Guite and the tough guy Wade Belak were scratched.

Those four lines seem to be the strongest line combinations for the Predators in the young season. All lines had flashes of offense and, once again, Wilson and Ward showed that it’s only a matter of time before they put a few in the back of the net. That two-some is really clicking and developing some early chemistry.

So while Nashville extended their slide to four games, and only amassed 13 shots on goal, they showed a sense of heart and resiliency that fans haven’t seen in the previous two contests, which is a good sign considering they’re about to go play the fighting Ovechkin’s in Washington.

If they don’t have their act together against that team on Saturday, things could get real ugly, real fast and we’re bound to see another 6-0 or 6-1 debacle.

Or worse.

GAME NOTES:
* Registering a minus-2 against the Blackhawks, Hamhuis now has a team-low minus-7 rating.
* Both Hamhuis and Klein were on the ice for all three Chicago goals.
* Goaltender Pekka Rinne made 27 saves on 30 shots. It marked the first time a Predators goaltender has survived the first period since Monday against Edmonton.
* Ryan Suter collected his third assist of the season while Shea Weber earned his second.
* Dumont, in his first game back after recovering from what the team won’t call a concussion, logged 16:51 of ice time, registered one shot and seemed to be easing himself back to full strength.
* Goc led the Predators with three shots on goal. No other Nashville skater had more than one.
* In a relatively expected move, Mike Santorelli was reassigned to Milwaukee before the game and O’Reilly was recalled.
* This was the first time in what will be their long NHL careers that both O’Reilly brothers played on the same night. While Cal played his first game of the season in Nashville, his brother Ryan O’Reilly netted his first NHL goal in Montreal. It ended up being the game-winner for Colorado.
* The Predators will play their next five games on the road. The next home game is Thursday, October 29 against these same Chicago Blackhawks.
* The next 303:30 podcast will be available right here at section303.com this Saturday, October 17, just in time for your pre-game listening pleasure when the Predators travel to Washington to take on the Capitals.

* As expected, Captain Jason Arnott and newly appointed alternate captain Steve Sullivan spent most of their time playing with JP Dumont. It was the only forward line that was consistent throughout.

* Dan Hamhuis was paired with leading rookie candidate Cody Franson for most of the day. Seeing as how most other players were in a constant rotation, it’s very obvious the coaching staff was looking to see what the combo of Hamhuis-Franson would look like.

* During the second half of Group A’s practice, JP Dumont went wide enough to run into the line of players on the boards and seemed to favor his right leg immediately after. Then, after returning without a hitch, Dumont caught a rut in the ice behind the net during 2-on-2′s and fell on top of the net. Obviously all minor things but today was not a good day for Dumont.

* Newcomer Marcel Goc skated well with Joel Ward and Jarred Smithson in seperate drills. Ward and Smithson also skated well together in their own pairing so look for that to be an early line come pre-season: Ward-Smithson-Goc.

* Remember this: off-season acquisition Ben Eaves loves to shoot the puck. That is all.

* Ryan Suter, a player not exactly trying to make the team, was livid at himself after a bad breakout pass early on, taking his stick and slapshoting a puck nearby against the boards. His attitude is already in the right place and it’s only the second day of on-ice activity. Could be a great indictation of things to come this season for him.

* Dan Ellis made an absolute highlight reel-calibur save on a wrist shot by Cal O’Reilly in the first half of Group B’s session. A rebound came right on the tape to O’Reilly while Ellis was clear on the other side of the crease. Ellis dove across and snatched the wrister out of mid-air. The crowd gave him a well-earned rousing ovation as a result.

* Jordin Tootoo is making no secret about the fact that he’s in a contract year. He was toe-dragging the puck and stick-handling all over the place. He even tried to duplicate this move by Pavel Bure but Ellis said no. All of his creative endevours didn’t find much success though. Obviously it’s only day two so it stands to reason that he’ll improve as he goes along but it’s very interesting to see what he thinks he’s going to bring to the table this year.

* David Legwand skated pretty consistently with his regular season linemate Martin Erat as well as center-turned-wing Mike Santorelli. Legwand, however, looked out of sorts quite a bit. He needs to get his legs back under him in time for the season otherwise it’ll be another slow start for the Preds first ever draft choice.

* Good news for Preds fans: Erat looks poised to return to his prime. He skated extremely well today and scored two amazingly precise goals on Ellis during the 2-on-2 drills.

* A name you won’t hear much (unless you’re in Milwaukee) is Andreas Thuresson. It’s worth noting that he displayed a wicked wrist shot in day two. Unfortunately, that’s about all he put on display.

* As far as the rookie group goes (Group C), there isn’t much to report other than 2009 1st round pick Ryan Ellis scored a great goal that showed a veteran sense of patience. During the 2-on-2 drills, he carried in from the blue line and wound up. Using the other player as a decoy, he held his wind-up until he was roughly a yard in front of goaltender Jeremy Smith. Both defensive players had cheated to the decoy so he finally put his stick down and slid it by the near post for a goal. The crowd offered up their 2nd, and final, cheer of the day.

DAY 2 STANDOUTS:

Returning Preds – Jarred Smithson, Joel Ward (when skating with Smithson), Dan Hamhuis, Dan Ellis and Martin Erat.

New Preds – Marcel Goc and Ben Eaves.

DAY 2 DUDS:

David Legwand and Cal O’Reilly.