A quick advertisement before I get to today’s blog… SlapShot Radio is on hiatus right now, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t busy planning our seventh season. Part of that planning is the return of the SlapShot Radio Road Trip. We have a block of tickets reserved for April 11th in Dallas and we are putting the plans together for transportation. Please go to the SlapShot Radio Facebook page in order to express interest and get your tickets. Once we get a final count, we will be able to determine transportation costs. We had a blast on the bus going to Carolina a few years ago and had fun in St. Louis as well… Now it’s time to hit Big D!

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Now that the dust has settled from last week flurry of free agent and prospect signings, let’s take a look at the results… and the potential of what this Nashville Predators team can do. To recap… since the trade for James Neal the Predators have acquired…

- Olli Jokinen – The 35 year old forward can play center or wing and is entering his 17th NHL season. – A consistent 30 goal scorer for Florida, he posted 18 goals and 25 assists last season with Winnipeg. Jokinen can put in first line minutes in the middle but will probably see more time at wing. He is on a one year contract at $2.5 million.

- Anton Volchenkov - The 32 year old defenseman was a buyout from the New Jersey Devils and is entering his 12th NHL season. The 6’1’ 220 lb. Russian is a puck magnet, providing a shot blocking presence that this team hasn’t seen since Greg Zanon and provides that secondary stable veteran leadership on the blueline that this team hasn’t had since Francis Bouillon left. Volchekov is a career plus player and is on a one year contract at $1 million.

- Derek Roy - The 31 year old center is entering his 12th NHL season and joining his fifth team in five seasons and is trying to get back to where he was during his heyday in Buffalo where he was a consistent 20-30 goal scorer over a five season run. Injuries have hampered Roy over the past few seasons and the Predators are counting on him to be fully healthy.

- Mike Ribeiro - The 34 year old center is entering his 15th NHL season with a lot to prove. After signing a big contract in Phoenix last season, Ribeiro started well, then his performance fell apart, driving the Coyotes to buy him out due to “behavior issues’” He is saying all the right things now and appears to recognize this as a “last chance” scenario to continue playing in the NHL. All of us have been through things that have impacted our performance at work, why should a hockey player be any different. Ribeiro is reunited with James Neal and is looking to get back to the 50+ assist level feeding him the puck.

I said it before in this space… if you are going to change… change. That definitely is what the Predators have done. As we look at the roster right now there are 16 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. For the mathematically challenged, that’s three more players than an NHL team is allowed to carry during the season. With Mike Fisher on IR through, at best case, American Thanksgiving, that means there are two current roster players that don’t start the season on the Predators roster.

If you look at the signings above, a clear strategy has emerged. All four signings are at one year, all at reasonable dollars and all players clearly have something to prove… but the key is term. The one year term for all of these players gives high-potential players like Colton Sissons, Filip Forsburg and Calle Jarnkrok a little more needed development time without long term contracts clogging up their progress and dis-incenting these players for the future. Plus there are other players bubbling under the radar like Taylor Beck, Austin Watson and Brendan Leipsic. This just screams “TRANSITION” … and not in a bad way.

One of the biggest benefactors of this may just be Viktor Stalberg. After an early training camp injury put him behind the eight ball for the season, he did not deliver to expectations. Colin Wilson may also benefit from different systems and different players, but the writing is definitely on the wall for these players… perform or else.

A competitive training camp is almost a given, and if one of these recent signees are beaten out by one of the youngsters, sending one of these veterans to Milwaukee doesn’t break the bank. After all… these four signings equal one Dave Bolland signing…

All that being said, here is my take on what the Predators lines may look like when they take the ice in October…

1 – Neal – Ribeiro – Smith
2 – Stalberg – Roy – Jokinen
3 – Bourque – Jarnkrok / Cullen – Wilson
4 – Nystrom – Gaustad – Clune

It would not surprise me at all if 19 year old Filip Forsberg spends another year in Milwaukee. Expectation management is critical for this youngster (after all... he is only 19) and the current roster makeup allows for this.

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Random Notes

- The Predators are sponsoring a “Hot Wing Faceoff this coming Saturday. Eight local restaurants will be competing for the title of Best Wing. For more information or to get your tickets, click here.

- I really don’t understand the need for bloggers to attack each other. The rumors regarding potential trades are simply fun to speculate about. Sometimes we take ourselves waaaaaaaay to seriously in discussing something that, while a big business, is supposed to be fun.

- If you didn’t catch this story on our own Pete Weber… check it out
WKRN News 2

- Mike Babcock is NOT pleased about the comments that free agents are avoiding him. Comments from Friday indicate that, including this one, “The way I look at it here, if you don’t want to be coached, don’t come here.” Good on ya coach.

- An interesting mess is developing in Columbus with RFA Ryan Johansen. The argument appears to be over term more than dollars.

- The NY Rangers have made a nice singing in Lee Stempniak, one year @ $900k.

- Former Pred Cody Franson wants $4.2 million from Toronto, the Leafs are offering $2 million. This is going to be a nasty arbitration, you can just feel it.

- Ranger goaltender (and former UAH standout) Cam Talbot has a new Ghostbusters inspired mask… Check it out here.

- Off Topic – News is breaking that James Garner has died. Maverick, The Rockford Files, Victor/Victoria, My Fellow Americans… Garner was indeed a true acting icon. Godspeed…

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You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for @PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates, but we are having a bit of fun by getting your input on Gnash introductions, weigh in on Twitter and who knows, we may use your introduction for the best mascot in the NHL at the next Preds game! You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1

Also... make sure to "like" SlapShot Radio on Facebook... here's the link.

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SlapShot Radio’s Annual Road Trip is back… get more information on the SlapShot Radio Facebook page.

Don’t forget to visit our season’s advertisers… The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills, Dr. Jane Bacon at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (615-872-7762), Nolensville Collision Repair Center and Burger Republic, check their excellent menu out at their website, Defend Quality… Burger Republic.

Our entire season of podcasts are posted… Click here to download or listen to any of them.

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