This weekend, 501 Broadway will host it’s 1,000th regular season NHL game.

Below are some fun facts and interesting figures about Head Coach Barry Trotz, General Manager David Poile and the Predators organization as a whole, all of whom will be celebrating their 1,000th contest in Nashville.

HEAD COACH BARRY TROTZ
* He will coach his 1,000th regular season NHL game.
* It will be his 1,046th NHL game (including the playoffs).
* He has never coached for another NHL team.
* His tenure has never been interrupted by another coach (see: Paul Maurice in Carolina).
* Only Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres) has been with his current team longer (1,080 games).
* Ken Hitchcock, who has coached in 1,043 games, is on his fourth team during the Preds’ existence.
* The New York Islanders have had 12 different head coaches since Trotz was given the job on August 6, 1997.
* He has coached all 193 players that have donned a Preds sweater.

GENERAL MANAGER DAVID POILE
* Poile has drafted 127 players in the 13-year history of the club.
* 46 of those 127 have played at least one game in the NHL.
* 15 of those 46 are on the current roster.
* 16 if you count Alexander Radulov.
* He’s the only back-to-back nominee in the two year history of the NHL’s GM of the Year award.
* Saturday may be his 1,000th game as the GM of the Preds but it will be his 2,180th as a GM in the NHL.

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS ORGANIZATION
* While Saturday will be their 1,000th regular season game, it will also be their 1,046th game if you include the playoffs.
* The organization’s all-time regular season record is 463-403-60-73.
* The Preds have been to the playoffs six of the last seven seasons.
* Nashville has won 14 playoff games and one playoff series in their 13-year history.
* The Florida Panthers franchises have yet to win a single playoff game since Nashville came into the league (1998).
* The Phoenix Coyotes haven’t won a playoff series since the Predators were awarded a franchise.
* The Columbus Blue Jackets (2000) and Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets (1999) organizations have never won a playoff game in their history, let alone a playoff series.
* David Legwand is the only Predator who’s played in at least one game in each of the team’s 13 seasons.
* The only opening night roster Nashville Predator still playing in the NHL is Chicago’s Andrew Brunette.
* The Preds have scored 2,630 goals in their history.
* There have been six captains in team history: Tom Fitzgerald (1998-2002), Scott Walker (two weeks in the 2002-03 season), Greg Johnson (2002-2006), Kimmo Timonen (2006-2007), Jason Arnott (2007-2010) and Shea Weber (2010-present).
* Only 12 different goalies have tended the pipes for the Preds. Tomas Vokoun (383 games), Mike Dunham (217), Pekka Rinne (191), Chris Mason (135), Dan Ellis (110), Anders Lindback (24), Eric Fichaud (9), Jan Lasak (6), Brian Finley (2), Wade Flaherty (1), Michael Leighton (1) and Mark Dekanich (1).

Saturday will also be a very special day for Cell Block 303 as it was created by Mark Hollingsworth and his band of rowdies 1,000 games ago. While the banner didn’t hang behind the section at it’s inception, Hollingsworth and those that were there at the beginning — October 10, 1998 — laid the foundation for what would eventually become a tradition recognized league wide.

It’s with tears in our eyes, we thank them for being loud 1,000 games ago.

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SPECIAL THANKS to the Predators media relations department for fact checking!

We go around the Predators’ blogosphere and get comments from Amanda DiPaolo of insidesmashville.com and Ryan Porth of smashville247.net.

We also bring you General Manager David Poile’s conference call in it’s entirety.

As always, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter and to subscribe via iTunes. While you’re at iTunes, please rate and review us as well.

To hear the extended version of The 303:30, keep your radio dial locked to102.5 The Game this weekend.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), I Rep That West (Ice Cube), Show Goes On (Lupe Fiasco), Run This Town (Jay-Z), Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith), It’s Like a Party

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

Tom Ciggaran, Nashville Predators chairman, on July 13, 2011: “We are projecting this year’s payroll to be the highest in franchise history.”

David Poile, Nashville Predators General Manager, on August 3, 2011: “If (our forwards) don’t come through, we’ll have to make some deals to make our team better so we can compete for the Cup.”

Darcy Regier, Buffalo Sabres General Manager, on August 18, 2011: “I think we’ll probably, more than anything, look toward the trade market and see what we can do there (to get below the salary cap ceiling).”

The facts are simple. The Nashville Predators need a goal scorer. The Buffalo Sabres need to dump payroll. The Preds don’t usually like to give up roster players. The Sabres need to shed $3.6 million to get under the cap ceiling. Nashville could absorb $3.6 million and be just a tad over last year’s payroll. Buffalo has enough talent at the forward position to where some guys are expendable.

I mean, c’mon, the writing’s on the wall here.

The Sabres blog Die By the Blade put up an enlightening post last Friday stating that while Shaone Morrisonn and Ales Kotalik are the front runners to be waived en route to the minor leagues, Jason Pominville and Brad Boyes (among others) could be traded to get Buffalo under the cap. Both of those guys would be interesting additions, for different reasons.

Pominville, 28, has scored at least 20 goals in each of his past five seasons. He’s also got four years of 60+ points, including an 80 point campaign. The right wing is slated to make $5.3 million for the next three seasons, which means he wouldn’t be a rental player but a true long-term building block for the organization. Not to mention, at 28 years old, he’s in the prime of his career.

Boyes, on the other hand, is a former 43-goal scorer but has looked more and more like a one-hit wonder ever since. Sure he had the follow-up year of 72 points but 14 and 17 goals in the next two years, respectively, doesn’t warrant his $4 million deal. Of course, if the Predators brought him in in hopes that he could rekindle his scoring touch, 2011-12 is a contract year for the 29-year old center. And we all know what happens in contract years. But is it too risky for the Preds to go on faith? After all, they just bought out another guy who wasn’t worth the $4 million he was due (JP Dumont).

The obvious choice is Pominville. If Nashville could get him into a Predators sweater somehow, they would have an essential piece in place at the forward position; something they don’t have now. Sergei Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist and Mike Fisher are great, but none of them are 70 point guys. Pominville is. And has been. Taking on his large contract and sending a solid prospect the other way just might be worth the risk.

And hey, aren’t they still trying to woo Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne into staying in Music City long term? Guess what a stud forward would do in that regard.

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ALL SALARY CAP FIGURES ARE COURTESY OF CAPGEEK.COM

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PHOTO CREDIT: Bridget Samuels // special to section303.com (used with permission)

The bloggers participating are Dirk Hoag and Marc Torrence from On the Forecheck as well as Ryan Porth from Smashville24/7.

As always, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter and to subscribe via iTunes.  While you’re at iTunes, please rate and review us as well.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), In the Trunk (Too $hort), Str8 Gone (King Tee), Get Up (50-cent)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over), Wingate Media Group (consulting)

Additionally, Jeremy K. Gover gives you his initial reaction and thoughts to the proceedings as well as some options the Predators have at this point.

Don’t miss Friday’s episode of The 303:30 as we’ll have Codey Holland back in-studio as well as Predators blogger roundtable discussion on the entire Weber happenings! So be sure to subscribe via iTunes so you don’t miss it!

As always, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Me, Myself & I (De La Soul), Why Can’t We Be Friends (War), Kush (Dr. Dre)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over), Wingate Media Group (consulting)

Buddy Oakes of Preds On the Glass captured the moment on tape and, while you can’t hear the fan’s question very well, the moment is absolutely not to be missed.

In short, Trotz turns into a salesman (“You have to make a choice: have fun or no fun.”), Poile gives him a dose of reality (“Nashville has to want you.”) and, later on, Gnash comes into the stands with a new hat, puts it on his head and everyone in attendance stood in applause, welcoming the new fan to Music City.

NOTE: Fast forward to 9:07 of the clip and then, once they move onto another question, 12:25 for “the baptism.”

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

But, alas, Poile called in a few minutes later in order to keep his commitment. But then after joining The Sports Zone via phone, he then caused hearts to skip again (albeit for a different reason) when he told hosts Willy Daunic and George Plaster that the third defense pairing next season very well might be “all news kids. New to the NHL.”

Alright, so let’s look at the Preds and their defense combinations. As of right now, with no alterations, the lineup would be captain Shea Weber, alternate captain Ryan Suter on the top pairing and then Jonathon Blum and Kevin Klein on the second pairing. And since Shane O’Brien will not be asked back and Francis Bouillon is still dealing with concussion issues, that opens the door for four players.

Those four players? 2009 first round pick and emerging Canadian national treasure Ryan Ellis, Elitserien Rookie of the Year Mattias Ekholm, Milwaukee Admirals veteran Teemu Laakso and Milwaukee’s fourth leading scorer, the dynamic Swiss blueliner Roman Josi.

Of the four leading candidates, only Laakso has seen NHL action. He’s suited up for the Preds eight times in the past two seasons. Ekholm has played professional hockey but in Sweden. The fact that he posted 33 points in just 55 games in what is regarded as the second best league in the world, Ekholm has the inside track on the other three. Laakso has paid his dues in a system that believes in promoting from within. And then there’s one of the most decorated junior players in history: Ryan Ellis. Ellis still needs to prove that his small 5’10″, 175 pound frame can hold up against professional forwards. Once he does that, he should make the jump to the NHL and never look back.

If, in fact, the Predators start the season with Weber, Suter, Klein, Blum and two of the four guys listed above, it will be the first time in NHL history that a team has fielded an entire defense corps on opening night made up of homegrown talent. Poile mentioned wanting to do this same exact thing at the Skate of the Union two years ago, citing Weber, Suter, Dan Hamhuis, Klein, Laakso and Cody Franson. But then, when Franson was forced to miss the majority of training camp with an injury, Poile was forced to go out and sign Bouillon as a free agent, thereby dashing his dream.

But, according to his comments today, it looks like he might get to live that dream after all.

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THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW (courtesy of 104.5 the Zone) IS RIGHT HERE:

section303.com: Your table got a little frantic twice, especially at the end there. How close were you to anything and are you comfortable with waiting until tomorrow?
David Poile: Close only counts in horse shoes and dancing I guess. I mean, a lot of effort to see if we could move up but what’s the saying? “Some of the best trades are the ones you don’t make?” We’ll see. We’re still in good position. We’ve got the two picks tomorrow in the second round and we’ve still got a lot of players we like a lot so it should be a good second round for us. And, you know, we’re probably going to talk to some teams when we get back to the hotel tonight, we’ll get reorganized and… that’s where we are.

303: The one or two players that you were trying to get, are they still on the board?
DP: Oh there are a couple players that are still available, yes for sure, that we really like. That’s what’s neat about the draft, the talent and the ratings are in the eye of the beholder. We all have a little bit of different ratings. Especially the further you go in the draft it seems to break off so let’s keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow.

303: How much do you spectate to the draft when you don’t have a pick?
DP: Oh definitely. You look at our list compared to what really happens and Central’s (Scouting) list. You know, I’ve been doing this for a lot of years so you know that there are going to be players that slip through either in the general rating, if you will, or in your own ratings. That’s why it’s always good to have lots of picks if you can. And that’s why it’s frustrating when you don’t have a first pick. But, again, you gotta pay the price and there’s no regrets to getting Mike Fisher for our first pick.

303: Lastly, this is only the second time in the franchise’s history that you haven’t had a first round pick. What’s it like to sit there and watch the first round go by?
DP: Well it’s not good because that’s our bread and butter so we don’t like that. Plus, our scouts do such a great job you want to reward them with having as many picks as possible. Like I said, it’s frustrating but we did the right thing. I mean, if we hadn’t made the trade for Mike Fisher I really don’t think we would’ve made the playoffs. And not only did we make the playoffs but we won in the first round so we just need to remember what got us here.

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

Out of four nominees, only Pekka Rinne (Vezina Trophy) remains as the other three Nashville representatives have lost.

Going into the night, it looked like Shea Weber was one of the favorites to win the Norris Trophy. But Nicklas Lidstrom beat him out by a mere nine points in the closest vote since 1996. Then it looked like Barry Trotz, who managed to steer his injury-decimated team into the playoffs, had a chance. But he finished in third. Now General Manager David Poile’s turn came and he suffered the same fate as his coach, finishing third in the voting.

Poile, the only repeat nominee in the two-year history of the award, received 55 points (six first place votes, six second place votes and seven third place votes). Vancouver’s Mike Gillis, tallied 96 points (including 14 first place votes) in the runaway victory. Steve Yzerman, in his first year as a GM, finished just ahead of Poile with 61 points.

While it’s highly unlikely, Rinne’s turn to break the shutout is next.

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

section303.com: This is your second year in a row being nominated — and only the second year of the award — so talk a little bit about what this nomination means to you.
David Poile: Well, what it means to me, is the special part of this is that this is the one award that the General Managers get to vote on so this is a recognition by your peers. Regardless of what business you’re in, whenever you have some sort of positive comments or recognition by the people you work with, that’s very good. It’s a feel good situation for me to be nominated. But that’s for me. For our franchise, it clearly represents the fact that we have four people here and that we’re making progress and we’re certainly heading in the right direction. That’s reflected by making the playoffs six of the past seven years and, this year, winning our first playoff round. Nashville, Tennessee is a young franchise that hasn’t gotten a lot of recognition. The fact that we have these two players and have Barry (Trotz) and myself here today is really a big stepping stone in the right direction for us believing, our fans believing and maybe even the hockey world believing that the Nashville franchise is a good franchise.

303: Is that something that you pay attention to? How the Nashville Predators look to the hockey world?
DP: Oh of course. We’re an international sport and you have to grow the game in all sorts of different ways so, as a member of the league, we have to do everything we can to make Nashville a stronger franchise. A team not too dissimilar to us is the Atlanta Thrashers. And they’re now in Winnipeg. We’ve had our share of ups and downs in our franchise. Everything from the ownership change to the rumors or possibilities that we’re moving to now where we are today. That’s part of what of our job is. You’ve got to play well on the ice and you’ve got to make things happen off the ice to have a franchise be successful. A couple years ago there was a lot of questions to the viability of the Nashville Predators. Today, we’re talking in a positive vein. We’re doing really well on the ice, we had more sell outs than we’ve ever had I think — we went from four to something like 16 sellouts this year — our renewals have been very strong to this point, so a lot of things are starting to track really well for the Predators and just being here is reflective of that.

303: Please squash the rumor that, if you re-sign him, Marcel Goc is the so-called “replacement” for Matthew Lombardi.
DP: We’ve talked to Goc about a contract and we just re-signed Cal O’Reilly. I mean I think, in my own mind, if Lombardi came back, I could certainly see him more easily playing the wing than at center. I think this falls under “let’s get some quality over the quantity” and then we’ll figure it out. We’re short a top six forward so if we get Lombardi back maybe he starts on the fourth line and works his way up.

303: Loyalty isn’t something you hear everyday in pro sports anymore. Is that something you hope Shea (Weber) sees in Nashville? A family atmosphere that he wants to be loyal to?
DP: Well loyalty is a big word. We shouldn’t throw it around lightly because loyalty is always a two way street. And again, this is a business. And a business means it’s about money. You just have to do your best to work that balance. But you clearly know — and the fans know and the hockey world knows — that we like to promote from within. We are proud of the fact that our entry level guys make up the majority of our team. And, if possible, we want to keep the guys that we have. That’s the “Predator way.”

303: Is this a fun event for you considering the draft is a mere three days away?
DP: I think you just said it right. It’s a fun event. I mean, it’s an honor to be here but I must admit, my mind is going onto what’s going on in (St. Paul) on Friday and Saturday. That’s actually partly why I’m sitting here is how well we’ve done *laughs* at the draft. Whether it’s drafting players or making trades or what have you. Again, all 30 teams are represented, all the managers are there, players get signed, players get traded, draft choices get flipped around… I’m anxious to get there.

303: Finally, the draft is in a couple days. You don’t have a first round pick.
DP: I’ve already been approached by a couple of clubs asking about a couple of our younger players for a first round pick. Having said that, I wouldn’t really anticipate it but you never know when you go to the draft. There’s so many things that get thrown your way. I’m comfortable at this point in time with the depth that we have. I would love to have a first round pick but, having said that, we still have pretty good depth. There’s a time and place to pay off your debts and this might be one of them.

303: Thank you and congratulations again.
DP: Thank you.

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

And here we are again this year.

Poile, the only General Manager this franchise has ever known, has been named a finalist in the 2011 version of the award along with Mike Gillis of the Vancouver Canucks and Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Phoenix Coyotes’ Don Maloney won the honor in 2010 and now Poile, the only back-to-back candidate, will try to win it in 2011.

And why shouldn’t he?

All he did since losing out on the award last year was unload captain Jason Arnott‘s $4.5 million contract to the New Jersey Devils, ship out two guys he wasn’t going to re-sign anyway in Dustin Boyd and Dan Ellis in exchange for troubled Montreal forward Sergei Kostitsyn, acquire Shane O’Brien to shore up the blueline and sign big name free agent Matthew Lombardi to help the club offensively.

While Lombardi got a concussion just four periods into his Preds career, Kostitsyn (who made less than tough guy Wade Belak, by the way) went on to tie Martin Erat for the team lead in scoring. That move alone, really, warrants Poile the GM of the Year crown. I mean, let’s face it, he turned a depth-forward in Boyd and a back-up goaltender in Ellis into the team’s leading goal scorer. All while making the most storied franchise in the National Hockey League, the Montreal Canadiens (who couldn’t wait to get rid of him), look silly.

The Arnott deal, the O’Brien acquisition and the promise of a healthy Lombardi are all just gravy compared to that.

I would normally mention the rookies that have stepped up in near-desperate situations due to the absence of injured players but that’s more Head Coach Barry Trotz’s territory. So I’ll leave that argument for when Trotz is nominated for the Jack Adams Award.

To read the NHL.com article on the GM of the Year finalists, CLICK HERE.

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PHOTO CREDIT: The Tennessean (used with permission)

At one point this morning, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Preds had unloaded JP Dumont‘s $4.5 million contract but had also parted ways with blue chip prospect Ryan Ellis in exchange for Toronto forward Clarke MacArthur. That never happened.

Once the deadline has passed, Rogers Sportsnet mentioned that the Predators were interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Mason Raymond as well.

Nashville was also heavily rumored (for weeks) to be interested in Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ladislav Smid but didn’t get that deal done either.

General Manager David Poile has a press conference in a little over a half hour from now. It’ll be interesting to see if he says anything other than the standard “Mike Fisher was our deadline addition” and “if we get Cal O’Reilly or Matthew Lombardi back, that’ll be just as good as trading for someone” lines.

So, are you happy with the Predators standing pat on deadline day? Do you trust that Poile was asked for too much in return? What say you, Preds fans?

If you don’t recognize Fisher’s name, perhaps you will by his nickname. “Mr. Carrie Underwood.”

The 30-year old Peterbourgh, Ontario native has never scored more than 53 points in a season and has a cap hit of $4.2 million. He has two more years left on his current deal as well.

While a lot of fans are happy about this move based on the fact that the team didn’t have to give up any roster players or prospects to land the centerman, I am skeptical. Fisher is not exactly a scoring machine, he’s never scored more than 25 goals in a season and he’s a consistent 50-pt guy. All those traits remind you of who? David Legwand? Martin Erat? Former Pred Jason Arnott? To me, it’s just “more of the same” and it didn’t really address the “scoring need” this team has. Did it help solve the injury problem at center? Absolutely. Did it bring in a guy with playoff experience? Sure. But did it really address the main need? No. And now the Preds have just another 30-something, 50-pt producer who has a long-term deal.

Given the fact that Poile didn’t have to part with any players to get Fisher, however, I will reserve judgment on this deal because, who knows, maybe under non-Canadian media scrutiny the guy blows up? It’s happened before (see: Lee Stempniak).

The conditional pick, TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting, is a 2011 third round pick if the Preds advance to the second round of the playoffs. It turns into second round pick if they advance further than that.

In what appears to be a completely seperate deal, the Pittsburgh Penguins have also traded prospect Casey Pierro-Zabotel to Nashville. We’re still awaiting word on went the other way, if anything. The Preds have assigned “CPZ” to their ECHL-affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones.

Pierro-Zabotel was a teammate of Nashville prospect Jonathan Blum‘s for two seasons with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.

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PHOTO CREDIT: The Tennessean (used with permission)

So who’s out there for the Nashville Predators to target? What forward would actually be an upgrade from what’s on the roster now?

General Manager David Poile is known for making lateral moves at the trade deadline. In 2008 it was Jan Hlavac. In 2010 it was Dustin Boyd and Denis Grebeshkov. Matter of fact, not since he went out and got Peter Forsberg in the 2006-07 season has Poile went to the plate looking for a homerun and hit one.

Which begs the question: do the Predators follow the pattern they’ve set for themselves and just acquire a depth forward? Does Poile actively try to fill the “scoring winger” hole that’s been a need on this hockey team for years? Or do the Preds stand pat and consider the re-addition of Cal O’Reilly and (hopefully) Matthew Lombardi into the lineup their “deadline moves?”

Thanks to recent radio interviews with C.E.O. Jeff Cogan and C.F.O. Sean Henry, it’s pretty clear the GM has the freedom to go out and get whoever he feels would make the team better. Poile, himself, has even stated that he’d like to add “a top six forward.” So, going on that, let’s look at 10 players who are rumored to be available and whether or not they could help the Predators in their quest to advance past the first round in franchise history. 

PLAYER #1 – Mike Fisher (Ottawa Senators)
Let’s just get this one out of the way now. This is the easiest trade rumor to come up with thanks to his marriage to Nashville-resident Carrie Underwood. I mean, let’s be honest, who would want to be “Mr. Carrie Underwood” but live 1,030 miles away from her? Anyway, point is, it’s an easy connection to make when trying to come up with “feasible” deadline day rumors.

Here’s the facts, however. Fisher’s cap hit is $4.2 million for the next two seasons beyond this one. He’ll be 31 years old this summer and he’s only scored more than 50 points in a season once. He also has a no-trade clause in his contract, allowing him to dictate where, if anywhere, he’s traded. Alright now, at first glance, who does all that remind you of? A guy who’ll be in his 30′s this summer, makes over $4 million a year, maxes out at 50+ points and who has an NTC?

That’s right, our very own Martin Erat.

So, knowing that the Preds would only be saving $0.3 million in cap space for probably the same offensive production, you’d only be making this move if it were believed that a change of scenery would do Fisher good. Add to that, if you’re going to bring in a contact of that size, you need to move a contract of that size. Which, if you’re Poile, leaves you JP Dumont, Erat, David Legwand and Shea Weber. It goes without saying Weber’s not going anywhere, Erat and Legwand give you almost the exact same production year-in and year-out so that’d be pointless and while Fisher would be an upgrade over Dumont, JP has next to zero trade value with his current price tag. That’s not to mention all those guys (sans Weber) would have to waive their no-trade or no-move clauses to be dealt.

BOTTOM LINE ON MIKE FISHER: Too expensive for what he’d bring.

PLAYER #2 - Jason Arnott (New Jersey Devils)
Another easy trade rumor. This one spearheaded by Eklund over at HockeyBuzz.com who, you know, is always right.

*rolls eyes*

First of all, Arnott has that monster $4.5 million contract Poile smartly – and miraculously – moved last summer and the Preds can’t afford that kind of money for that kind of production. Secondly, how would it be in the locker room when Weber, the captain, had to talk to Arnott, the former captain? Thirdly, in return, the Devils are going to want some young talent to re-build their club with. What would Nashville be willing to give up to get a player of Arnott’s advanced age back? Not much.

BOTTOM LINE ON JASON ARNOTT: Nashville was thrilled to get rid of him in the first place. We don’t want him back.

PLAYER #3 - Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)
This one falls under the “pipe dream” category. The Predators would love to bring in a guy like Parise. He’s a consistent 30+ goal guy, he’s been a point-per-game player for the past two regular seasons as well as a point-per-game player for the past four playoffs, he’s a former 45 goal scorer on a traditionally defensive-minded team, he’s only 26 years old, his cap hit is only $3.1 million, he’d fit that “scoring winger” need the Preds have always had and, when his contract expires this summer, he’ll be a restricted free agent. What’s not to love?

What’s not to love is the cost to get him. It’ll take more than a high draft pick to pry Parise away from Jersey.

To part with Parise, an RFA or not, the Devils are going to be demanding high value. Like, ridiculously high. Like, Ryan Ellis high. Would David Poile be willing to part with a bluechip defensive prospect like Ellis to add a key cog to the offense? I think the answer is simple. A resounding “YES!” if they can sign him to a long-term deal. A resounding “NO WAY!” if he’d just be a rental. But… if Poile could bring Parise into the fold by signing him long term, (assuming he also re-signs Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne) all of a sudden, Nashville has the building blocks to compete year-in and year-out in the National Hockey League. Ryan Ellis could be the key to that success, just not as they had originally planned. Besides, Parise is a bonafide star now while Ellis might become one later. That makes it pretty cut and dry, don’t you think?

BOTTOM LINE ON ZACH PARISE: The ceiling is so high with Parise that he’s the only player on this list that I would gladly give up Ryan Ellis to get. But again, only if it means he’s not a rental.

PLAYER #4 - Devin Setoguchi (San Jose Sharks)
This one seems great. Just a year ago Preds fans would’ve loved to have seen Setoguchi in a Nashville sweater. What a difference a year makes, eh? In 2008-09, the Taber, Alberta-native burst onto the scene by scoring 31 goals and registering 65 points in his first full NHL season. Then, on this date last year, Setoguchi had 25 points in 47 games. A little dip in production but not by much. Here we are one year later and he just now posted his 20th point. Add to that, he’s in the middle of a six-game scoring streak (seight points) which means, in the 39 games before the streak, he had only found the scoresheet 12 times.

Now I know he’s just 24 years old but doesn’t that look like the makings of a one-hit wonder to you? It’s a very Jonathan Cheechoo-esque story to me. Plus, he’s been on the offensive juggernaut that is the San Jose Sharks. What would he do in a defensive-first system like the Predators?

BOTTOM LINE ON DEVIN SETOGUCHI: His cap hit is reasonable at $1.8 million but would the Preds really be upgrading? I think not.

PLAYER #5 - Tim Connolly (Buffalo Sabres)
Ahhh Tim Connolly. Tons of talent and rarely a healthy season. The last thing the Predators need is more injuries. Lombardi (concussion), O’Reilly (broken fibula), Marek Svatos (lower-body injury) and Jordin Tootoo (personal matters) are all currently on the shelf while Erat, Rinne, Legwand, Suter, Francis Bouillon and Steve Sullivan have all missed significant time with injuries this year.

Since the lockout, Connolly has suffered a laundry list of injuries that include, but not limited to: concussions, bone spurs in his hip, two cracked vertebrae, a broken rib, groin issues…. Do I need to go on? And all of those have happened in the past six seasons so, really, what we have here is a player who can’t stay healthy for any length of time. Why would Poile want to bring in a guy who’s consistently hurt when that’s the exact reason he needs to be active at the deadline in the first place? With a $4.5 million cap hit, no less.

Additionally, in his 10-year NHL career, Connolly has only played in three playoffs. His 21 career playoff points in 30 games isn’t bad but, again, are we sure he wouldn’t suffer another injury before April?

BOTTOM LINE ON TIM CONNOLLY: If the Predators were healthy, it might be worth the gamble to get a top six forward talent like Connolly. But, since they’re not, it’s too much of a risk.

PLAYER #6 - Ales Hemsky (Edmonton Oilers)
The pro’s: He’s basically a point-per-game player, he’s got a decent plus/minus on a terrible team, he’s only 27-years old so he’s just now entering his prime, he’s got another year on his contract so he’s not a rental and his cap hit is less than Erat’s, Legwand’s and Weber’s.

The con’s: He’s more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, he missed almost all of last season with a shoulder injury and, even worse, missed almost all of December with a concussion.

The Pardubice, Czech Republic-native has been a teammate of Erat’s several times in various international tournaments and even won a bronze medal with the Predator winger at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Perhaps the two of them could find some chemistry together wearing the same sweater once again.

Speculation aside, Hemsky would be a tremendous addition to the Predators offense. He’s that “top six forward” Poile says he’s looking for, he’s an exciting player that can bring fans out of their seats, he shows up on the scoresheet more often than not and was one of Edmonton’s top players in their Stanley Cup Final run in 2006. And, considering he hasn’t seen the playoffs since then, one would think Hemsky is ithching to get back to the post season.

BOTTOM LINE ON ALES HEMSKY: With a $4.1 million cap hit and the fact that he has one more year left on his contract, if he’s available, I can’t see why David Poile and the Preds wouldn’t pick him up. He’s not worth mortgaging the future on (i.e. Ryan Ellis) but were the Oilers to want Jon Blum or Roman Josi, I think you have to pull the trigger.

PLAYER #7 - Dustin Penner (Edmonton Oilers)
While we’re talking about Edmonton, let’s just go ahead and address Penner. Penner has never had a season like Hemsky traditionally has. The closest he ever came to Hemsky-like numbers was his career-best 2009-10 season when he tallied 32 goals and 63 points. Other than last year, his career high was 47. Not exactly worth the $4.2 million cap hit, in my opinion.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good things about Penner. He’s only 28-years old so he’s in the prime of his career, he’s got good size for a winger (6’4″, 245 lbs), he’s durable (he’s only missed four games due to injury his entire career), he had his best season just last year and he’s much more of a finisher and a goal scorer than Hemsky is. Penner would fill that “goal scoring winger” need pretty well as he averages 27 goals per season and has only scored under 20 once (17 in 78 games in 2008-09).

BOTTOM LINE ON DUSTIN PENNER: While he wouldn’t be my favorite bang-for-the-buck option, Penner might just fit in well in Music City. As long as the price is right, I think he’d be a welcome addition.

PLAYER #8 - Niclas Bergfors (Atlanta Thrashers)
I’ve written about Bergfors coming to Nashville before. Back in November, there were all kinds of rumors that the Thrashers were shopping the dynamic young Swede. A little early for “trade deadline rumors” to surface which raised a red flag regarding his work ethic and attitude. What did Atlanta bench boss Craig Ramsay see in Bergfors that made him expendable?

Before we get to that though, let’s talk about what makes Bergfors attractive to the Predators. Number one, he’s a goal scorer. He scored 21 goals while splitting time between two offensively-challenged clubs in New Jersey and Atlanta last season. Number two, his cap hit is only $900,000. Even if they trade for him and find out three games in that he’s not going to work out, no harm no foul. Number three, he won’t be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. If he does work out, the Preds could keep him for at least one more year at a bargain price thanks to his RFA status. Number four, he’s only 23 years old which means he could be a key component for the organization going forward. Again, if he works out. And, finally at number five, according to USA Today’s Kevin Allen, the Thrashers aren’t expecting a player back when they deal Bergfors. All Poile would have to do is part with a draft pick (maybe New Jersey’s second rounder?) in order to kick the tires.

Now for the negatives. He’s not exactly a two-way player. He’s never registered a positive plus/minus rating in his short career and he’s currently a minus-7 player on a team that boasts 13 plus- or even- rated players. Also, he was involved in the Kovalchuk deal which could mean one of two things. 1) New Jersey was willing to throw him into a deal to make it work or 2) Atlanta really wanted him included and now wants to get rid of him. Neither of those are good.

BOTTOM LINE ON NICLAS BERGFORS: A lot of question marks surround Bergfors but the low price tag, the minimal cap hit and the RFA status give Poile and the Preds a lot of options.

PLAYER #9 - Kristian Huselius (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Huselius is 32 years old, he was a healthy scratch on a pretty bad Blue Jackets team earlier this year, he’d become the highest paid player (cap hit) on the team and he’s got the second worse plus/minus rating on Columbus. On top of all that, he’s got one more year on his contract so he wouldn’t even be a rental which, of course, means the Blue Jackets would want something significant in return. After all, they could not trade him and use his services through next season.

And I haven’t even brought up the whole you-never-trade-within-your-own-division argument.

BOTTOM LINE ON KRISTIAN HUSELIUS: The guy can score goals, that’s for sure, but for what it would cost and for the cap hit, there’s just no way this is smart.

PLAYER #10 - Clarke MacArthur (Toronto Maple Leafs)
At first blush, I wasn’t impressed with this possibility. MacArthur was very much an average player until he signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with Toronto this past summer. All he’s done in a Leafs sweater so far is bag 44 points to lead his team in scoring, rattle off a career high in assists (27) and tie his career high for goals (17).

But is this a one-hit wonder in the making? I’m not so sure. He’s not exactly skating with the Sedin twins. He’s on Toronto! And, at 25, he’s about to enter the prime of his career and these numbers could suggest that’s happening right in front of our eyes. If so, the Predators would be doing themselves a service by bringing in a guy like MacArthur who should be able to help a struggling Nashville offense score some goals. And, with his RFA status this summer, if he succeeds in Music City, he could be given a qualifying offer to stay. If he falls flat on his face, Poile and the Preds could release his rights.

BOTTOM LINE ON CLARKE MacARTHUR: Leafs GM Brian Burke is going to drive a hard bargain. Always. So you have to assume, for the Preds to get Toronto’s leading scorer, it’s going to take a lot. Probably too much.

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PHOTO CREDIT: The Tennessean (used with permission)

So here’s the question: Niclas Bergfors, 23, is a former first round pick (New Jersey, 2005), is currently eighth on the Thrashers in scoring (7 goals, 11 assists, 18 points) and tallied 21 goals between two offensively challenged teams last year. If brought in, his 18 points would immediately tie him with Cal O’Reilly for second on the Predators and his 21 goals last season would’ve tied him for second in that category as well.

It’s no secret the Preds need some scoring help. Whether it be because they’ve scored the least amount of goals in the Western Conference (85), because they’re currently decimated by injuries to their top forwards or because they haven’t scored more than one goal in any one game since December 17, wouldn’t it behoove General Manager David Poile to bring in a guy like Bergfors? Especially considering the price of just a draft pick or a prospect? The 23-year old Swede is making less than $1 million this year and he becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season. If he doesn’t work out, no harm no foul, really.

The question remains though: why is he on the trade block already? Is it an attitude issue? Is he too offensive minded? Is it purely a “his contract is expiring” thing? Typically, with players that would be rentals, their clubs like to get the most out of them before they ship them out at the trade deadline. While that still may be the case in Atlanta, you have to admit, it’s pretty early to be hearing active trade rumors surrounding a player.

So, is this the “finisher” the Predators have been looking for? Yes, he’s not a true “finisher” but, let’s face it, on this team, he’d be as close as it gets. What do you say Nashville? From what you’ve seen of him, what you’ve heard and what you’ve read here, should the Preds go out and get Niclas Bergfors?

Leave your thoughts, opinions and comments below.

Let’s hope they can each win one in Nashville.

Jeff Cogen and Sean Henry were officially introduced this afternoon as the CEO and President/COO, respectively, of the Nashville Predators.

Cogen comes to Music City via the Dallas Stars organization where he served as the Stars’ President and alternate league governor. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also a Board Member overseeing the operation of American Airlines Center when it was built in the wake of the Stars’ “Stanley Cup win” in 1999 (sorry for the quotation marks but Brett Hull’s foot was in the crease).

In what was probably a calculated move, Cogen was quick to point out to 104.5 The Zone that he “watched from afar” during the sparing of words between Jordin Tootoo and Stars owner Tom Hicks. If you recall, Tootoo absolutely destroyed Stephane Robidas when he was coming to the aid of Mike Modano back on March 17, 2007.

(Modano is now a Red Wing, by the way. I know that has nothing to do with this topic but I just wanted to feed the hatred a little. It’s good for the passion during the off-season.)

But I digress.

While it may appear to some that Cogen was just fleeing the burning ship that is the Stars organization, that’s not necessarily true. Sure the ownership is in trouble. Sure career Stars Modano, Marty Turco and Jere Lehtinen weren’t asked back. But we have to remember that Cogen’s contract was up this past June so it’s not like he snuck out in the middle of the night with ill-will towards the powers that be in Big D. While the financial situation of the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers probably helped his decision, Cogen left under his own power and is now a proud member of the Nashville Predators.

And he wants to win with the Nashville Predators too. While flashing his Stanley Cup ring to the throng of media inside the Patron Platinum Club he said “Let’s bring one of these to Nashville and I assure you, we’ll plan a great parade.”

Too bad he wasn’t in front of a throng of fans. The roof would’ve blown off.

Senior Vice President Gerry Helper introduces Jeff Cogan and Sean Henry to the media at the Patron Platinum Club.

But this wasn’t just Cogen’s formal introduction. There was a second person being introduced as well. The only thing is, the Predators started off only looking for one guy.

“We decided in the process that we’d go beyond just a CEO because we met Sean Henry,” said Predators Chairman Tom Cigarran. “We decided to try and get two people and make a commitment at a leadership level that would make this organization arguably one of the top hockey organizations in the league.”

Henry comes to the Preds via the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. He’d been with the Bolts since 1999, serving as the team and arena COO. In a non-traditional hockey market like Nashville, Tampa saw dramatic increases in ticket sales, sponsorships and revenue during his stint with the club; three things of which Henry excels at.

“Thank you Tom. Thank you for hiring two people and not just one,” Henry joked. “I couldn’t be more thankful for joining such a great organization. It’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be special.”

Cigarran added, “We made exactly two offers. And we got two acceptances. That says something about the community, the team and the people that are already here.”

So while the obvious threads to both hires were “championships” and “non-traditional hockey markets,” why were they looking for a CEO at all when almost every hockey organization has one of the owners acting as the CEO?

“I don’t know of any (hockey organizations) that work this way,” said Cigarran. “But we’re not going to do it that way. We’re going to have a Chief Executive Officer who reports to the Board. He’ll run the business operations of the team and the Board won’t. The Board will act like a Board of Directors of a normal company and that’s different from hockey. We decided (as an ownership group) that if we didn’t do that, we weren’t giving this franchise the opportunity to be as good as it could be.”

Cigarran said it became pretty obvious that they needed to reach outside the ownership group.

“Jeff and Sean sat down and starting asking ‘Where do we stand with this? Where do we stand with that?’ Within about two minutes, (I realized) I didn’t know what they were talking about. They were talking a different language. I’d have to spend 15 years in the business in order to get there. And the other owners agreed, we didn’t have the experience. We’re good at almost everything we do and we could be egotists and just say ‘ah, we’re smart, we’re just gonna (figure it out)’ but it’s not fair to the team. We’re determined to make this successful so we decided we’re going to do it the right way.”

When asked how big of a factor experience in a non-traditional hockey market was, Cigarran told section303.com “We wanted somebody who had made it work in a non-traditional hockey market and, in particular, in one where football was the biggest competitor. You want to compete with the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to marketing? You want to compete with the Florida Gators and Tampa Bay Buccaneers? We’re not hiring people hoping things work, we’re confident they’re going to work.”

These moves, of course, mean that Ed Lang will be moving on. After 13 years with the franchise (including being the first ever hire in the Nashville organization), the Preds suggested that he might not continue his career in sports.

Fun fact: According to their official website, Henry’s last day as a member of the Lightning is slated for August 20.

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

After a few trades and a free agent signing, General Manager David Poile has transformed that top line center into a 28-year old, up-and-coming, hard working and fast skating center, a 22-year old right wing prospect, a second round pick and $1 million in annual savings.

Not bad for two weeks work, eh?

On the afternoon of June 19, Preds captain Jason Arnott was shipped back to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Matt Halischuk and a 2011 pick. Then, on July 2, Poile inked former Phoenix Coyotes center Matthew Lombardi to a three-year, $10.5 million deal.

The pros: Lombardi is just entering his prime at 28-years old. On top of that, he’s one of the fastest skaters in the league, he’s a hard worker, he’s a solid two-way player and should immediately help the putrid Nashville power play that ranked 24th in the NHL last season.

The cons: With Arnott gone, it appeared as if the logjam at center had been unclogged. David Legwand, Colin Wilson, Marcel Goc and Cal O’Reilly were set to center the four lines in Music City while Jerred Smithson and Nick Spaling would more than likely play wing and/or center on the penalty kill units. Instead, with the addition of Lombardi, Legwand, Wilson and Goc look to round out the top four lines with Smithson, Spaling and O’Reilly being the victims of a numbers game. Who gets left out? Is Smithson traded? Is Spaling sent back to the Milwaukee Admirals despite his tremendous work ethic and stellar penalty killing? Is O’Reilly this year’s perma-scratch like he was at the end of last season.

And then there’s also the concern about Lombardi’s salary. Is this deja-vu for Preds fans who saw both Legwand and Erat have career seasons in their contract years then turn around and sign long-term, $4.5 million/year deals before disappearing? Sure, they’re not terrible players by any means but they don’t exactly earn their $4.5 million cap hits, let alone their no-trade clauses. Lombardi could be in the same boat. He’s only had one 50-point season in his six-year NHL career and, oh hey look, it was last year. Secondly, Nashville needs goal scoring. He only has one 20-goal season and that was back in 2006-07 when two guys named Jerome Iginla and Alex Tanguay were his linemates.

But, let’s just say the Montreal native tallies just 50 points this year. Is that so bad? It’s not exactly what Preds fans are hoping for but it’s better than the alternative. The alternative was Arnott – who made $1 million more – who only scored 46 points last season. Also remember that Legwand – who makes $1 million more – only scored 38 points. And remember that Erat – who makes $1 million more – only scored 49 points.

In short, compared to the top paid Nashville forwards, Lombardi is a steal, even if he maintains his recent production.

Point, David Poile.

Now let’s talk about Dan Ellis. A fan favorite in Music City who has moved onto the Tampa Bay Lightning via free agency. But his signing in the state of Florida didn’t come before Poile traded his negotiating rights to the Montreal Canadiens (with Dustin Boyd‘s rights as well) for right winger Sergei Kostitsyn.

Kostitsyn is a restricted free agent that hasn’t signed with Nashville as of yet but he has been in contact with the Predators and, according to Poile on the Thom Abraham Show this past Friday, conversations have been positive. While he hasn’t exactly lit it up in the NHL, the 23-year old shows plenty of offensive potential. He posted an amazing 131 points one year in junior and then, more recently, led his countrymen at the past Olympics with five points in four games for Belarus.

Surprisingly, his production in the Winter Games, and not his 131 point season in junior, best proves that potential. The Olympics are games against other professional hockey players and not under-sized, yet-to-fill-out 17 and 18-year olds. Add to that, Belarus had only four NHL players on their roster and, therefore, wasn’t exactly a favorite. On one of the worst teams in Vancouver, Kostitsyn still scored at better than a point-per-game clip and actually finished the tournament with a plus-2 rating. Also, he was third among Belarussian forwards in total ice time.

The Predators are getting that kind of potential in exchange for a center who had a poor audition in a Preds sweater and a back-up goalie who wasn’t going to re-sign in Nashville anyway?

Point, David Poile.

And what about that highly-coveted guy named Dan Hamhuis? The Predators and Hamhuis “weren’t anywhere close” as far as contract negotiations went so Poile “pulled a Poile” by sending his exclusive negotiating rights to the Philadelphia Flyers. Nashville got their own 2005 first round pick Ryan Parent back in return; a guy that had under achieved in the Flyers system to say the least.

If you recall, a deal was on the table at the trade deadline this past March that saw Hamhuis going to Philadelphia in exchange for Parent among other related assets. Not only did Poile roll the dice by keeping Hamhuis in Music City for the playoff run and then, eventually, the playoffs, but he was still able to get Parent even after retaining Hamhuis’ services for the rest of the year.

The best part? The Preds sent a conditional seventh round pick in 2011 to the Flyers along with Hamhuis. The condition? They’d only get the pick if Philadelphia wasn’t able to sign him. Well, just moments after the first round of the NHL Draft ended on Friday, June 25, Hamhuis’ rights were dealt again, this time to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Apparently the Flyers “weren’t anywhere close” either and so they shipped him across the state of Pennsylvania, which, in turn, meant Nashville wasn’t even out a draft choice.

(And, if you’re doubting how important a seventh round draft choice is, consider this: Nashville’s leading goal scorer in 2009-10 was Patric Hornqvist. “Horn Dog” was drafted 230th overall in 2005, which makes him – you guessed it – a seventh round draft choice.)

So, in summary, Poile was able to keep Hamhuis in town for the playoff run, still got the Flyers roster player he wanted and didn’t lose a draft pick.

Point, David Poile.

Whoever thought getting something out of nothing was impossible never met Poile. He turned, in total, three players that weren’t going to re-sign in Nashville anyway into two (potential) roster players and then upgraded the top center position by shaving off seven years of age and $1 million annually.

Head Coach Barry Trotz, all of a sudden it seems like, has three lines he can roll that can produce offense. Assuming Hornqvist re-signs and a deal gets finalized with Kostitsyn, the 2010-11 Nashville forward lines should look something like this:

Steve Sullivan- Wilson – Hornqvist
Kostitsyn – Lombardi – Erat
JP Dumont- Legwand – Jonas Andersson
Jordin Tootoo- Goc/Smithson – Joel Ward

The talented O’Reilly would be relegated, once again, to perma-scratch duty and Spaling would be sent to Milwaukee and assume the front of the ”recall” line. And, if those two valuable guys are forced out of the equation, the Preds appear to be in great shape.

Game, set and match, David Poile.

Section303.com‘s own Jeremy K. Gover, the Three Oakes Mafia from Preds On The Glass, and Ryan Porth from Red Light District Hockey will be avoiding a situation like “The Hangover” while covering the NHL Awards and NHL Entry Draft.  Lucky huh?  Never fear my friends, the Nashville Predators have a solution for those of us melting in Middle Tennessee this week.

PREDS TO HOST DRAFT PARTY IN COOL SPRINGS ON FRIDAY

Nashville, Tenn. (June 22, 2010) – The Nashville Predators will be hosting a Draft Party on Friday, June 25 at the Athletic Club Sports Bar and Grille at the Embassy Suites Nashville South – Cool Springs. The event is free to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. CT.

Join broadcasters Tom Callahan and Pete Weber, mascot GNASH, and the Predators Dancers as we catch a glimpse of the NHL stars of tomorrow. Enjoy giveaways and an opportunity to join fellow Predators fans to see who the team will select in the first round with the 18th overall pick.

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft will take place in Los Angeles at STAPLES Center. Be sure to follow nashvillepredators.com for the most comprehensive team draft coverage from L.A., including previews, scouting insights from Predators management, reaction from selected players and much more.

WHAT: Nashville Predators 2010 Draft Party

WHEN: Friday, June 25, 6 p.m. CT

WHERE: Embassy Suites Nashville South – Cool Springs, 820 Crescent Centre Drive, Franklin, TN 37067 (map it)

WHO: Broadcasters Tom Callahan and Pete Weber, mascot GNASH, and the Predators Dancers

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Easter Egg: Did anyone notice on the map link how Psychiatric Solutions, Inc is prominently displayed?  I think it’ll be needed if we draft another defenseman.

The NHL handed out it’s inaugural GM of the Year Award today and it went to the Phoenix Coyotes’ Don Maloney.

Poile and the Washington Capitals’ George McPhee were also in the running.

The finalists were announced back on May 6 and there had been little debate on who lead the way. Maloney led the Coyotes into the playoffs for the first time since 2002, had the league’s best (and most surprising) goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov and made a bunch of what proved to be brilliant moves at the trade deadline, all culminating into the fourth best record in the mighty Western Conference.

But, for some, the conspiracy rumors rage on.

After a bitter legal battle with Jim Balsille and Make it Seven, the NHL assumed control of the franchise and Phoenix went from a cash-strapped non-traditional market franchise to a wheeling-and-dealing one at the trade deadline. They brought in young star Wojtek Wolski from Colorado, former Coyote Derek Morris from Boston, veteran blueliner Mathieu Schneider from Vancouver, Lee Stempniak from Toronto (who resurrected his career after the trade) and a couple others. This was where the conspiracy theories truly begun. How can a team who draws 8,000 a night (less than half of capacity) afford to go out and get four recognizable names for a couple low-end guys and a handful of draft picks? Where is that money coming from?

(Well, the answer is “the NHL” but that was supposed to be a rhetorical question.)

Now, nobody can argue the job Head Coach Dave Tippet has done. Let’s be honest with ourselves, he turned a rag tag group of guys into a playoff contender through the belief they could do it. And do it they did. Tippet deserves the Jack Adams Award come June 23 in Las Vegas. But Don Maloney as GM of the Year, in a year where he was bankrolled by the league itself…. I’m not so sure about that.

It’s a good thing (in a way) they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. If anything, that proves there’s no conspiracy going on in the desert. After all, would the Commissioner of the NHL have handed the most prized trophy in sport to his own captain and engraved his own name on the Cup as owner?

But, alas, the Coyotes had a good year that fans down in Arizona can rally around. No one can take that from them, whether you believe in a conspiracy or not.

Captain Jason Arnott begged and pleaded for the Preds to bring in a scorer but Poile refused to pay too high a price. Russian winger Nik Antropov was apparently the target Poile had in his scopes but that deal fell through when the New York Rangers gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a second round draft pick and a conditional pick to bring him to the Big Apple as a rental player.

Poile’s decision to stand pat was heavily criticized by Predators fans, especially once Nashville missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Fast forward to March 3, 2010.

While Deadline Day itself wasn’t very overwhelming for Preds fans (after all, how “overwhelming” could it be when Dan Hamhuis stays put?), acquiring defenseman Denis Grebeshkov from the Edmonton Oilers and center Dustin Boyd from the Calgary Flames is a step in the right direction.

As Grebeshkov showed in his first game, he has an offensive upside from the blueline. In the first period alone, Grebeshkov scored a goal and assisted on another. If he keeps contributing on the score sheet, he should turn into quite a pick up for Nashville as they only had to give up a second rounder for him. Not only that, but adding the Russian Olympian to the defense corps without losing a roster player basically suggests the Predators now have the best defense in the Western Conference.

While fans were screaming for scoring help, Boyd’s stats suggest he’s purely a depth move for the offense. Boyd has 19 points in 60 games with Calgary this season, putting him in the Marcel Goc category but with less experience.

Boyd’s biggest role appears to be on the penalty kill, however. Ever since Scott Nichol and Vern Fiddler departed, the Preds just haven’t been the same on the PK. Nashville has a 76.2% success rate when down a man this season, good for 26th in the NHL. Last season with Fiddler and Nichol? 82.5%, good for 10th best.

When they heard Boyd’s name, fans immediately started hoping he’ll become this year’s Jan Hlavac and not this year’s Brandon Bochenski. Hlavac came in at the 2008 deadline and put up 13 points in 18 games with Nashville. Despite his success, Hlavac opted to play in Europe instead of resign with the Predators, or even in the NHL. Bochenski, at the opposite side of the spectrum, played in just 8 games, picking up just 3 points and was essentially a healthy scratch for the remainder of the season.

With the addition of Boyd, the Predators have 13 forwards. So which forward gets bumped? Is it playmaker Cal O’Reilly? Is it “the future” Colin Wilson? Does Jordin Tootoo become a perma-scratch? Room has to be made for Boyd if he’s going to avoid becoming this year’s Bochenski.

The answers will start to trickle in tomorrow night when the Preds face-off against the Los Angeles Kings.