Shortly after getting Andrei Kostitsyn from Montreal, the Predators added another forward prior to the trade deadline in Paul Gaustad (from Buffalo.)
Gaustad, a pending UFA, has seven goals and 10 assists in 56 games. The big 30-year-old center should fit in nicely with a team that’s already one of the toughest to play against.
The Predators also got a fourth-round pick in the deal; however, they had to send a valuable first-round pick to the Sabres to get it done.
Nashville acquired defenseman Hal Gill last week, and combined with today’s deals, it’s clear GM David Poile is trying to send a message to Ryan Suter and Shea Weber that the organization is committed to winning. Suter is a pending UFA, and if he leaves, Weber is more likely to leave the following summer.
Now all the Preds have to do is make a deep run in the playoffs.