Predators Unveil Bold New Sweater

Relief.

When asked by Chief Marketing Officer Christian Parker my thoughts about seeing the new sweater for the first time, my first reaction was...

Relief.

The sweater I was seeing was not the phosphorescent, banana yellow sweater that was leaked in a surreptitious screen shot a few weeks ago. This sweater looked good. It was a bold departure from any look the Predators had worn in seasons past, but in my view, that boldness was eye catching.

Here is the sweater along with the pants and socks:

Obviously, it doesn't look as good lying flat on a table in the Predators front office as it will on a player, but you can get a sense of how the uniform will look.

The sweater incorporates the new Predators logo on the chest, but what grabs the attention is the new dominant color, which has been dubbed "Predators Gold". The Predators logo, while modified to three colors instead of the 14 that were in the old logo, is still consistent from season one, and represents what Parker calls the "Predators brand". That logo is recognized throughout the league, and it was important to the design that there be consistency and reinforcement of the brand.

It is the new main gold color that is radically different, and the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. Parker explained that the team wanted a distinctive look and color in the redesigned uniform. He mentioned that there are 14 teams in the league that wear some form of a blue color as their dominant color, and the desire was to have a color and a sweater that would stand out from all the other uniforms in the league and would be different in a positive way.

The Predators attempted to balance the gold motif with the dark blue that had been part of the uniform since day one. The attempt in the redesign was to create a distinctive look that balanced traditional elements of classic uniforms around the league.

In this picture, you can see some of the detail. A guitar pick that is a nod to our Music City heritage with three stars representing the three grand divisions of the state of Tennessee is on the right shoulder. Inside the collar are piano keys, again acknowledging our the impact of the music industry on our area. If you look closely at the background of this picture, you can see the old mustard colored sweater that was hanging in the conference room and see the contrast between the colors.

Those that saw the Predators second round home playoff games on television saw the "Gold Out" that was in the Bridgestone Arena. Several people commented to me that the gold actually looked orange, so naturally, I asked Chris if these sweaters had been "television tested". How did they look on the screen was a concern. He said that the sweaters had been television tested twice by Reebok, with players wearing the sweaters and television views from all angles. The sweaters look gold in the tests, and really stand out with the blue trim and against the blue pants.

The jersey was unveiled at the end of the Skate of the Union meeting for fans. All in attendance were asked to go out to the plaza and view the Skate of the Union Banner hanging from the Bell South Tower. At the end of a countdown, that banner dropped to reveal a banner of the new jersey.

Here is the video of the unveiling on the Batman Building

 

Mayor Karl Dean and members of the Nashville Sports Authority were also there in attendance to support the team.

The Predators have made a bold fashion statement with their new look. It is a look that is distinctive, and it is one that the View likes.

They will certainly stand out with the new sweaters. 

Now, they will need their play to stand on the ice next season to stand out like their new look.

Pondering the Predators Signings and Possibilities

The Nashville Predators have resolved their issues with their restricted free agents, signing Sergei Kostitsyn, Nick Spaling, Matt Halischuk, Chris Mueller, and Cal O'Reilly. Kostitsyn signed a one year contract for $2.5 million; Spaling signed for 2 years for $2.1 million; Halischuk signed a 2 year deal for $1.45 million; Mueller signed a one year, two way contract for $550,000; and O'Reilly signed a 1 year deal for $1.05 million.

These signings are good ones for the Predators, solidifying the core of the team. Kostitsyn's signing is particularly important for the Predators, as he led the team in goals with 23 and tied for the lead in points with 50.

While the Predators have resolved the issue of signing their players, there is still a hearing with arbitrator George Nicholau as to the propriety of the process. In talking to the Predators front office, the view is that the Predators organization did not maliciously attempt to circumvent the process of signing the RFA's. They did, however, violate the protocol by failing to fax the offer sheets to the players and the agents. As such, there could be a fine to the organization or a warning issued. That will be decided in the grievance hearing. The probability of the contracts being voided by the arbitrator is considered to be non-existent.

Along with these RFA's, the Predators have also signed in the free agency period Zach Stortini, Kyle Wilson, Niclas Bergfors, and Brodie Dupont. Of these, Bergfors will be the biggest impact player for the team. Last season, he posted 36 points in 72 games, and the 24 year old winger has good offensive upside. Bergfors will have to improve his overall game and become more solid in the defensive zone to gain consistent playing time. Look for the coaching staff to improve Bergfors overall game and for him to be a solid contributor.

The remaining signings are depth signings, with these players more than likely starting the season in Milwaukee. Stortini has a chance to stick with the Predators at the start of the season as a fourth line wing depending on his play in camp and the development of younger players or if the Predators sign additional forwards.

The focus for the Predators now shifts to signing stud defenseman Shea Weber. Weber is an RFA, and the Predators wisely filed for arbitration to keep other teams from being able to make an offer for his services. I believe that the Predators and Weber never get to arbitration. By freeing up cap space with some of their off season moves, the Predators now have the capacity to sign Weber to a longer term contract. There is some thought that Weber will sign a very short term deal and will test the market within a few years.

I don't believe that happens.

Weber is happy here in Nashville, and his role as Captain solidifies his position with the team. As long as the Predators continue to position the team to be a serious playoff contender, I think he will be satisfied playing in this market. Don't forget the fact that his playing partner, Ryan Suter, helps to elevate Weber's game, and going to another team takes that dimension away.

My view: Weber signs a deal in the five year range for $6-7 million per year.

So where does this leave the Predators for the upcoming season?

There will be the possibility for the team to still make some good offensive additions. Several teams are up against the cap and will have to get under before the season starts. Additionally, there will be some players that walk away from arbitration awards and will become available. Arb hearings will begin in late July and continue into August, and I expect to see some players become available after this process is underway. Because of the cleared cap space, the Predators will be in a position to make an offer for a player that fits their needs.

This also does not mean that the Predators are out of the trade market. The obvious bargaining chip for the team is the young D corp, but a trade there certainly has to have long term benefits. Several teams are still in the market for a depth defenseman, and this situation favors the Predators.

In looking at the players have under contract, there is one other factor to consider: this is a young roster that has a lot of experience. Don't underestimate the effect of playing a full season in the NHL at a young age, as many of of forwards have done. The jump in experience usually translates into performance on the ice in the next season. For instance, Nick Spaling will turn 24 at the start of the upcoming season; Sergei Kostitsyn turned 24 near the end of last season; Colin Wilson will turn 22 early in this season; Niclas Bergfors turned 24 at the end of last season; and Patrick Hornqvist will turn 25 on January 1. These young players will mature not only physically, but on and off the ice as well. This maturity will hopefully translate into improved play in the upcoming season.

It's easy to get frustrated at the start of the free agency period and not see some big name signed to the roster. The truth is that the start of free agency is when the "stupid" money gets spent, money that many teams come to regret. And many times, these players added at that time do not generate the results that was expected at their signing. The fact in today's NHL is that teams that can draft well and develop their talent most often are successful in the long term.

Welcome to the "Predator Way".

That is not to say that the Preds want make some off season adds. I think they will.

When they do, you can be assured that it will be a player that can contribute at the right price. And the team will not pay "stupid" money to do this.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...


There are so many things to talk about that are going to impact our country that it is difficult to chose , but Imma gonna start with this one. You remember way back at the outset of our national nightmare known as the presidency of Barack Obama, we were told that our nation desperately needed to enact a stimulus program to create jobs and get our economy moving. Well, $666 billion dollars (and counting) later, how has that stimulus thing worked out for us? According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors (which, by the way, are all hand picked by the President), the stimulus program has added or saved just under 2.4 million jobs- either in the public or private sector. Quick math tells me that each one of these jobs that was created or saved cost the American taxpayer  $278,000. Let me say that again: each job cost the American taxpayer $278,000. Folks, that is an incredibly inefficient expenditure of our tax dollars. The private sector creates jobs at a fraction of that cost.  Furthermore, the Council of Economic Advisors reports that the economy would have naturally created these jobs over the same period of time without the tax burden that it has placed on you and me as productive citizens. The truth is that the stimulus was a sop to the Democratic constituencies that helped to sweep Obama into the White House. Here is my surprised face:

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.



The pot is starting to boil when it comes to talk about raising the debt limit for our country. The Obama administration wants the debt limit raised by $2 trillion dollars to, in their words, "keep the government functioning and avoid a shutdown". Here is what you should know: the federal government WILL NOT shut down. Will it continue to operate all departments and services if the debt ceiling is not raised? No. If the debt ceiling is not raised, here is what will happen: the government will still have revenue and will still have an abundance of cash on hand, but not enough to run every department. The federal government will, like you and I have to do in lean economic times, prioritize their spending. Sure, national parks may close; some government offices will close and some services will be suspended, and the leaders in Washington are going to have to decide where to spend the funds they have and the tax revenues that will continue to flow into the federal coffers. You can bet that this will be politicized; in fact, the cynic in me says that the current administration will continually threaten not to make the August social security payments to our seniors, even though those funds will be there. Pay attention to this battle in Washington, and realize that this is a prime opportunity for our country to enact some fiscal restraint and rein in the burgeoning and bloated bureaucracy in Washington.

My first job was at an origami company, but it folded.

The 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, in section four, "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for the payments of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned..." Some who want to increase the debt ceiling have posited that this means that the Executive Branch of the federal government can bypass the Legislative Branch and arbitrarily raise the debt ceiling. Watch this closely, because if this attempted it will be the basis for a constitutional showdown. The fact that this is even being discussed is audacious beyond belief. This is characteristic of the mentality of this administration and indeed all of Washington. The belief that our leaders can centralize power and that they know what is best for us is a conceit that must be monitored and curtailed.

I have the body of a god. Unfortunately, it's Buddha.

And that, my friends, is my view.

Predators Represented at 19,200 Feet

Our good friend Rebecca Ward, Director of the Predators Foundation, married Eric King in June. The lovely June bride and her husband embarked on their honeymoon, and a most unusual honeymoon it was. Rebecca and Eric spent part of their honeymoon with 22 Kenyan orphans that they have supported in Africa.

Rebecca and Eric didn't just spend time with them, they took them on quite an adventure. A 19,200 foot adventure, to be exact, to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

While they were there, Rebecca and Eric also represented for the Predators, as you can see by the photo they sent to me:

You will often see Rebecca at the silent auction table at Predator home games. If you have an opportunity, stop by and say hello and congratulate her. She is representative of many of the good people in the Predators organization that do so much for our community.

And tell her that she has most uniquely represented the Predators.

Predators Sign Bergfors and Some Perspective.

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have signed forward Niclas Bergfors to a one year contract. This announcement comes on the heels of the Predators trading Cody Franson and Matthew Lombardi to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Niclas Bergfors to a one-year contract worth $575,000.

Bergfors, 24 (3/7/87), split the 2010-11 season between Atlanta and Florida, posting 36 points (12g-24a) in 72 games. During his first full NHL campaign with New Jersey and Atlanta in 2009-10, the Södertälje, Sweden native posted 21 goals and 44 points in 81 games, landing him a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. In 162 career NHL games since 2008, Bergfors has 81 points (34g-47a).

Drafted 23rd overall (first round) by the Devils in the 2005 Entry Draft, Bergfors was the youngest player in the American Hockey League in 2005-06 with the Albany River Rats after a decorated junior career in his homeland. The 5-10, 194-pound winger was the 2005 Swedish Junior Player of the Year, following the likes of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Henrik Lunqvist, Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin. He has also represented the Tre Kroner in five international tournaments, earning a bronze medal and being named to the tournament all-star team at the 2005 Under-18 World Championships.

 The Bergfors signing is similar to the signing last season of Sergei Kostitsyn: a young forward that has offensive upside, but needs some coaching to make him a solid, two way player. Bergfors has the capability of adding some offense to the Predators, and should be more productive than the recently departed J.P. Dumont. Bergfors is, I believe, going to look to prove that he can be that type of player, and Barry Trotz and his staff should mold him into a solid contributor.

The Predators have freed up significant salary space, and this should allow the team to have plenty of room to sign Shea Weber as well as pursue more scoring help up front. In a conversation with one of the coaches after development camp, I was told this is exactly what the team is attempting to do.

There has been some concern about the departure of Franson, Lombardi, Dumont, Marcel Goc, Steve Sullivan, and Joel Ward. Here is some perspective: last season, when the Predators started their run to the playoffs, Goc, Lombardi, and Sullivan were out of the line up. Dumont was most often a healthy scratch. Only Ward was playing significant minutes, and his offensive production in the regular season was down 33% from the prior season (15 goals in 2010; 10 goals in 2011). Franson is a young player that has some upside and was solid on the power play, but the fact remains that he averaged just over 15 minutes a game and was on the third D pairing. 

Yes, the Predators have lost some players, but it is important to keep in mind that the Predators were winning
WITHOUT these players. Could some of them have been contributors in this upcoming season? There is no doubt. Yet this team has proven that they can win without these players. 

And they will again this season.

Look for the Predators to continue to be active, with a priority of signing Weber but also with an eye toward adding offense.

That is a good perspective to keep in mind if you are a Predator fan.

Predators Deal Franson & Lombardi to Toronto

The Nashville Predators announced today that they had traded defenseman Cody Franson and center Matthew Lombardi to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Brett Lebda and forward Robert Slaney.

Here is the press release from the team:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Brett Lebda and forward Robert Slaney from the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Cody Franson and forward Matthew Lombardi. The deal also includes a fourth-round pick – Nashville will acquire Toronto’s 2013 fourth rounder if Lombardi plays 60 or more games regular-season games over the course of 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, while Toronto will acquire Nashville’s 2013 fourth rounder if Lombardi does not play 60 games during the next two campaigns.

“Unfortunately, Matthew Lombardi's concussion last season and recovery left us uncertain about his ability to come back for this season, and that uncertainty has made it difficult for us to move forward, plan and develop our lineup,” Poile said. “We never like to give up young homegrown talent like Cody Franson, but have to give up something in order to put ourselves in position to do other things to improve our team, which we are committed to doing between now and training camp.”

Lebda, 29 (1/15/82), appeared in 41 games for the Leafs in 2010-11, registering four points (1g-3a) and 14 penalty minutes. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., native has amassed 72 points (19g-53a) and 215 penalty minutes in 367 NHL regular-season contests with Detroit and Toronto since 2005-06, and 10 assists and 40 PIMs in 62 playoff games during that span. The 5-9, 194-pound blueliner won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, and helped Detroit advance to the Finals the following season. Prior to turning pro in 2004-05, Lebda played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, amassing 85 points (26g-59a) and 253 penalty minutes in 152 games.

Slaney, 22 (10/13/88), spent the majority of the 2010-11 campaign with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, notching 24 points (7g-17a) and 34 PIMs in 61 games. He also appeared in nine contests with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, posting one assist and two penalty minutes. The 6-2, 203-pound native of Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland played four seasons with Cape Breton (QMJHL) from 2005-09, registering 168 points (78g-90a) and 229 PIMs in 239 games.

Analysis: the move does clear the salary of Lombardi off the books for the Predators. Lombardi's future is uncertain due to a concussion that he sustained in the second game of the season and from which he was unable to return to action. The move of Franson, who averaged just over 15 minutes of ice time this past season, speaks to the confidence that the organization has in some of the younger defensemen that should be able to make the jump to the NHL this season. It certainly opens the door for Ryan Ellis to make a move to the big club this fall.


Hopefully, this move sets up the Predators for other off season moves with Lombardi's salary off the books. It is no secret that the Predators are looking for additional scoring help up front, and this move should position the Predators to make additional off acquisitions.

Predators Part Ways, Stand Pat in Free Agent Frenzy

The first day of the NHL free agency period has been described as a "frenzy". In looking at some of the deals that were consummated today, a more apt description might be "foolishness".

In the foolishness, uh, frenzy, of the first day of free agency, the Nashville Predators did......wait for it.....

nothing.

And that is not a bad thing.

The Predators did lose some unrestricted free agents, players that had been an integral part of last season's team. Marcel Goc, Joel Ward, and Steve Sullivan were all signed by other teams on this first day of free agency.

Watching players go out the door and seeing no splashy signings occur is frustrating to the fans, but why don't we pause for a moment and assess what has happened today and how the Predators can still be successful in free agency.

There are several considerations to keep in mind:

There is a general feeling that many of these contracts signed today were divorced from the reality of the player's performance. Specifically, many general managers overpaid for players such as Ville Leino, Joel Ward, and Thomas Fleischmann, to name a few. This is not a criticism of those specific players, but these contracts are representative of GM's that had money to spend and are banking on players to continue to improve their performance and have rewarded a solid season or playoff campaign.

If you ask me to explain how experienced GM's get caught up in the frenzy of overpaying for a player, well, I am at a loss to do so. Perhaps some GM's feel the pressure to do something (Imma lookin at you, Scott Howson) to keep their job. They certainly were filling a roster need. When you overpay as many of the GM's did today, there is, however, a disconnect between performance and payment. And this can be a conceit of a GM and his team- believing that his coach or his system can squeeze even more out of a player than his former coach. Yes, we all know of players that have benefited from a change of scenery, but a change of scenery at an inflated salary makes no sense.

There is also the particular case of the Florida Panthers, who were so far below the salary floor that they had to spend an enormous amount  of cash to get to the floor. The Panthers skewed the market by virtue of having to pay for players to get closer to the floor. They were willing to take on contracts (Brian Campbell) and pay above market rates for players (Thomas Fleischmann), and their actions no doubt had an influence on the market for contracts on this first day.

Predators GM David Poile is chided and often criticized for "doing nothing" during free agency, especially early on in the process. I don't believe for a moment that Poile doesn't work the phones and attempted to get a deal done, but Poile is going to do a deal at the right price. Part of that is the self imposed budget of the team, but credit has to be given to Poile for being savvy enough to be a good judge of talent and what that talent is reasonably worth. His peers operate with different salary constraints and different team needs, which can (and did this free agent period- see: Florida) skew offers to the FA's.

Another consideration is organizational depth. As Predator fans, we are grateful for and we have cheered the development of our young players. This past season, we relied heavily on those players to step into key roles in the regular season and the playoffs. The advent of free agency doesn't mean that our young talent has disappeared or has had a setback in their development. One of the strengths of the Predator organization is the depth and improving talent in our system. Many teams have significant holes in their system or feel they need that one special player to get them to the Cup, and they attempt to plug those holes through free agency. That is part and parcel of the frenzy that is free agency, and perhaps indicative of a weakness in a team's farm system. All of us agree that the Predators could use more consistent scoring, but is it better to develop that scoring or attempt to buy it?

This brings us to where the Predators are right now. This team, if nothing else, is consistent in embracing their philosophy of the "Predator Way". That philosophy has been to draft well and develop players, and when the time is right, give them an opportunity to shine. As mentioned, we saw some younger players thrust into key roles this past season, and they performed admirably. It is obvious that they have to improve, that their game has to make a jump to the next level for this team to continue to be successful.

This also means that the Predators have to have existing players on whom they depend perform to expectations. It is imperative that the guys that are the core of this team have to produce; that is why they have the contracts they do. This is another obvious point, but it is one that the Predator nation needs to keep in mind. It is easy to be enamored with another team's forward and fall in love with their production. What we have to keep in mind is that we have players that have the ability to perform at the level of any of the free agents that were signed today to unreal contracts. This puts the onus to produce on the core of the Predators roster.

Were the Predators going to deviate from that philosophy today? Only if the right player to fill a need was available at the right price. Were those players available- at the right price?

No.

That doesn't mean that the Predators will not still be active. However, it will be on their terms; a player that can fill a need and at the right price.

Here is a bit of coach speak: you dance with who brung ya.

And the Predators are going to be dancing with with their core players and developing young talent.