Rumors and Notes: Predators, Stars, and Top Remaining UFAs

“We improved the team by keeping the team together,” he said Wednesday. “There’s been so many changes in the last couple years, including leading into last year. I think we need a little more stability than we had in previous years. Previous years, we didn’t win. We didn’t make the playoffs. We needed to make some changes.”

“We’re throwing a lot of spaghetti up on the wall, hoping some of it sticks. We’ve got some speed, we’ve got some size and I’m excited about it.”

The Predators re-signed Mike Ribeiro for two-year and $7 million, and signed UFAs Barret Jackman and Cody Hodgson.

“It feels like it’s an arms race, especially in the Western Conference,” Poile said. “It’s not like anybody’s getting any worse on our side, so I hope we are (competitive). I feel that we’ve made a couple of good moves, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s going to be close.”

Heika on if they’ll go with their currently blueline or if GM Nill’s waiting for the right deal: “I think he’s waiting on the right deal and believes it could be out there in September…or maybe even at the trade deadline. He wants the right guy, and he’s confident enough in the current group that he would take them into next season as constructed if he has to.”