FanHouse NashvillePredators

Just when you thought this battle between the KHL and NHL had more posturing than a presidential campaign and enough useless press releases to furnish the cages at your local ASPCA, the Nashville Predators have out done everyone. Today they released their entry for the world renowned 'Most Useless Press Release of the Century' competition. Despite the infancy of the current century, the Predators are still confident in their chances of winning.*

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that Alexander Radulov has been suspended indefinitely without pay for the 2008-09 season.

Radulov, 22, has one season remaining on his existing entry level contract. During the off-season, he signed a contract with a Russian KHL team in violation of his NHL contract.

So let me get this straight. You're suspending a player who isn't really yours anymore. I mean, technically he's under contract for your team, but he basically gave you the middle finger and hopped on a plane to Russia. So yeah, three months later you're suspending him. Awesome. And the Red Wings just now won the Stanley Cup, right?

But so continues the slow death march-type pace of this whole KHL vs. NHL cold war thingy. I imagine the press releases will keep coming and so will their uselessness. For this blogger, it's all reached critical mass. I'm getting pretty sick of all the bluster and posturing. I'm going to go watch football for a week or two before the NHL season starts. Someone come get me if something important happens, OK?


* - They didn't tell me that, but they might of if I had actually contacted them.

It is no secret that many Canadian hockey fans would rather contract genital herpes than have another southern NHL club win the Stanley Cup.

After seeing the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques move to Phoenix and Denver, respectively, it's no small wonder why Canadians feel such a disdain for the US of A.

Well, one Nashville writer, David Climer, is sick and tired of Nashville, and fans of Southern US hockey clubs, being looked down upon.

That is one of the lessons we have learned in the tug-o-war over the Predators. Hockey is a far bigger deal in Canada than in the U.S. Consequently, many Canadians look down their noses at teams in the U.S. - especially those in non-traditional hockey markets like Nashville.

That attitude has led to considerable bombast in the Canadian media. Often, the Our Sport rhetoric is as thick as a Saskatchewan accent.

When Jim Balsillie made his first stab at buying the Predators, he was hailed as a hero in his homeland. Why? Because he was willing to use some of his fortune to transport an NHL team across international lines and station it in Hamilton, Ontario - sooner or later.

Yes, Balsillie was hailed, and still is, for trying to bring a team back North of the 49th parallel. It's nice to see some rich bastard actually make an effort to bring another club back to Canada, rather than just talk the talk.

The Predators? They have cheap ticket prices, a great team (or they did until now), and still draw around around 13,000 per night. You move that team to Hamilton or Winnipeg, and you'll be selling out quickly, even with jacked-up ticket prices.

Are we going to ever see some heads roll?

Barry Trotz, the only head coach the Nashville Predators have ever had, looks to be safe from the firing line, despite a third straight first round playoff exit.

The Nashville Predators' third-straight exit in the first round of the playoffs hasn't shaken general manager David Poile's confidence in the only coach his franchise has known.

"Teams and ownership change coaches, and managers, for that matter way, way too much, and really for not a lot of supporting reasons to do it. I chose Barry Trotz," Poile said. "He was a young coach who had never coached in the National Hockey League. Now he's second in seniority. ..."

Trotz has done a pretty good job moulding the Predators through their long-arcing building phase, totalling a 283-276-97 record with the only NHL team he has ever coached.

After such high expectations this season, and the expensive trade for Peter Forsberg, the Predators flopped in the playoffs, losing in just five games to the Sharks. In like a lion, and out like a lamb.

Credit Trotz for getting the Preds with a 51-23-8 recording during the regular season, but, eventually, he'll have to get this team over the hump and win at least ONE playoff series.

Sure, teams change coaches too often, but perhaps the Predators are taking it too far the other way?

NHL General Managers, like politicians, are short-term thinkers. With owners, fans, and media demanding wins NOW, GMs are very willing to trade a lot of future assets for an immediate return.

In the case of a team like Carolina last season, the gamble pays off with a Stanley Cup.

For most, it doesn't pan out, and it can lead to expensive mistakes.

One such gamble was the Nashville Predators trading Ryan Parent, Scottie Upshall, a 1st round selection and a 3rd round selection in 2007 for Peter "Floppa" Forsberg.

Forsberg, one of the most 'clutch' playoff performers in the last decade, was supposed to bring the Nashville Predators some real playoff success.

The results? Losing in just 5 games to the Sharks in the first round.

OUCH!

Regular Season: 17GP 2-13-15PTS
Playoffs: 5GP 2-2-4PTS

Trading for Peter Forsberg made some sense for a team like the Predators, who wanted to add a real playoff warrior to their roster and make their first real splash in the postseason. Even with all of his injuries, the Preds banked on the fact that Forsberg would be ready when the playoffs began.

Unfortunately, Peter wasn't enough, nor was he really worth the price they paid for him. Instead of taking the Preds deep into the playoffs, they won about as many playoff games with Forsberg (1) as they likely would without him.

Instead of trying to improve on their defense (which is either too young or too small), the Predators spent too many resources improving an area that didn't need to much improvement (offense up front).

The Flyers? They are laughing all the way to the bank. Upshall, 23, had 13 points in 18 games with the Flyers and looks to be back on track as a productive offensive forward. He'll be good for the Flyers for years to come, where Forsberg won't be doing much more for Nashville.

One of the big things holding back the Nashville Predators economically has been the lack of corporate sponsorship. While flipping through the Center Ice channels last night I caught the interview/plug with the guy from the Sommet Group and Pete Weber on FSN South during the first intermission between them and the Red Wings.

See the NashVegas website for a taste of their new, improved marketability, including the Evil One himself, Floppa.

The amount of coverage this was given during the game was kinda sad, actually, but it is very good news for the Predleys and the NHL. With the reports that the team had alienated much of the local business community in its early days, this announcement, no matter how minor, is an important first step in quelling the complaints about Hockey south the Mason-Dixon line. So, for better or worse, the Predators playoff run, whatever the length may be, will be brought to you by those who specialize in outsourced labor.

Now, if we can only get them to sponsor the NHL to find some new, more consistent referees, we'd be onto something.

Ta,