The future of the Nashville Predators is uncertain, so much so the team has begun spinning off some assets.
According to TSN, the Preds sent Philadelphia the negotiating rights to upcoming free agents Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell. The Panthers were thought to have interest in Hartnell, but no longer: according to TSN, but players signed long-term deals with the Flyers.
Hartnell signed a six-year deal worth $25.2 million. Timmonen got six years and $37.8 million.
In exchange for being able to hit the free agent market two weeks before everyone else, Philly returned the first-round pick Nashville traded to the Flyers for Peter Forsberg last season.
Who's next for Nashville? The Preds have two good goalies in Tomas Vokoun (30-years-old, made $2.3 million last year) and Chris Mason (31, made $1.25 million and filled in pretty well for Vokoun this past season).
Is one of these guys in play for a trade? Got to believe they are. Think the Panthers are interested? Would have to make that assumption.
If Nashville's sale to Jim Balsillie goes through, payroll isn't going to be a problem although a winning team might mean a spike in ticket sales and hurt Balsillie moving the team to Canada. Kind of like in Major League. 
If the deal falls through, the payroll is going to be slashed to make up for past losses. Either way, doesn't look like the Preds are going to spend a lot of money next year.
I'd love to see the Cats try to pry Vokoun out of Nashville. He's got playoff experience and is a year younger than Mason (who we once had in our system); either one is an upgrade from Alex Auld IMO.
Posted by: PantherFan | June 19, 2007 at 09:58 AM