Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kevin Fiala

Predators Begin Extension Talks With Pekka Rinne

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Predators have started preliminary discussions regarding a potential contract extension for starting goaltender Pekka Rinne, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported in an appearance on NBCSN (video link).

Rinne is in the final season of a seven-year, $49MM contract and in that time, he has established himself in the upper echelon of goalies around the league while he is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.  However, he turns 36 next month which means any new deal is going to carry a little bit of extra risk due to the 35-plus designation.

Nashville also has Juuse Saros in the fold, locked up on a three-year, $4.5MM contract.  He has long been viewed as their goalie of the future and some had wondered if they might be considering beginning that transition this season.  These talks would seemingly put that idea on hold though.

Looking ahead to next year, the Predators shouldn’t have too much difficulty fitting a new deal for Rinne.  They have a little over $64MM committed to 17 players for 2019-20 per CapFriendly and don’t have many other expiring contracts of note (wingers Kevin Fiala, Ryan Hartman, as well as center Colton Sissons are the other regulars in need of new deals).

While that would make a one-year extension feasible, their payroll situation gets a little more complicated in 2020-21 when defenseman Roman Josi and winger Craig Smith are eligible for unrestricted free agency.  Locking up those two will cost a fair bit more than the $8.25MM they’re currently receiving; new deals for them and a multi-year pact for Rinne could push Nashville near the $70MM mark for just 13 players (not including new deals for Fiala, Hartman, and Sissons) which will push them very close to the salary cap once they fill out the rest of their roster.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nashville GM David Poile tried to get Rinne to go year-to-year to mitigate some risk and create an opportunity to do bonus-laden deals to help navigate the salary cap concerns.  However, at the same time, it’s hard to imagine that Rinne would forego a shot at the open market without some sort of multi-year commitment from the team.  With talks at the early stage, there’s still a long way to go but this should be an interesting negotiation to keep tabs on in the weeks and months ahead.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As the bronze medal game gets underway at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, Sweden and Switzerland prepare for their gold medal clash this afternoon. The meeting could be considered a lopsided affair, with the Swedes stomping through the tournament with no problem, but don’t call the Swiss underdogs in front of Canada and Finland, two powerhouses that they’ve already taken down.

The game is something of a rarity for Switzerland, who has collected just one medal at the tournament since 1953. That was a silver in 2013, something they hope to better this time around.

Players on both sides know each other quite well. Sweden received a huge boost mid-tournament when the Nashville Predators were eliminated, meaning Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm could all join. The Presidents Trophy-winning players immediately made an impact at the tournament, but there were several others that left Nashville for Denmark.

Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala have starred in Switzerland’s two elimination wins, with the latter providing the quick pass to put them up over Canada in the second period. They’ll have to take on their Nashville brethren this afternoon, and hope they can do something to crack the impenetrable Swedish defense.

The game is scheduled for 1:15pm (CT).

Will Sweden romp to a second-straight gold medal? Can the Swiss continue this Cinderella story? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Snapshots: Torrey, Quinn, Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The hockey world is saddened today, as it learned of the passing of Bill Torrey. A legendary executive, Torrey was the architect of the New York Islanders dynasty and first GM of the Florida Panthers. Not only was he an outstanding general manager and president, but he was beloved by nearly the entire hockey community. A outpouring of grief has come from former players, media and executives, all sharing their favorite stories and memories.

At PHR, as with the rest of the hockey world, we extend our condolences to the Torrey family and friends. He was 83.

  • David Quinn, coach of Boston University, has been rumored as a potential candidate for several NHL vacancies including that of the New York Rangers. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that though he hasn’t told the Rangers, Quinn has indicated to friends that he’ll return to BU next season. Quinn is also set to coach Team USA at the World Juniors next year, something he obviously wouldn’t be able to do should he take an NHL job.
  • The Nashville Predators look like they’ll shake up their lineup for Game 4, inserting Yannick Weber and Scott Hartnell. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Alexei Emelin and Kevin Fiala were both on the ice late doing extra work, and appear to be coming out for the matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. The Predators are down 2-1 in the series and need to find a way to steal a game in Winnipeg to even the series, or face elimination on home ice Saturday night.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NYI, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.

Who are the Nashville Predators most thankful for?

David Poile.

Ryan JohansenNot only did Poile orchestrate trades for P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen that resulted in a Stanley Cup Finals berth in their first full season with the team, but he has repeatedly locked up assets for reasonable contracts and once again used his trading skills to bring in a key player. Over the past two summers, the Predators had several high profile restricted free agents to sign. Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson were all without deals but are now locked in for at least five seasons together.

Poile was able to sign the trio to a combined $18.25MM cap hit because of previous deals he’d struck, most notably with Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. That group is currently earning only a combined $10.25MM, despite each being regarded as potential top-pairing options.

He’s done it again this season, by bringing in Kyle Turris and immediately extending the center for another six seasons without any signing bonuses or trade protection. Turris has played just nine games since coming over from the Ottawa Senators but has fit in perfectly, recording seven points already. Poile has never been one to shy away from long contracts or big trades, and it’s paying off again in the standings this year.

What are the Predators most thankful for?

Improving health.

The end of last year’s playoffs must have been hard to watch for the Predators front office, as Johansen, Kevin Fiala and others went down to freak injuries just as they were approaching the Finals. That injury luck carried into the summer, when doctors told the Predators in September that Ellis could need another six months to rehab his surgically repaired knee. He’d hurt it in those Stanley Cup Finals, but played through pain in Game 6 anyway.

Ellis joined teammates on the ice today for their morning skate, the first time he’d attended a team practice since the surgery according to Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. While it isn’t at all a signal that he’s set to return early, just the fact that he’s “on track” is good news for Predators fans. A return from the 26-year old will be a huge addition for the team, as he is as important as any other defender to the club when fully healthy.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

Someone slowing down the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

No matter how well the Predators play, they still are in a division with two teams that look equally dangerous. The Blues and Jets have played just about as well as you could this season, and both sit above Nashville in the standings (not to mention the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks looming in the shadows). All three teams have some similarities, but the Predators will hope that their experience from last season will take them to the next level this year.

Winnipeg is especially green, but loaded with young talent throughout their roster. With a goaltender who is finally stopping the pucks on a regular basis, they look primed to wrench open their window of success a little early.

St. Louis has been arguably the best team in the NHL right from the start, armed with an incredibly deep forward group and a Norris candidate defenseman. Even with some struggles from Jake Allen recently, the team keeps winning and could be unstoppable if he can find his form once again. The 27-year old goaltender struggled early on last year as well, before going on a Vezina-caliber run through the second half and early playoffs. St. Louis doesn’t look like they’re going away anytime soon.

What should be on the Predators Holiday Wish List?

Another scoring winger.

Despite locking up their core long-term this summer, the Predators actually have a bit of cap space to play with as they head into the months leading up to the trade deadline. Though young forward Fiala has been solid on the powerplay and Turris has added another dimension down the middle, they still rely too heavily on their top three to handle the scoring load. One more forward capable of playing somewhere in the middle-six could push them over the edge.

After already dealing Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev and a second-round pick to obtain Turris, it’s not clear if Poile wants to sacrifice more future assets for help this season. But if a big, scoring winger were to shake loose at the deadline, they’d surely have to take a look.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Central Notes: Wild, Bishop, Zadorov, Fiala

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Though he ultimately wound up signing a one-year contract with the Wild, center Matt Cullen acknowledged to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press that he originally thought he’d be retiring following his second straight Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh.  However, he recovered from the wear and tear of last season much quicker than expected which motivated him to play for one more year.  However, instead of re-signing in Pittsburgh where he could potentially have had a bigger role, he opted to sign with Minnesota for family reasons.

More from the Central:

  • Still with the Wild, the team is hoping that winger Zach Parise will be able to return to the lineup for the home opener next weekend, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran has been dealing with lingering back issues that caused him to miss the entire preseason.  Also, Russo notes via Twitter that center Mikael Granlund is expected to miss tonight’s game versus Carolina.  He was spotted limping yesterday although the team hasn’t specified what his injury is.
  • Although Stars goaltender Ben Bishop left Friday’s game after being cut from a puck hitting his mask, head coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters, including Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, that although team doctors advised him to keep his starter out for the rest of the game, he is fine and should be in uniform tonight against St. Louis. He will take part in the morning skate although Kari Lehtonen is expected to get the start.
  • After being a healthy scratch in the season opener, Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov will return to the lineup today against New Jersey, reports BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater. While some speculated that his benching had something to do with his contract discussions over the summer, head coach Jared Bednar had said Zadorov “had a lot of catching up to do” before being ready to step into the lineup.
  • Predators winger Kevin Fiala won’t play tonight due to an upper-body injury, the team announced via Twitter. The team has listed him as day-to-day.  Winger Pontus Aberg is expected to play in Fiala’s place which will mark his first appearance of the season after being a regular for a good chunk of their postseason run back in the spring.

2017-18 Primer: Nashville Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Nashville Predators.

Last Season: 41-29-12 record (94 points), fourth in Central Division (lost to Pittsburgh in Stanley Cup Finals)

Remaining Cap Space: $6.09MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: F Nick Bonino (free agency, Pittsburgh), F Scott Hartnell (free agency, Columbus), D Alexei Emelin (trade, Vegas)

Key Departures: F Colin Wilson (trade, Colorado), F Mike Fisher (retirement), F James Neal (expansion, Vegas)

[Related: Nashville Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Kevin FialaPlayer To Watch: F Kevin Fiala – The Nashville Predators had some of the worst injury luck (outside of perhaps Pittsburgh, their opponents) in the playoffs, seeing star center Ryan Johansen need emergency surgery on his thigh late in their Stanley Cup Run. They also witnessed a terrible injury to Fiala, who shattered his femur in a horrifying board collision with Robert Bortuzzo. Amazingly, Fiala would recover quickly from surgery to repair his left leg, and is apparently already completely unhindered at training camp.

If that’s true, then he’s easily one of the most interesting players to watch on the Predators this season. When he went down, Fiala was starting to show just why the Predators selected him 11th-overall in the 2014 draft. His speed, tenacity and offensive skill were all shining in the playoffs after a pretty ho-hum regular season, but at 21 he’s ready to take the next step.

Scoring 11 goals in 54 games last season, there is now an opportunity left in the wake of Neal and Wilson for Fiala to play higher in the lineup. The Predators usually run the trio of Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson together, but as recently as yesterday Fiala was also getting some time with the former two. Whether or not that shows up in the regular season, it’s clear what the team thinks about him going into the year. He’ll be a big part of their offensive identity, and will look to prove that the leg injury is completely behind him.

Key Storyline: After the team’s surprise Cinderella story this spring, in which they went from barely making the playoffs to pushing the Penguins to six games in the finals, many people are expecting the Predators to cruise to a playoff spot this year. Their team’s trademark, defense, will still be its strength this season but was dealt an early blow with the news that Ryan Ellis will be out until January. The newly crowned “associate captain” is working his way from knee surgery and will leave a sizable gap in the defense.

While the team acquired Emelin after the expansion draft, he’s nowhere near the type of player that Ellis is for the club, and offers more as a rough-and-tumble stay at home defenseman than elite special teams and possession monster. More than that, Ellis is one of only two top right-handed options for the Predators, likely meaning someone will have to play their off-side for the beginning of the year.

There is no guarantee that the Predators are a Cup contender this season, as the Central still boasts several powerhouse clubs. St. Louis has been struck by early injury but remain as deep as any team in the league, Minnesota will continue to play their familiar defensive style, and Chicago still has a Hall of Fame trio to keep them afloat. That’s to mention nothing of the Jets and Stars, both of whom should be pushing hard for a playoff spot this year.

The Predators have youth and depth on their side, but it won’t be an easy journey. If some of their young players step up and become what they showed in the playoffs, this could be a legitimate powerhouse. If they deal with injury and inconsistency, it could be a tough year. One thing is to be sure though, that “Smashville” will be rocking every night, with high hopes for one of the NHL’s newest “it” teams.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $68,913,333 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kevin Fiala (Two years remaining, $863K)
G Juuse Saros (One year remaining, $693K)

Potential Bonuses

Fiala: $500K
Saros: $183K

Total: $683K

A team that is designed for a Stanley Cup run probably shouldn’t have too many players on entry level contracts and the Predators have just the two. Fiala is the team’s top young potential star as the former 2014 first-rounder found himself getting called up to the Predators and logged 54 games last year, scoring 11 goals. He even managed to cement himself in the starting lineup and played in five playoff games, scoring two goals, but then broke his femur and his playoffs were cut short. Nevertheless, the team is expecting a big year from the young wing and some even have him penciled in on the team’s second line. As for Saros, the 22-year-old goalie had a pretty good showing last year, playing in 21 contests (19 starts) and putting up a 2.35 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He should be able to shoulder the load as the backup and right now looks to be Nashville’s goaltender of the future.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Alexei Emelin ($3MM, UFA)
F Scott Hartnell ($1MM, UFA)
F Cody McLeod ($800K, UFA)
D Yannick Weber ($650K, UFA)
D Matt Irwin ($650K, UFA)
D Anthony Bitetto ($613, UFA)
F Miikka Salomaki ($613K, RFA)

The team, already immersed in quality defenders, picked up another veteran defender in Emelin this offseason in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, who picked him from the Montreal Canadiens in the expansion draft. A solid veteran, Emelin, should fill in for the injured Ellis until he returns in December and then provide some veteran depth throughout the rest of the season, which should keep Nashville’s defensive corps as strong as it had always been and he will likely be allowed to move on when his contract expires next year.

Hartnell returns to Nashville after 10 years. Originally drafted in the first round by Nashville in 2000, the 35-year-old forward played six years for the Predators before being traded to Philadelphia. He has scored 314 goals, but only managed 13 in his last year in Columbus. The team hopes his presence will spark the team for another Stanley Cup run. The rest, including Weber, Irwin and McLeod

Read more

Snapshots: Futa, Fiala, Vesalainen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres have a confirmed interest in Mike Futa of the Los Angeles Kings as a candidate for their next GM, and were granted permission to talk to him about the position. John Vogl of the Buffalo News clarifies the situation, reporting that they have not asked for any discussion with Dean Lombardi. Futa was just promoted to assistant GM a few weeks ago after working as the team’s director of player personnel under Lombardi. He also was a finalist for the Buffalo job that eventually went to Murray back in 2014, along with Jason Botterill who was also confirmed in the running this time around.

Futa has been rumored to be in the mix for GM openings around the league for the past few years, but had been previously unsuccessful and deemed too important in Los Angeles. While the new regime—Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille—clearly value his position in the front office, they likely wouldn’t stop him from taking the step up to be “the man” in Buffalo.

  • Kevin Fiala is on his way home from the hospital according to Cassie Campbell of Hockey Night in Canada. The Predators forward is actually walking already on the advice of doctors, and will now face a four to six month recovery time after fracturing his left femur. That injury is extremely dangerous, and Fiala was rushed into surgery immediately after sustaining it on Wednesday. He’ll be lucky to be ready for the start of training camp, but the Predators will have him back in the lineup next year.
  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that Kristian Vesalainen, a top prospect in the upcoming entry draft, has signed a one-year contract with HPK of the Finnish Liiga. The last few seasons Vesalainen had been playing in Sweden for Frolunda, but spent some time with HPK on loan near the end of the year. The Finnish winger recently was awarded MVP honors at the U18 Worlds, scoring 13 points in 7 games and leading Finland to a silver medal. He was ranked seventh among European skaters in the latest list from NHL Central Scouting, but may rise as high as the top-10 by draft day. He’ll stay in Finland next season before discussing with whichever team drafts him where he should continue his development.

Kevin Fiala Suffers Broken Femur, Out For Remainder Of Playoffs

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It’s the news many were expecting this morning on Kevin Fiala, as the young Predators forward has suffered a broken left femur and will be out for the rest of the playoffs. Fiala crashed hard into the boards while racing with Robert Bortuzzo last night, and had to be stretchered off the ice. During the game, the update was given that he was in “stable” condition, obviously indicating a very serious injury. The femur is an extremely difficult bone to break, and he underwent immediate surgery to repair it last night.

Fiala became a regular for the Predators this season, skating in 54 games and registering 16 points. The former first-round pick has a long way to go to catch up with some of his draft contemporaries—William Nylander (8th), Nikolaj Ehlers (9th) and Dylan Larkin (15th) were all selected in the same range as him (11th) in 2014—and this injury will push that development back even further. Femur injuries have a long road to getting the strength and maneuverability back that came before it, but a 20-year old athlete is a prime candidate for a quick return.

The Predators will likely move Colin Wilson up into Fiala’s spot on the second line as they did last night, but it will be interesting to see if his absence gives them trouble creating offense. The young winger had scored two goals already in the playoffs, including the game three overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks in round 1.

Morning Notes: Guerin, CTE, Fiala

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres at down with another big name yesterday, bringing in Penguins’ assistant GM Bill Guerin for an interview according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Pittsburgh is Guerin’s first job in management since his retirement in 2010, but he has a ton of experience to fall back on; the 1263 NHL games in which he scored 856 points give him a built-in respect.

Guerin was first hired to work in the Penguins’ development team, and he has still had his hands in the recruitment and development of many NCAA players such as Conor Sheary and Zach Aston-Reese. He himself went to Boston College before entering the NHL, so can relate to the journey college players go on.

  • The NHL has lost its latest court battle in the war over brain injuries and CTE, reports TSN’s Rick Westhead. The last we heard the league had issued a subpoena to try and get Boston University to hand over all documents and communication related to their research—an ask that would certainly bury the study in paperwork for years. Now, as Westhead writes, a federal judge in Minneapolis has denied the subpoena agreeing that it would be a “staggering” task for the university. This hopefully will allow BU to continue their research unimpeded, which will now include the brain of recently-deceased former NFL football player Aaron Hernandez as well as more than 400 others.
  • Kevin Fiala was taken to hospital last night after crashing hard into the boards and being removed by stretcher. The team provided just the update that he was stable but had suffered a leg injury. Fiala’s legs went first into the boards and it looked as though the injury was extremely serious, likely taking him out for the remainder of the playoffs. If that’s true, it’s a big blow to the Predators who had come to rely on Fiala as a part of their top-six. Colin Wilson moved up in his absence, and will likely be asked to do so again on Friday night.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top