The Nashville Predators signings made David Poile a very busy general manager. On December 23rd, he announced the Nashville Predators signings of two free agents. Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula are the two newest signings by the Nashville Predators. Both players signed one-year contracts with the team. The newest Nashville Predators signings come in an offseason when they are adding lots of veterans to their team to try and stay in contention for the Stanley Cup.
A Deeper Look at the Newest Nashville Predators Signings
The first Nashville Predators signings happened on December 23rd. Mikael Granlund re-signed with the Predators on a one-year contract worth $3.75 million. The center returns to Nashville for his second full season with the club. Granlund was acquired from the Minnesota Wild by the Predators in the 2018-19 season at the trade deadline.
In his first season with the Predators, Granlund played in 63 games and scored 17 goals, and added 13 assists for 30 total points. In the playoffs, Granlund and the Predators only played four games. The Predators were eliminated by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs. In the four games, Granlund only had one assist.
As he enters his second year with the Nashville Predators, Granlund will most likely be playing with Matt Duchene and another new Predator by the name of Luke Kunin. This line should be able to score at a high rate and be able to defend in their own zone against some tough competition in the Central Division.
The second of the Nashville Predators signings was also made on December 23rd. That player was Erik Haula. Haula also signed a one-year contract with the Predators but his contract was worth $1.75 million.
Haula has been quite the journeyman in his career as he started his career by playing alongside Mikael Granlund as part of the Minnesota Wild. Haula was then drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. After a couple of productive seasons with the Golden Knights, Haula was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes before the 2019-20 season. At the 2020 trade deadline, Haula was once again traded but this time he was traded to Florida Panthers. He played 48 total games between the Panthers and Hurricanes. In those 48 games, Haula scored 12 goals and added 12 assists.
Haula will most likely be the center on the third line where he should be accompanied by wingers Calle Jarnkrok and Rocco Grimaldi. This line is not going to be scoring lots of goals for the Nashville Predators, but they definitely but one of the toughest lines to play against as these three players have high motors and always gave 100% effort. The third line will be one of the more defensively responsible lines for the Nashville Predators. New coach John Hynes will lean on this line in close games to ensure no goals are allowed.
How Do the Predators Benefit?
The team is bringing two veterans to the team that have been around the game and know how to act in all types of situations a season may present. Both of them have experienced the highs of being on a successful team and the lows of being on bad teams. This much-needed experience and leadership will be vital in the development of the Nashville Predators’ younger players.
Along with being a good locker presence, Haula and Granlund are also good players on the ice. Both players are responsible in the defensive zone and you will not see many goals scored when they are on the ice. Their offensive numbers will not be off the charts but they are responsible players and will help the Predators toward their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
Conclusion of the Nashville Predators Signings
The Nashville Predators signings of Haula and Granlund will prove to be beneficial signings as they solidify their forward group. They will be great leaders in the locker room and on the ice. They will provide fantastic defense and dabble in a bit of offense here and there. Signing Haula and Granlund are easy contracts to get rid of as the contracts are only for one year. The Predators aren’t locked into long-term deals and don’t have to worry about the potential of poor play from either of their signings.
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