The New Guys In Town
At the major-league level, there are pretty much just two new guys:
Chris Mason
#30 / Goalie
6-0
195
Apr 20, 1976
Contract: 1 year, $1.25 million
After last season’s backup Anders Lindback was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chris Mason signed for another go-round with the Predators, his third stint in Nashville. Mase should make a fine reliever for Pekka Rinne - he's experienced enough to know how to prepare for relatively inconsistent game action, and won't chafe for a #1’s typical workload. Plus, he's familiar with the coaching staff, many of the players, and the community itself.
Scott Hannan
#22 / Defenseman
6-2
220
Jan 23, 1979
Expect Hannan to man the left side of the 2nd or 3rd pair at even strength, and contribute on the penalty kill. A longtime stay-at-home defenseman who played with the San Jose Sharks for the first several years of his career, Hannan is now on his fifth NHL team after spending the 2011-2012 season with the Calgary Flames.
Some free agents were signed to 2-way or minor league deals and are expected to play in Milwaukee, like defenseman Joonas Jarvinen and winger Daniel Bang.
Who Left Nashville
The unrestricted free agents who left town make a pretty notable list:
- Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild: 12 years, $98 million
- Jordin Tootoo, Detroit Red Wings: 3 years, $5.5 million
- Andrei Kostitsyn, KHL
- Francis Bouillon, Montreal Canadiens: 1 year, $1.5 million
- Jack Hillen, Washington Capitals: 1 year, $650,000
Alexander Radulov flew back over to Russia to resume his KHL career, although technically the Predators still hold his rights as a restricted free agent.
Other players who are no longer considered part of the Predators' system include Antti Pihlstrom, Brodie Dupont, Ryan Flynn, Zack Stortini, Scott Ford, and Tyler Sloan.
Free Agents Retained
Despite the number of departures, a number of key players signed new contracts to stay in Nashville:
- Shea Weber, 14 years $110 million
- Kevin Klein, 5 years $14.5 million
- Paul Gaustad, 4 years $13 million
- Sergei Kostitsyn, 2 years $6 million
- Colin Wilson, 3 years $6 million
- Hal Gill, 2 years $4 million
- Craig Smith, 2 years $4 million
- Gabriel Bourque, 2 years $1.55 million
- Brandon Yip, 1 year $750,000
- Brian McGrattan, 1 year $600,000
- Jeremy Smith, 1 year $660,000***
- Jonathon Blum, 1 year $650,000***
- Jack MacLellan, 1 year $600,000***
- Chris Mueller, 1 year $550,000***
- Kevin Henderson, 1 year $550,000***
- Mike Moore, 1 year $550,000***
***denotes two-way contract, paying a lesser amount at the AHL level
In addition to these deals, Mike Fisher added two years at a total value of $8.4 million to his contract, which was previously set to expire this summer.
Roster Holes Left to Fill
Honestly? There really aren't any for now. Thanks to the flurry of contract activity right before the lockout began, the Predators have an intact lineup. Trade opportunities may present themselves as other teams need to maneuver and fill out their rosters, but Nashville could run with the guys they have under contract today.
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